Drugs & Alcohol in

the Workplace
DRUGS & ALCOHOL IN THE WORKPLACE

Alcohol and drug use among employees

and their family members can be an
expensive problem for businesses, with
issues including:
• lost productivity
• absenteeism
• injuries
• fatalities
• theft
• low employee morale
• increase in health care
• legal liabilities
• workers' compensation costs
FOCUS ON FOUR ISSUES

The impact of alcoholism and drug dependence in the workplace often

focuses on four major issues:

Premature death/fatal accidents

Injuries/accident rates

Absenteeism/extra sick leave

Loss of production

In addition, family members living with someone’s alcoholism or drug use

may also suffer significant job performance related problems -- including
absenteeism, lack of focus, increased health-related problems and use of
health insurance.
ALCOHOL IN THE WORKPLACE

While alcoholism can affect any industry and any organization, big or
small, workplace alcoholism is especially prevalent in these particular
industries, according to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug
Dependence (NCADD):

Food service

Construction

Mining and Drilling

Excavation

Installation, Maintenance and Repair

DRUGS IN THE WORKPLACE

SOME FACTS ABOUT DRUGS IN THE WORKPLACE:

• Workers who report having three or more jobs in

the past five years are about twice as likely to be
current or past-year illegal drug users than those
with two or fewer jobs.
• Seventy percent of the estimated 14.8 million
Americans who use illegal drugs are employed.
• Marijuana remains the most common illegal
drug abused by employees. Marijuana is now
legal for medical use in many states, but it is still
fully illegal in Georgia.
• Non-medical use of prescription drugs has now
replaced cocaine as the second-most abused drug).
EVERY COMPANY NEEDS A POLICY

Three of these common principles relate to what should be included in every

employer’s drug- and alcohol-abuse-prevention policy:

Why the company established the policy

What precisely is expected of employees, and

What the consequences are for policy violations

SIMPLICITY IS THE BEST POLICY

The Institute for a Drug-Free Workplace says that an effective substance

abuse prevention policy may be as simple as five sentences. Here is a sample:

[Company]
[Company]isiscommitted
committedtotoprotecting
protectingthe
thesafety,
safety,health,
health,and andwell-being
well-beingofofitsits
employees
employeesandandallallpeople
peoplewho
whocome
comeinto
intocontact
contactwith
withitsitsworkplace(s)
workplace(s)and
andproperty,
and/or
property,
use and/or
its products
use its
andproducts
services.
and services.

Recognizing
Recognizingthatthatdrug
drugand
andalcohol
alcoholabuse
abusepose
posea adirect
directand
andsignificant
significantthreat
threattotothis
this
goal,
goal,[Company]
[Company]isiscommitted
committedtotoensuring
ensuringa asubstance-free
substance-freeworking
workingenvironment
environmentfor
allfor
of all
itsof
employees.
its employees.

[Company]
[Company]therefore
thereforestrictly
strictlyprohibits
prohibitsthetheillicit
illicituse,
use,possession,
possession,sale,
sale,conveyance,
conveyance,
distribution,
distribution,orormanufacture
manufactureofofillegal
illegaldrugs,
drugs,intoxicants,
intoxicants,ororcontrolled
controlledsubstances
substancesin
any
in any
amount
amount
or inorany
in any
manner.
manner.

InInaddition,
addition,[Company]
[Company]strictly
strictlyprohibits
prohibitsthe
theabuse
abuseofofalcohol
alcoholororprescription
prescriptiondrugs.
drugs.

Any
Anyviolation
violationofofthis
thispolicy
policywill
willresult
resultininadverse
adverseemployment
employmentaction
actionupuptotoand
and
including
includingdismissal
dismissaland andreferral
referralforforcriminal
criminalprosecution.
prosecution.
SOME POLICIES MAY BE MORE COMPLEX

Some companies may require a more elaborate policy that might include:

• Additional provisions about drug testing

• Employee assistance programs
• Substance searches
• Drug-Free Workplace Act requirements

MarathonHR is here to help you develop as basic or as complex a policy as

your business needs. Call us at 678-208-2802.