Creating a Drug Free Workplace

Creating a Drug Free Workplace


U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention

The presentations herein are those of the authors and may not necessarily reflect the opinions, official policy, or position of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Public Health Service, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
All material appearing in this book, except quoted passages from copyrighted sources, is in the public domain and may be used or reproduced without permission from CSAP or the authors. Citation of the source is appreciated.

CSAP Production and Editing Officer:
Joan White Quinlan
Robert W. Denniston
Director, Division Public Education and Dissemination
Charlie Williams, CEAP
Public Health Advisor, Workplace Community Prevention Branch

CSAP Mission Statement

The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) supports and promotes the continued development of community, State, national, and international, comprehensive prevention systems. CSAP strives to connect people and resources with effective and innovative ideas, strategies, and programs, aimed at reducing and eliminating alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) problems in our society. CSAP's prevention programs and models, tailored to specific cultures and locales, capitalize on broad-based community involvement and enhanced public and professional awareness of prevention.

Introduction

Alcohol and other drug abuse (AOD) in the workplace can adversely affect the ability of a business to provide quality services to its customers. This pamphlet is intended to be used as a quick and easy reference guide to low-cost steps an employer can take to prevent workplace-related AOD problems. Smaller businesses in particular, many of which are in the service sector, will find this information useful as a guide to readily available resources. These resources can help them prevent AOD-related problems that can adversely affect their company's ability to provide quality customer services.

In the past, the focus has been on things like train derailments or the Valdez incident. No one is pointing the finger at service-oriented businesses, where the problem is hard to detect.
-Owner of a chain of automobile repair shops in Texas

FACT:About 10 million Americans (5 percent of the population) are heavy drinkers, defined as drinking five or more drinks per occasion on five or more days in the past 30 days (1992 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA)).

In a company with 10 employees, just 1 employee with an alcohol or other drug problem can be devastating to productivity and profits.

Getting Started

Small service-oriented businesses that employ young people in entry- level jobs are extremely vulnerable to alcohol and other drug problems. As every employer knows, people don't leave their personal problems at home when they come to work. Large numbers of employees abuse alcohol and other drugs.

According to the 1992 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) by SAMHSA, illegal drug use is greatest among employees in the construction, wholesale trade, and retail trade industries. This survey also found that illegal drug use is highest in the 18- to 24-year-old age group, many of whom are just entering the small business workforce.

FACT: The majority (66.5 percent) of current (past month) illicit drug users 18 or older are working either full-time or part-time (1992 NHSDA).

FACT: Alcohol and other drug use costs American businesses an estimated $102 billion every year in lost productivity, accidents, employee turnover, and related problems (Economic Costs of Alcohol and Drug Abuse and Mental Illness: 1987, ADAMHA, 1990).

Since Congress passed the Drug-Free Workplace Act in 1988, many businesses have taken the first steps to establish a safe, drug-free workplace. You don't have to start from scratch. There are many simple and inexpensive ways to begin to develop a drug-free workplace. The important things are to become informed, make a commitment, and get started.

When Service is Your Business

He was our bookkeeper for just six months, and that was two years ago -- but we're still coming across mistakes he made.
-Manager of a pharmacy in Oregon

Owners and managers of service-oriented businesses often say they do not need a drug-free workplace program because they do not really have a problem. Yet an employee with an alcohol and other drug problem can be a hidden time bomb. Employees who deal with cash, numbers, and customers can keep such a problem hidden for years. They may not be injuring anyone physically, but their impact can be devastating.

FACT: Drug users at a minimum consume almost twice the medical benefits as nonusers, are absent 1.5 times as often, and make more than twice as many workers' compensation claims.

FACT: Among 20- to 34-year-old full-time employed Americans, 20.2 percent used an illicit drug in the past year and 9.5 percent used an illicit drug in the past month, including significant marijuana and cocaine use

I was at a meeting of my business association and we got around to talking about the drug thing. I said, "All the big companies in town are doing drug testing. And they're firing people or not hiring them in the first place. Guess where those people are coming to work. To us." We decided we had to do something just to protect ourselves.
-Owner of a discount store in South Carolina with 30 employees, most of them unskilled and under 25 years old

Potential Benefits of a Drug-Free Workplace:

Reduced absenteeism, tardiness, sick leave, and personal time off
Reduced employee discipline problems
Reduced workers' compensation costs
Improved customer satisfaction
Increased productivity
Improved employee morale and motivation
Improved community image

For More Information . . .

