...Drug Prevalence in the Workplace In the past two decades, drug use in the workplace has risen drastically (Lee, 2011, p303). At least 16.4 million drug abusers and 15 million “heavy alcohol user” work a part time or full time job (“Help Prevent Workplace Drug Use”, 2009; “Most Illicit Drug Users and Heavy Alcohol Users are in the Workplace”, 2007). Many of these substance abusers admit to using their drug of choice before or during their work hours (“Help Prevent Workplace Drug Use”, 2009). Many of these users also admit they know of illegal drug sales in the workplace place (“Drugs and Alcohol in the Workplace”, n.d.). Food service workers and construction workers have the two highest rates for using illicit drug use in the workplace. Construction, mining, excavation and drilling workers rated highest for the heaviest alcohol drinkers. The next highest rates were found among installation, maintenance, and repair workers (“Most Illicit Drug Users and Heavy Alcohol Users are in the Workplace”, 2007). The lowest rate of current drug users where among protection service workers (“Drug Free Workplace”, n.d.). Not only has the drug use in the workplace change, but the types of drugs found in the workplace had changed. Since 2009 the percentage of in the workplace cocaine users has declined by 29 percent to about .29 percent of the working population. However, more stricter and random work drug test has showed that twice as many employees as before are using heroin and prescription...
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...Substance Abuse in the Workplace Valencia Simpson HCA250- Psychology in the Workplace Wakita Bradford August 25, 2013 Substance abuse is the overindulgence in chemical and/or drugs that affect an individual’s physical and mental well-being. There are many factors that influence if someone engages in smoking, drinking alcohol, or use drugs. Many of that is based on personal relationships, society, and sometimes the need to feel like a person is part of the “in crowd”. It not only affects the person that is doing the drugs but also the family and friends of the loved ones. Substance abuse is a disorder that is characterized by a pattern of continued use of medications or controlled substances. The portion of substance abuse that I chose would be marijuana or a legal name would be cannabis. Cannabis is often consumed for its psychoactive and physiological effects which can include heightened mood or euphoria, relaxation, and increase in appetite. Unwanted side-effects can sometimes include a decrease in short-term memory, dry mouth, impaired motor skills, reddening of the eyes, and feelings of paranoia or anxiety. Contemporary uses of cannabis are as a recreational or medicinal drug, and as part of religious or spiritual rites; the earliest recorded uses date from the 3rd millennium BC. Since the early 20th century cannabis has been subject to legal restrictions with the possession, use, and sale of cannabis preparations containing psychoactive cannabinoids currently...
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...Case Study 2: Drug Testing Drug testing in the workplace became legal when President Reagan signed "Executive Order 12564 -- Drug-free Federal workplace". In turn, that spawned the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988. Although both apply only to the workplaces of Federal employers and Federal contractors and grantees, private-sector employers immediately followed the government's lead because they legally could. However, there is much controversy over the legality of drug testing in the workplace, especially the legality of random drug testing. Many legal professionals consider it to be a personal privacy invasion and an unreasonable search and seizure, contrary to our rights granted by the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Subsequently, employee drug testing lawsuits have and continue to challenge the legality of drug testing. Should Castulon Corp. establish a drug testing program? The short answer is yes. There are several factors that could change this but based upon the information I see no need for there not to be testing. There are a multitude of reasons any company including Castulon should and do implement drug testing. They do it to keep their employees and others safe. Workers on drugs present a clear and present danger to themselves, co-workers, and members of the public. Employers cannot and should not allow the safety and health of others to be jeopardized by drug abusers in the workplace. Drug users are not only more likely to injure others...
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...lose billions ach year in lost productivity and accidents by employees. Research also shows that substance abuse greatly contributes to the increase of workplace violence (Ivancevich, 2010). In order to prevent loss of productivity and provide a safe environment for employees, it would be in Castulon Corporation’s best interest to establish a drug and alcohol testing program. Due to the nature of work and the type of product produced at Castulon Corporation, any mistake made by drug impaired employees in the design or production of a system could be catastrophic for users. For this reason, Castulon Corporation should us a random drug testing program for its employees. There is no absolute "model" substance abuse program that is right for all companies. The program should be tailored to the needs and circumstances of the individual company. There are, however, five standard components of a comprehensive workplace substance abuse program. The five components include a written policy statement, supervisor training, employee education and awareness, employee assistance for providing help, and the actual drug testing. In Castulon’s program, employees are subjected to a standard five panel test for “street drugs”, which include marijuana, cocaine, PCP, opiates and amphetamines from a urine sample. A breath test for alcohol can also be administered. Employees who do not comply with a drug test request for testing, provide false information or tamper with the test results in...
