Corporate Medical Services provides several examples of how hiring drug abusers negatively impacts a company.
It is never the intention of an employer to hire employees who are addicted to drugs. It’s also not always the intention of the person to become an addict. It’s a ticking time bomb to have a substance abuser under your employment, but you don’t often see the ill effects until it is too late. It may surprise you to know that almost three-quarters of illicit drug users are holding down a full-time job, and they’re doing so under the radar. It’s not always easy to detect drug abusers in the workplace, and it’s not until it’s too late that you will realize the full impact that addiction has on your business.
What are Illicit Drugs?
In the workplace, the most common illicit drugs used are marijuana and cocaine. Prescription drugs have also been abused for a long time, and their abuse is growing. Examples of these prescription drugs are Xanax, Adderall, and Oxycodone. Cocaine is known as a party drug and is highly addictive, while marijuana is known to be addictive but is viewed as safe by many. This nonchalant perception of drug use poses a risk for employers over time. Drug related visits to the Emergency Room increased by almost 60% between 2006-2010, so there is no safe drug in the workplace. You need your staff to be committed to their work, and anything that impairs their judgment increases their risk of injury at work and decreases their productivity levels.
Why do People Take Drugs?
There is an attraction to drugs when people are suffering from stress and difficulty in their personal lives. They know that drugs are going to bring them a temporary high by providing relief from the stress and making life feel easier for that moment. The motivations for using drugs are unique to each person. If they kept it only in their personal lives, it wouldn’t impact employers as much, but it becomes an employer’s problem when the employees show up high or tired from the night before partying. It also affects the business if the workers do not show up to work at all.
Impact of Drugs on the Workplace.
Drug addiction costs American businesses billions of dollars every year. Related problems to drugs in the workplace include:
- Chronic Absenteeism. Staff members that no longer come into work cost your business money.
- Loss of Production. Employees cannot be productive if they are under the influence of an external substance.
- Poor Decision Making. Judgment calls in the workplace are essential, but an impaired mind cannot make good decisions.
- Impaired Judgement. Drugs cloud the mind and stop your staff from thinking clearly. This can slow them down and cause mistakes to happen.
- Theft. Drugs are costly. Without the money to pay for them, an addict cannot keep up with their fix. This can lead to theft in the workplace.
You cannot always tell when your employees have an addiction, but you can prevent the problem by drug screening potential new hires with Corporate Medical Services located in Florence, SC. They can help you with all your drug screening needs.