Drugs at Work is a video that describes the costs of alcohol and other drug abuse in the workplace and provides examples of current programs in government and private companies. Call the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI) at 800-729-6686 to request a copy. The cost of this video is $12.50. NCADI accepts VISA of MasterCard, checks, and purchase orders (minimum of $25). Ask for inventory number VHS02 when placing your order.

The First Step: A Clear Policy

You have probably heard about companies that offer so many benefits that employees rarely leave. For owners and managers of small businesses, it's a different story. Providing even the most basic benefits is not easy for small businesses. Health care and workers' compensation costs are soaring.

Working toward making your workplace drug-free does not have to drain your company's budget. You can take a number of small steps with little or no cost that could save you money. They will also improve with health, morale, and well-being of your employees.

It is the greatest thing you can do for yourself and your employees, and it doesn't have to cost a lot. The most expensive thing you can do is nothing.
-Owner of a small manufacturing firm in Georgia employing young people

The first and most important step is to develop a policy that makes your position about alcohol and other drug use in the workplace very clear. As the owner of a business, you have clear guidelines on attendance, performance, conduct, and even smoking in the workplace. But do you have a policy that tells your employees not to use drugs?

A well-designed policy should:

Explain why a policy is needed and important -- that is, describe the goal of a drug-free workplace.
Make it clear that alcohol and other drug use on the job violates company policy and will not be tolerated.
State specific consequences for violating the policy.
Define specific ways for employees and family members to obtain help for alcohol, drugs, or family problems.

If screening is part of the program, share how, when, and under what conditions employees will be tested for alcohol and/or drug use.

We try to help our workers. Given the nature of our industry, we recognize that some people are going to have problems. We're concerned about working with our people and not just pushing them out, because we know if we did that we'd be pushing out a lot of them.
-Manager of a chain of fast-food restaurants in New York

Once a policy is adopted, all employees will know what you expect from them and what they can expect from you. A sample policy is included for your adaptation.

Sample Policy Your Company's Letterhead

(Name of Business) is committed to providing a safe work environment and to fostering the well-being and health of its employees. That commitment is jeopardized when any (Name of Business) employee uses illegal drugs or alcohol on the job, comes to work with these substances present in his/her body, or possesses, distribute, or sells drugs in the workplace. (Name of Business) has established the following policy with regard to alcohol and other drugs to ensure that we can meet our obligations to our employees, shareholders, customers, and the public.

The goal of this policy is to balance our respect for individuals with the need to maintain a safe, productive, and drug-free environment. The intent of this policy is to offer a helping hand to those who need it, while sending a clear message that illegal drug use and alcohol abuse are incompatible with working at (Name of Business).

It is a violation of our policy for any employees to possess, sell, trade, or offer for sale illegal drugs or otherwise engage in the use of illegal drugs or alcohol on the job.
It is a violation of our policy for anyone to report to work under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol -- that is, with illegal drugs or alcohol in his/her body.
It is a violation of our policy for anyone to use prescription drugs illegally. (It is not a violation of our policy for an employee to use legally prescribed medications, but the employee should notify his/her supervisor if the prescribed medication will affect the employee's ability to perform his/her job.)
Violations of this policy are subject to disciplinary action ranging from a letter of reprimand, to suspension from work without pay, up to and including dismissal. It is the responsibility of our supervisors to counsel employees whenever they see changes in performance or behavior that suggest that an employee has an alcohol or other drug problem. Although it is not the supervisor's job to diagnose the employee's problem, the supervisor should encourage such an employee to seek help and tell him/her about available resources for getting help. Because all employees are expected to be concerned about working in a safe environment, they also should encourage their fellow employees who may have an alcohol or other drug problem to seek help.

For More Information . . .

Additional sample policies from existing programs in a variety of industries and settings may be obtained by calling the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention's (CSAP) Workplace Helpline 800-WORKPLACE.

