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 Establishing Workplace Substance Abuse Programs |
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Establishing Workplace Substance Abuse Programs |
Approximately 71% of drug users in the United States are employed, costing American businesses billions of dollars annually in lost productivity and increased health care costs.
In response, many employers have established workplace substance abuse programs to ensure that their work forces are productive, their workplaces are safe, and the success of their businesses is not hindered by substance abuse.
However, because no two companies are exactly alike, there is no absolute "model" substance abuse program that is right for all companies. Your program will depend largely on your company's own circumstances, needs, location, culture, resources, and alcohol and other drug abuse experiences.
First and foremost, however, your program should reflect your company's commitment to establishing and maintaining a workplace free of substance abuse. Your program should include those components that you and your employees identify as important to the company.
There are five standard components of a comprehensive workplace substance abuse program that you may want to consider. They include a written policy statement, supervisor training, employee education and awareness, employee assistance for providing help, and drug and alcohol testing.
A comprehensive program including all five components is the most effective way to address substance abuse problems in the workplace.
Step One: Writing a Substance Abuse Policy
Step Two: Training Supervisors
Step Three: Educating Your Employees
Step Four: Providing Employee Assistance
Step Five: Drug and Alcohol Testing
Step One: Writing a Substance Abuse Policy
Before you actually start writing your substance abuse policy, there are a number of important steps that you may want to take. A needs assessment survey may help you to better understand the company's current situation and determine exactly what you want the program to accomplish. Enlisting the assistance and input of your employees will not only help you to develop the best policy possible, but also will help secure your employees' support. Your workers should be your allies in this effort.
- There are three basic parts to a written policy. The policy should include an explanation of why you are implementing a program. An important consideration may be the safety of your employees, customers, and the general public. Other reasons may include workers' and dependents' health, product quality, productivity, public liability, and legal requirements.
- The policy should include a clear description of substance abuse-related behaviors that are prohibited. At a minimum, this should include the use, possession, and transfer or sale of illegal drugs. Unacceptable behavior also may include employees under the influence of alcohol or other drugs while at work.
- Finally, the policy should include a thorough explanation of the consequences for violations of the policy.
Your policy needs to identify all the elements of your substance abuse program. For example, if your company's program includes an employee assistance program or drug testing, a description should be stated in the policy. Essentially, your policy should specify everything that will affect your employees and the options available to them should a substance abuse problem occur.
Step Two: Training Supervisors
The level of support your supervisors give to the company's substance abuse program, combined with the fairness of your program and the firmness of your commitment, will greatly influence its potential for success. Many of the problems encountered when implementing a program can be avoided if you have the full support and participation of your supervisors and managers.
Your supervisors are responsible for identifying and addressing performance problems when they occur which, on occasion, may be the result of substance abuse. Supervisors, however, should not be expected to diagnose possible substance abuse problems. Instead, you can expect them to be able to identify the signs of poor job performance and follow standard company procedures for dealing with the employee.
The key to gaining effective supervisory support for your substance abuse program is to make sure all supervisors have been trained to understand the company's substance abuse policy and procedures, to identify and help resolve employee performance problems, and to know how to refer employees to available assistance so that any personal problems that may be affecting job performance can be addressed.
An effective training program will enable supervisors to do the following:
- Know the company's policy and understand their role in its implementation and maintenance;
- Observe and document unsatisfactory job performance;
- Confront workers about unsatisfactory job performance according to company procedures;
- Understand the effects of substance abuse in the workplace; and
- Know how to refer an employee suspected of having a substance abuse problem to those who are qualified to make a specific diagnosis and to offer assistance.
Step Three: Educating Your Employees
Educating all of your workers about substance abuse and your company's substance abuse program is a critical step in actually achieving the objectives of the program. Your substance abuse education and awareness program may differ from those of other companies depending on your specific needs. However, a basic program should achieve the following objectives:
- Provide information about the dangers of alcohol and other drugs and how they can affect individuals and families;
- Describe the impact that substance abuse can have on safety at work as well as the company's productivity, product quality, absenteeism, health care costs, accident rates, and the overall bottom line;
- Explain in detail how your workplace policy applies to every employee of the company and the consequences for violations of the policy;
- Describe how the basic components of your overall program work, including the employee assistance program (EAP) and drug and/or alcohol testing, if these are part of the program;
- Explain how employees and their dependents, if included, can get help for their substance abuse problems, including how to access the company's EAP or how to obtain services available from the community.
