{"id":450,"date":"2014-01-08T20:00:34","date_gmt":"2014-01-09T01:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/roofingmagazine.com\/?p=450"},"modified":"2014-01-26T13:35:07","modified_gmt":"2014-01-26T18:35:07","slug":"impacts-substance-abuse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/roofingmagazine.com\/impacts-substance-abuse\/","title":{"rendered":"Impacts of Substance Abuse"},"content":{"rendered":"
Studies show an estimated 10 percent of U.S. employees have a chemical dependency, costing employers upwards of $100 billion each year. The most basic losses are attributed to the fact that, on average, an employee who partakes in substance abuse provides approximately two-thirds of the productivity of a sober employee.<\/p>\n
Look at it this way: A worker\u2019s salary is the price a business pays for the worker\u2019s contribution to the company. If his or her salary is, for example, $60,000 per year but he or she is only contributing two-thirds of what the employer is paying because of the impacts of substance abuse, the company is looking at a loss of $20,000 each year for a single employee.<\/p>\n
In addition, the on-the-job productivity losses don\u2019t include extended behaviors. Other statistics show employees with substance-abuse issues:<\/p>\n
Employees with chemical dependencies also affect their coworkers. One in five employees has had to work harder, redo finished work or has been injured (or nearly injured) as a result of the behavior of a coworker who is under the influence.<\/p>\n
Workplace substance abuse can have a stronger impact on small businesses that may not have the written policies or financial means to address accidents, injuries, and loss or damage of company property.<\/p>\n
The signs of substance abuse range from vague to completely obvious and depend greatly on the degree to which an employee uses (from casually to compulsively). It is important supervisors are well-versed in recognizing signs so they can address the matter. Some signs to look for may include:<\/p>\n
Keep in mind: Short of actually witnessing an employee drinking or using drugs at work, many of these signs could be attributed to problems that have nothing to do with substance abuse. Certain medications, for example, may present odors that are similar to that of alcohol. It\u2019s vital to never use these signs to jump to conclusions because they\u2019re merely a starting point from which to begin addressing a problem.
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Management needs to address workplace substance abuse problems quickly and directly. Unfortunately, this isn\u2019t always easy to do because it\u2019s difficult to accurately predict how the employee will respond.<\/p>\n
First, a manager must plan exactly how he or she wants the discussion to go. Thorough documentation of behaviors and incidents will back up the discussion and keep the conversation from derailing because of employee denial.<\/p>\n
After preparing for the discussion, choose a quiet, private location to hold it. It\u2019s a good idea to have another member of management in the room in case the employee begins to react aggressively.<\/p>\n
Remember to keep the conversation primarily limited to known, clear behavior and job-performance issues because, again, signs of substance abuse may not always actually mean there is substance abuse occurring. Avoid accusations. After discussing behavior and performance problems and any related consequences or action plans, offer the employee resources and\/or information for employee assistance programs (EAPs) that may help tackle his or her issues. Of course, this meeting must be treated with confidentiality and respect for the employee\u2019s privacy.<\/p>\n
In a worst-case scenario, don\u2019t be afraid to contact security or local law enforcement if the employee begins to react with violence or threats of violence. Keep your own safety in mind.<\/p>\n
It isn\u2019t always simple to prevent workplace substance abuse. Often the underlying cause will exist outside of the workplace (and therefore out of your control).<\/p>\n
The most effective preliminary measure to avoid this issue is to ensure there is an all-encompassing, thorough, written policy regarding workplace substance abuse. It should be clear there is a zero-tolerance policy and any known incidents of substance abuse at work will be approached quickly and with consequences. A written policy puts responsibility directly into the hands of the employees, letting them know what is expected of them on the job and what the results will be if expectations are not met.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also a good idea to have resources, like EAPs, available to employees struggling with substance abuse. Websites, information centers and phone numbers, and local rehabilitation centers should be easily accessible to all employees regardless of whether they are under investigation for substance abuse.<\/p>\n
Finally, while choosing whether or not to abuse substances is ultimately the employee\u2019s responsibility, it\u2019s important to consider the workplace conditions, as well. It\u2019s entirely possible certain conditions, such as high stress, unreasonable deadlines, long hours, fluctuating shifts, employee isolation and little supervision may contribute to an employee feeling the need to turn to substance abuse. Look for ways to identify and alter these sorts of workplace conditions to reduce the risks of workplace substance abuse.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Studies show an estimated 10 percent of U.S. employees have a chemical dependency, costing employers upwards of $100 billion each year. The most basic losses…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":456,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[26,33],"tags":[341,77,340],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n