Next Steps

Sure I'd do something if it didn't take a lot of money. Who wouldn't? But right now I'm struggling just to provide my employees with a decent health plan.
-Owner of a dry goods store in Vermont

A policy is only the first step. Here are some other steps you can take to become better informed:

Ask owners and managers of other service-oriented businesses how they are dealing with alcohol and other drug use in the workplace.
Talk with local business groups like the Chamber of Commerce to see what kinds of drug-free workplace programs, policies, and resources they can recommend. Many community-based coalitions have made drug-free workplaces a high priority and have developed initiatives with local chambers of commerce throughout the country.
Ask your health insurance agent about coverage for alcohol and other drug-related problems for your employees and their family members.
Join with other employers who have already purchased employee assistance program (EAP) services. Costs vary but are usually in the range of $15 to $25 per employee per year.
Ask your employees for their input on the new program. One way to do this is to hold a brown bag lunch for your employees to increase their awareness and support for a drug-free workplace.
Call the health or human resource department of large companies in your area. Seventy-five percent of large businesses (1,000 or more employees) are doing something, including offering EAP services to their employees and their family members, and many are willing to assist smaller businesses in addressing the problem.
Find out what your community and business groups are doing to help prevent alcohol and other drug problems in your community.

Elements of a Comprehensive Drug-Free Workplace Program
A clear, consistent policy. Training for supervisors about the company's program. Education for employees about the company's program and about the effects of AOD abuse. Access to an employee assistance program. Identification of illegal drug use, including a drug testing program, if appropriate.
You do not have to implement all of these elements at once, but you can take that first step.

One Example of a Business Owner Taking Charge

Chamberlain Contractors is an asphalt paving company with approximately 70 employees, located in Laurel, Maryland. According to its president, Harold Green, the company developed its EAP through the "back door" -- a safety awareness program. In the late 1980's the company had high workers' compensation costs and frequent vehicular accidents: in 1987, for example, the company's workers' compensation costs were $97,000. In 1991, those costs were $22,000, and the company had gone for more than two years with neither a vehicular accident nor an on-the-job injury. This dramatic drop corresponded to the establishment of an EAP.

I think something as simple as signs saying "No use of drugs or alcohol allowed" can make a difference. People obey "No smoking" signs, but often they aren't even aware of an alcohol or drug policy.
-Organizer of drug-free workplace programs in Texas

The company holds quarterly half-day meetings with all employees during which safety and EAP issues are discussed. These meetings give employees the opportunity to voice concerns and express their expectations of the EAP. According to Green, a strong case can be made for the argument that EAPs save small businesses money. Managers must support the program, and employees must play a strong role in its development and implementation. Source: Promoting Health at Work, Fall 1993.)

For More Information . . .

Finding Solutions is a video that focuses on how to provide information to employees, promote worker involvement in drug-free workplace programs, and build on community linkages to prevent alcohol and other drug problems in the workplace. Call NCADI at 800-729-6686 to request a copy. The cost of this video is $12.50. NCADI accepts VISA of MasterCard, checks, and purchase orders (minimum of $25). Ask for inventory number VHS07 when placing your order.

What benefits will I see from setting up a drug-free workplace program?

Some of the benefits are economic. Employers frequently cite reductions in workers' compensation costs, for example. An effective program helps to cut back on accidents, mistakes, and employee turnover. It can save an employer hundreds or thousands of dollars every year. Other benefits are less tangible but just as important; for example, an effective program can significantly improve the climate of the workplace and employee morale.

What do I do if I am fairly sure an employee has an alcohol or other drug problem?

I wanted to know what my rights were as opposed to the employee's rights. This business operates on a narrow profit margin. A lawsuit from an employee could finish me.
-Owner of a convenience store in Massachusetts who learned about his legal rights in a drug-related situation by consulting with a local EAP consortium

Do not accuse the employee of having an alcohol or other drug problem. Address the problem on the basis of the employee's work performance and conduct. If you have an alcohol and other drug policy in place, follow through on it objectively and fairly for all employees. If you do not have a policy, you can stop the employee from performing the job to protect the safety of other employees, the public at large, or your company's reputation. Call the CSAP Workplace Helpline at 800-WORKPLACE to find out whether local, State, or Federal laws apply to your situation.

Am I required to do drug testing?