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 Drug Free Workplace Chicago Hotel Has No Reservations About Insisting on a Drug-Free Workplace |
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Drug Free Workplace Chicago Hotel Has No Reservations About Insisting on a Drug-Free Workplace |
Bryon Peterson, Director of Human Resources for the Chicago Downtown Marriott Hotel, has experienced first-hand the benefits of promoting a drug-free workplace. In addition to conducting pre-employment drug testing of all applicants, the hotel refers associates with drug or alcohol problems to nearby rehabilitation programs.
Associates who undergo rehabilitation for drug or alcohol abuse may return to work under the provisions of their prescribed treatment. If the assessment includes out-patient care, the hotel will adjust work schedules to accommodate it. If the associate must enroll in a detoxification program, the hotel will provide an extended leave of absence for its completion.
But it is the hotel's enthusiastic promotion of its drug-free workplace that it credits for attracting and keeping quality workers. "We think the best result of our policy is the quality of applicant we are getting," says Peterson. "We advertise our positions so well that the chance of hiring an associate with a drug problem is self-limiting."
A big sign in Spanish and English declaring "All Applicants at this Hotel are Subject to Drug Testing Prior to Employment" greets potential associates when they come through the door. The drug-free workplace message is reiterated during the interview process and appears again in newspaper job advertisements the hotel places.
An important goal of the hotel's focus on a drug-free workplace is the reduction of accidents and safety-compromising behavior. Accidents have been a growing problem for Chicago Downtown, as for the hospitality industry in general. Hotels that have introduced substance abuse programs have seen dramatic declines in their accident rates.
The Chicago Downtown Marriott does not currently test existing associates but is considering post-accident and reasonable for-cause testing. Still, even without a testing tool to verify substance abuse, Peterson says the signs are pretty clear when an associate is abusing drugs or alcohol.
"It almost always begins as a tardiness issue," says Peterson, "which progresses to absenteeism and then to a combination of both. By the time you are forced to acknowledge these irritating job performance problems, the substance abuse has been going on for some time."
When these problems surface, the management sits down with the associate and addresses them directly. The hotel then refers associates to a counselor for evaluation and recommendation for treatment. "We also let them know that the job will be there when they complete the program and can accept the restrictions on drug and alcohol use that the treatment facility and the hotel have prescribed," Peterson explains.
Although associates have the option to make self-referrals, they rarely do. "We have had associates referred for poor job performance, or smelling strongly of alcohol, sit down with us and deny they have a problem," says Peterson. "If we did not demand that they seek treatment or lose their jobs, they would never deal with it."
Peterson says that for this reason, even if the law or the hotel's own policy did not require it to offer help, it would do so because "it's the moral and ethical thing to do."
It is also the cost-effective thing to do, according to Peterson. "Business is interested in business," he says. "Because it costs us a substantial amount to hire, train, and sever someone's employment, allowing an associate to recover from drug or alcohol abuse saves us the cost of hiring someone else who might also turn out to have a substance abuse problem."
Peterson says the hoped-for return on this investment is a better and more loyal worker, which has been the case with several reformed substance abusers still employed by the hotel. One problem associate who recently completed a month-long alcohol program before returning to work now "comes to work on time, is a good worker, and is extremely grateful to have his job and self-esteem back," according to Peterson. "I really believe our honest approach results in a win-win situation for everyone."
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