An effective education and awareness program is not a one-time effort. New workers should be informed immediately about your substance abuse policy and what is expected of them. Because of the regular turnover that many companies experience and the occasional changes and updates to the policy that may occur, education efforts will need to be undertaken periodically. If your company is unionized, the union representatives can provide valuable assistance in the development and maintenance of an education and awareness program.
Step Four: Providing Employee Assistance
Many employers are unsure whether they can or should offer or provide assistance to employees who have alcohol or other drug problems. Often they are concerned about the cost of providing assistance and the company's ability to continue to meet work demands while employees are getting help.
Terminating employees with alcohol and other drug problems and hiring a new worker may seem to be the most cost-effective approach. In some cases, starting fresh may be the best course of action. In most cases, however, it actually makes better sense--from a business point of view as well as a humanitarian one--to help employees overcome personal problems.
An employee assistance program (EAP) is a job-based program intended to assist workers whose job performance is being negatively affected by personal problems. Workers' personal problems may be caused by any number of factors, including substance abuse. Many employers have discovered that EAPs are cost-effective because they help reduce accidents, workers' compensation claims, absenteeism, and employee theft, and contribute to improved productivity and employee morale.
If you are contemplating including employee assistance as part of your program, you may wish to take the following steps:
- Contact other companies in your area that provide some type of employee assistance and learn about their programs--what they offer, how the service is provided, and the costs and results they are getting from the program; and
- Determine whether there is an EAP consortium available in your community that local businesses can join to receive EAP services at prices typically only available to larger companies.
In order for your EAP to be successful, it must be viewed by your employees as a confidential source of help. They must believe that they will not jeopardize their employment or future opportunities with the company by seeking help from the EAP. Conversely, they must also understand that the EAP will not shield them from disciplinary action for continued poor performance or violations of your company policy.
Almost any size company can offer its employees the services of an EAP, which can be tailored to address the specific needs of your work force. With a strong commitment from the management of the company, quality EAP professionals, and a clear understanding by all that employee assistance services do not offer "quick fixes," an EAP can be a valuable component of your comprehensive workplace substance abuse program.
It is not always necessary to have a formal employee assistance program. For many companies, particularly small businesses, it is economically unrealistic to consider providing a formal program. However, the services that such a program provides are available in a variety of ways--often within the budget of many small businesses. Some companies, for example, keep a folder with listings of available resources to employees. Regardless of how formal or informal you choose to be about providing such services, employee assistance can be a valuable component of your overall program.
Step Five: Drug and Alcohol Testing
Drug and alcohol testing by itself is not a substance abuse program. Many companies, however, believe that, when combined with the other components of a comprehensive substance abuse program, testing can be an effective deterrent to substance abuse and an important tool to help employers identify workers who need help.
Though setting up a testing program is not a simple process, every year more and more companies of all sizes are doing so. Some establish programs because they are required to by state or federal laws or regulations. Others test to take advantage of incentive programs made available through the state or an insurance provider. Still, others do so because it is the right business decision for the company.
Before you implement a drug or alcohol testing program, consider the following questions:
- Who will you test? (Job applicants? All employees? Selected employees? Employees only at certain job sites?)
- When will you test? (After all accidents or only after some? When you have reason to believe an employee is using drugs? As part of periodic physical examinations? Randomly?)
- For what substances will you test? (Only the five drugs required by many federal government agencies -- marijuana, opiates, amphetamines, cocaine, and PCP? Only for marijuana and cocaine because they are the most commonly abused illegal substances? For alcohol because it is the number one abused substance in American workplaces? For other legal substances that are commonly abused, such as prescription drugs, that can affect job performance?)
- What consequences will employees and job applicants face if they test positive?
- Who will administer your testing program?
Drug testing has been gaining in popularity in the private sector for the past decade. During that time, many safeguards and confidentiality measures have been developed to ensure the quality and accuracy of drug testing. In addition, laws and regulations have been passed that govern how programs must be set up and run. Before implementing a testing program, you would be well advised to contact an individual or organization with expertise in drug and alcohol testing issues to help you establish your program.
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