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...influence. B). Identifying the risks C).Factors In Employee Drinking D) Solutions and Statistics ll. Alcohol in the workplace has become a problem for many businesses. A).Problem areas that workers have under the influence B) Cause and effects being under the influence. C). EAP Employee Assistance Program. lll. Why do we work under the influence? A). Disciplinary procedures, accidents, death, poor decision making B) Sleeping on the job, loss of production, hang over effect, stress C). How EAP can help the employee and the worker under the influence. llll. Random testing A) Protecting the employers assets B) Approaching the worker under the influence C) Information and educational training lV.Conclusion Businesses today need to realize that there is a growing problem with alcohol and substance abuse in the work place. In the business world today there is a very common problem that occurs with workers in the work place. Alcohol and substance abuse. You wouldn’t think that this is a serious problem, but do you know if the person that’s working next to you is under the influence? Drinking among workers can threaten public safety, impair your job performance and also cause injury to yourself or others. Absenteeism, lost production, lateness are other impaired factors when it comes to drinking or being under the influence at work. Alcohol and other substances can damage you physically and mental. Risk management is a process of recognizing...
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...popular strategy to control substance abuse in the workplace; the incidence of testing is partially based on the type of worksite, characteristics of employees, and policies of the company. The concept of a Drug Free Workplace began in 1914. It was at this time that the Ford Motor Company established sobriety programs in the company's plants. The next step from here was when Ronald Reagan signed the Executive Order 12564. This banned the use of drugs both on and off duty for federal government employees. This order resulted in the Drug-free Workplace Act of 1988. It was in 1986 that the government recognized that drug use was having a serious adverse effect on the workforce and the billions of dollar that was lost in productivity each year. It was estimated that even at this time that there were billions of dollars being lost each year on due to a loss of productivity. Additionally substance abuse statistics confirm that there are greater percentages of absenteeism and negative work behaviors. The statistics indicate that substances abusers will also have a greater likelihood of injury on the job or a compensation claim, while 50% to 80% of loss due to theft is directly correlated to substance abusing employees. It was at this time that the federal government, as an employer, decided to make a step towards becoming a drug-free workplace. This executive order led to the Drug-Free Workplace Act, which defined a "drug-free workplace" as a site where work is done and an entity in which...
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...Maden Factors that influence whether individuals start to smoke, drink alcohol, or use drugs. For young people it can be peer pressure from their friends, or maybe their emotions. Many young people at times try to fit in with their friends, and may start smoking, or drinking because of this. I grew up in a rough neighborhood that was full of violence and drugs. I have seen many of my childhood friends that were introduced to alcohol or drugs, because the individuals that they were with were using alcohol or drugs. In my opinion, I think that you always have a choice when it comes to using alcohol or drugs; it’s a choice that you make. The effects of tobacco, alcohol, or abuse in the workplace can cause problems in the workplace. The use of drugs or alcohol in the workplace is in violation of the policy and can result in displinary action and possibly termination from your employment. Performing your job duties while you’re intoxicated or abusing drugs can cause something to go wrong. For example, if you’re operating a machine, you can lose a limb. It’s very unsafe to be intoxicated or abuse drugs while at the workplace. It can also affect a co-worker in a number of areas. They may not have the ability to perform their job duties correctly, and this can affect a co-worker if you’re running the job together. Drugs and alcohol can also cause the individual to miss work. Individuals with drug or alcohol problems tend to be more accident-prone than their co-workers. The cost of...
