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Drug Free Workplace
Substance abuse in the workplace is a serious issue. Employees who are under the influence of a drug on the job compromise an employer's interests, endanger their own health and safety and the health and safety of others, and can cause a number of other work-related problems, including absenteeism and tardiness, substandard job performance, increased work loads for co-workers, behavior that disrupts other employees, delays in the completion of jobs, inferior quality in products or services, and disruption of customer relations (Drug-free workplace policy, 2004). These reasons explain why it is so important for an employer to support a drug free workplace. Key components of this initiative are to publish clearly defined policies, establish a drug awareness and education program, train supervisors to detect and manage substance abuse issues and offer an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
Clearly defined written policies lay the groundwork for a drug free workplace and should answer the following questions (elaws -- drug free workplace advisor):
What is the purpose/goal of the program?
Who will be covered by the policy and when will it apply?
What behavior will be prohibited?
Will employees be required to notify you of drug-related convictions?
Does the policy include searches...
Further, the program should educate employees about the dangers of using drugs in the workplace and make them aware of places to turn to for help such as available drug-abuse counseling, rehabilitation and employee assistance programs. The program should also emphasize sanctions and penalties that may be imposed for violating drug policies and procedures.
'Supervisors are the foundation upon which a successful drug-free workplace program is implemented and administered" (The role and responsibilities of supervisors). They must understand and communicate the company's policy and be trained in the detection and assessment of drug abuse. They also need to understand their role in requiring an employee to undergo a drug…
Bibliography
Drug-free workplace policy. (2004, January) SDSU Foundation Human Resources. Retrieved January 22, 2005 from Web site: http://www.foundation.sdsu.edu/hrpage/pol_form/polform_notice_drug.html
elaws -- drug free workplace advisor. U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved January 22, 2005 from Web site: http://www.dol.gov/elaws/asp/drugfree/drugs/screen16b.asp?selection_list=
The role and responsibilities of supervisors. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Retrieved January 22, 2005 from Web site: http://workplace.samhsa.gov/DrugFreeWP/suptrng.html
Utah Valley State College policies and procedures. (1992, June 18) Retrieved January 22, 2005 from Web site: http://www.uvsc.edu/policies/hr/c-3_08.html
What does an EAP policy look like? U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved January 22, 2005 from Web site: http://www.dol.gov/elaws/asp/drugfree/drugs/assistance/screen100.asp
What further makes interpretation of results difficult to precisely define quantify is that the amount of drug stores depends on the nature of the drug itself, the duration of the ingestion of the drug, and the composition of the tissue holding the drug and the frequency of use. The greater the incidence of drug use the more permanent the level of toxins and chemicals in tissues throughout the body,
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As a result, unions today are completing a variety of drug screens on construction workers who are members to ensure compliance to the federal law (Fournier, 2006). Unions have also acknowledged publicly that drug abuse in the construction industry is particularly acute and that there needs to be a continual focus on improving the screening methods to ensure compliance (Fournier, 2006). Like the U.S., Canada has aggressively pursued this
In most cases, recreational drug use is seen as a victimless crime and a harmless activity. This attitude changes in the workplace if the drug use impairs performance to the detriment of other workers or if the work involves public safety, in which case tolerance for drug use drops significantly. Another reason why tolerance for some drug use is so high is because the attitude is a reaction to the
Such results, if typical, would have a dramatic impact on the bottom line of any company that implements such programs. By definition, this improves employee productivity ($ value output per employee). Conclusion In our company, substance abuse by employees is a serious problem, and the impacts mirror those of other companies in the developed world. While we do not experience significant rates of injuries as the result of substance abuse, we
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