Workplace Substance Abuse – What You Should Know About Your Co-Workers

It is essential that people distance themselves from the notion that discussing substance abuse among co-workers is somehow ‘tattling.’ While it does save the company valuable resources, perhaps the most important thing to remember is that it might provide employees with a reason to seek out professional recovery treatment. Without a specific catalyst, many users continue to abuse illicit substances until they lose their job or have to confront their problem in some other way.

Some of the warning signs of addiction or workplace substance abuse may include the following:

• Changes in mood:  The employee may seem suspicious of others, more depressed, or appear very irritable. The person may also be excessively talkative or withdrawn after breaks or lunch.
• Changes in appearance:  There is a decline in professional attire, he or she has an unsteady stance, hand tremors, excessive and rapid weight gain or loss, poor hygiene, slurred speech or bloodshot eyes.
• Changes in work performance:  The person takes an increasing number of sick days or has unexplained absences. They also take frequent breaks and misuse equipment while showing resistance to authority. This employee demonstrates an inability to make decisions and shows a loss of concentration. Their quality of work is becoming progressively worse, and the person is far less productive than before.
• Changes in interpersonal relationships:  The person may refer to problems at home, act accusatory towards others, become far more argumentative than usual, appear overconfident, uncooperative or show poor listening skills.

Remember, it could also be possible that a number of these symptoms have other origins other than drug abuse. Some of them may have to do with the personality of that particular person, perhaps they are unable to get enough sleep, are under a great deal of stress or are struggling with a physical illness or allergic reaction. However, if you see some different indicators with a person that did not previously demonstrate any of them, the chances are that a problem does exist.

What Benefits have Employers Seen?

Those companies that introduced drug-free workplace programs saw many different benefits that became apparent almost right away.

Some of the most important findings are:

• Better productivity – Those employers who implemented successful drug-free workplace programs report decreases in theft, turnover, downtime, accidents, and absenteeism while reporting improvements in productivity and employee morale.
• Better health – The employers who have longstanding programs report that the use of medical benefits among employees and family members decreased, while the health status among these same groups has improved.
• Incentives – Some companies that have a drug-free workplace program may qualify for specific incentives. Examples of incentives may be lowered costs for different types of insurance or decreased costs for workers’ compensation.