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...Substance abuse in the workplace can seriously impair proper judgment and on-the-job performance. The use of alcohol, prescription drugs, and even over-the-counter medications can affect decision making abilities and motor skills. It is very common in the workplace and considerably increases. Alcohol and drugs in the workplace affect everyone, not just the substance abuser. Substance abuse increases the probability of the risk of serious work-related accidents. It raises insurance costs. It reduces productivity and lowers the profit. Using drugs impairs decision-making abilities as well as physically impairs people. This is a deadly concoction when on the job. Substance abusers also cost employers money and hurt them financially. Inconsistent work quality, poor concentration and lack of focus, lowered productivity or erratic work patterns, increased absenteeism on the job, unexplained disappearances from the job, carelessness, mistakes, or errors in judgment, needless risk taking, the disregard for safety for self and others on and off the job, files for workers’ compensation claims and benefits, and extended lunch periods and early departures are indications that there is a possible workplace drug or alcohol problem. Prevention of such problems occurs by implementing an effective workplace drug program that deals with drug testing before hiring, drug testing during employment and consequences for violating the rules. Drug testing and educational programs have been proven to...
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...Drugs in the Workplace Mark Gomez MGT 331 December 7, 2015 Abstract Defining the “drug problem” in the workplace is a task riddled with ambiguity because employers aren’t completely sure how to implement the most suitable policy for their organization. This should be an employer’s concern because drug misuse is a serious problem that can affect the business where the user works and sometimes their co-workers. Successfully tackling the drug issue correctly can benefit the employer by reducing absenteeism, reducing accidents related to drug use and promoting a more productive environment. The focus of this paper is to review current workplace policies on drug use and the challenges it brings employers. Drugs in the Workplace When it comes to drugs, employers have a legal responsibility to look after employees’ wellbeing, health and safety. Employers have a general duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974 (HSW Act) to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of their employees (Drug Misuse at Work A Guide for Employers, 2005). A good employer will want to help employees. In some cases, alcohol or drug misuse may be used to help cope with work-related stress. If there is a problem with alcohol or drug misuse in your workplace, then this may be part of a wider stress problem. A good starting point is to focus on the scope of the situation. Prescriptive drug use in the Unites States of America accounts for roughly 48...
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...Drug-Free Workplace Amazon.com The Drug-Free Workplace Policy enacted in 1988 to keep drug users out of the workplace and already hired employees off of drugs. At Amazon.com there is a well defined policy against illegal drugs, prescription drugs and alcoholic beverages. The writer believes that the Amazon.com policy has implemented a comprehensive drug awareness and education program. The supervisors at Amazon.com are given the proper information to reasonably suspect someone of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Once confirmation is made that a person is under the influence Amazon.com does offer a form of employee assistance program, to help the person, if addicted, to remove the use of drugs or alcohol from his or her professional life. This policy is well presented in its entirety let us take a closer look at keep factors. “By publishing a statement to all employees that possession, use, sales or unlawful manufacturing of controlled substances in the work place is prohibited and the actions that will be taken against violators of such statement”(National Drug-Free Workplace Alliance, n.d.). For legal purposes it is smart to abide by this statement from the Drug-Free Workforce Act of 1988, and Amazon.com has done this. Amazon.com (2005) Drug and Alcohol Abuse Policy states, “Open alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs and prescription drugs are not used while at work, in a work status or on company premises. Exceptions for prescription drugs are onsite medical provider...
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...The Corporate War on Drug Abuse Presented to Wendy Keller Concordia University John Molson School of Business Comm 212 Section E Prepared by Bilal Sirhan Human Resource Specialist 6355099 November 24th, 2014 MEMORANDUM To: Human resources manager From: Bilal Sirhan, Human resource specialist Subject: Analysis of different policies for alcohol and drug abuse in the workplace Date: November 24th 2014 Here is the report, which was to be completed by November 24th 2014, concerning leading companies’ exemplary policies on substance abuse within the workplace. The study involved analyzing the different substances used by workers and evaluating different approaches that companies across North America take to help these individuals. Although the results presented show that a small percentage of people are actually considered as substance abusers in the workforce, there is evidence that the corporations succumbing to employees abusing drugs and alcohol suffer heavy losses. This even directly affects the economy as a whole in significant numbers. Therefore, we must establish a strong policy and different programs to help these workers overcome this issue. It is my hope that this report will allow our company to have the necessary information to establish the right strategies and support groups to anyone suffering from substance abuse. Please let me know if there are any further questions...
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...Alcohol Abuse and How it Affects Everyone S. Adams Should society care about alcohol abuse? Many people believe that to consume alcohol is a personal choice and an expression of free will. Some of those people don’t consider how alcohol use affects anyone other than the drinker. By listening to alcohol advertising and watching actors in movies one would get the impression that alcohol gives people an increased social status; they become self-confident, sexually attractive, and fun to be around. Initially people start out drinking for fun; it can relax and reduce inhibitions but at some point and for whatever reasons some people become addicted and can’t stop. What often begins as a fun escape and great stress relief can become a habit that can destroy everything good in life. Eventually everyone becomes affected by alcohol use in one way or another. The purpose of this paper is to prove that alcohol affects people who don’t drink alcohol at all or those who drink responsibly. Research suggests that alcoholism is a societal disease that negatively affects everyone because alcohol abuse creates higher crime rates, alcoholics cause more accidents and create higher costs in the workplace, and alcohol creates an increase in health-related issues. There is a strong correlation between alcohol use and violent crime, which is how the phrase “mean drunk” came about. People that abuse alcohol are six times more likely to commit a violent crime and thirteen times more likely to commit...
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...“Planning Process through Safety Analysis and Accident Prevention to reduce losses in the course of Asset Protection” Whenever we are relating to the issue of Safety Analysis and Accident Prevention in Trinidad and Tobago, we must communicate with OSHA. Occupational Safety and Health in Trinidad and Tobago has been administered since 1948 thru the Factories Ordinance 1948 and was amended in 1952. In 1973, Trinidad and Tobago examined a number of drafts to be amended and reviewed the health and safety law. In 2004, the Occupational Safety and Health Act was assented to, and on February 17, 2006 OSHA came into effect, it covers all aspects of work undertaken in an industrial establishment; however, it excludes coverage to residential premises, it also retracted numerously outdated legislation for instance the employment of women but, more in particularly the Factories Ordinance. Asset protection can be defined as the concept of strategies to be used for guarding one's wealth. It is a type of planning intended to protect one's assets, (www.investopedia.com/terms/a/asset-protection). In the 18th century employers didn’t realize the value of providing safe environments for their employers until World War 1&2, where the connection between quality and safety was discovered. Labour shortages resulted from the war, due to the number of people leaving to go fight for their country as some would say ‘performing their patriotic duty.’ As a result, employers could not afford to lose...
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...PRIOR to beginning testing. Drug testing supplies are available to MHA members at: Drug-test-kits from Single Source Or by calling Single Source direct at 800.713.3412. MHA Members receive a 10% discount off regular pricing. [pic] DRUG POLICY SAMPLE 1 This policy provides [Company Name] employees with guidelines pertaining to drug and alcohol abuse during the normal course of employment. Scope: This policy applies to all employees of the company at all locations. Policy Statement: [Company Name] provides a safe and productive work environment for all employees. It is the policy of the Company that employees shall not be involved with the unlawful use, possession, sale, or transfer of drugs or narcotics in any manner that may impair their ability to perform assigned duties or otherwise adversely affect the Company's business. Further, employees shall not possess alcoholic beverages in the workplace or consume alcoholic beverages in association with the workplace or during work time. The specific purpose of this procedure is to outline the methods for maintaining a work environment free from the effects of alcohol/drug abuse or other substances that adversely affect the mind or body. If we are to continue to fulfill our responsibility to provide reliable and safe service to our customers and a safe work environment for our employees, employees must be physically and mentally fit to perform their duties safely and efficiently. Introduction: A. Employees are expected...
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...The dilemma of whether or not to have a drug-testing policy in corporate America is a colossal subject. Alcohol and drug abuse are considered to be amongst the most common health hazards in the workplace. Drug use in the workplace is an increased liability to employers and can cost companies millions of dollars. In this case study, a company named Castulon Corporation, is faced with a dilemma of whether or not to implement a drug-testing policy. The cause for this dilemma is the fact that upper management has been notified of two separate incidents in the past two months of possible drug abuse (Ivancevich, 2010). In this case study, I believe that the company should establish a drug-testing program. I believe that every company or business should have a drug-testing policy. There are many pros and cons to utilizing a drug-testing program but the biggest positive out ways everything which is safety. This is especially true for this case study as the company is in the manufacturing industry so they are at a higher risk for injury and loss of life (Ivancevich, 2010). A drug-testing policy would start with screening any newly hired employees. This would be a pre-condition of employment. The individual would have to pass an initial drug test. This pre-employment drug testing gives the employer a greater vote of confidence that they are hiring an individual that does not have a drug problem. To implement the drug-testing policy, the company must first provide the employee...
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