WORKPLACE SUBSTANCE USE
7 Reasons You Shouldn’t Turn a Blind Eye to Drug and Alcohol Use in the Workplace
It’s happening in your workplace today, and lives are at risk — including yours
Employees using drugs and alcohol at work can have serious consequences. This article explores some of the effects of substance use in the workplace.
What is the impact of substance use in the workplace?
Many activities at work require alertness and quick, accurate reflexes. Impairment in these qualities can cause incidents and interfere with the accuracy and efficiency of work.
Wise employers are educating themselves about substance use in the workplace because they’ve realized ignoring the problem is irresponsible and will hurt them in the long run. As well as the human cost, lower productivity rates will negatively affect the bottom line.
The Scale of the Problem
Despite the proven dangers, worldwide drug use is increasing. In 2021, approximately 275 million people used drugs, up 22 percent from 2010. By 2030, projections tell us the number of people using drugs will rise by 11 percent worldwide and as much as 40 percent in Africa.
According to UNODC World Drug Report 2021, drug use killed almost half a million people in 2019. Drug use disorders resulted in 18 million years of healthy life lost, primarily due to opioids. Serious and often lethal illnesses are more common among drug users, particularly those who inject drugs, many of whom live with HIV and Hepatitis C.
Why is substance use at work a problem?
In workplaces where workers use drugs and alcohol, there are higher rates of:
- Accidents, injuries and death
- Sickness & absenteeism
- Staff turnover & training costs
- Lateness and sleeping on the job
- Psychological stress
- Violence, bullying and harassment
- Illegal activities
1. Accidents, injuries and death
Workers under the influence of opioids, alcohol, and other substances have an increased risk of accidents, injury and death. Impaired judgment, alertness, perception, motor coordination or emotional state impacts working safely or safety-sensitive decisions.
Those who drive, operate heavy equipment or have other safety-sensitive jobs are at higher risk for catastrophic events. Such incidents may impact many besides the worker and may even threaten public safety.
2. Sickness & absenteeism
Workers who suffer physical injuries like a broken arm may take a few weeks off work to recover. Employees who use substances to cope with mental or physical pain have higher rates of absenteeism, illness, turnover and reduced productivity. They may be off work for extended periods or even permanently.
People who drink heavily or take drugs are more likely to skip work because of a hangover or withdrawal, go to work drunk or high or have reduced performance. Preoccupation with getting and using substances while at work also interferes with productivity.
3. Staff turnover & training costs
Training is expensive and time-consuming. When employees are absent, employers have to recruit and train new workers in their place. Meanwhile, the workplace may be short-staffed, which leads to a whole other set of problems.
According to NCADI statistics, People who use alcohol and drugs are far less productive. They use three times as many sick days, are more likely to injure themselves or someone else and are five times more likely to file a worker’s compensation claim.
4. Lateness and sleeping on the job
Drugs and alcohol are known to disrupt sleep — impacting next-day function, including increasing daytime sleepiness and impairing alertness.
Sleepy workers are less productive and more accident-prone. They become less accurate and have slower reaction times, leading to reduced performance and efficiency.
5. Psychological stress
People who use substances or worry about substance use by a family member, friend or co-worker tend to have lower morale and physical well-being. They are more likely to have trouble with co-workers or supervisors.
There are many studies on the link between depression, anxiety and substance use disorders. Depression is common among people struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol. Substance misuse can trigger or intensify the feelings of loneliness, sadness and hopelessness often associated with depression.
Depression can lead some people to substance use to cope with their condition. However, using drugs or alcohol to self-medicate depression symptoms can increase the risk of addiction.
“An estimated one-third of people with major depression also have an alcohol problem.”
- The National Institute of Health Sciences
6. Violence, bullying and harassment
There is a strong link between substance use, workplace violence, bullying and harassment. Bullying and addiction are serious problems with a complex relationship, each influencing the development and severity of the other. Bullying may cause and be the result of physical, mental, and emotional trauma that can lead to substance abuse and addiction.
7. Illegal activities
Drug dealing is occurring in workplaces across the world. It is often associated with theft, where people steal money or take items for resale to fund drug habits. Employers must be vigilant and take steps to stop unethical and illegal practices in the workplace.
What happens when a person uses substances?
Sometimes, regular use of drugs and alcohol can change brain function and structure. Changes to brain function may result in a health condition called substance use disorder. Eventually, a person may be unable to control their need to use substances, even though they know continued use will be harmful.
Substance Use Disorder (SUD)
The risk of SUD and the speed at which a person becomes addicted varies. Substances like opioid painkillers have a higher risk and cause the disorder more quickly than others.
SUD is complex. There are many reasons why people develop the disorder, including trauma, chronic stress, environmental factors, mental well-being, genetics and biology. These reasons and physical dependence make it hard to stop using substances.
People affected by SUD crave the drug and are not worried about how it can harm them. They can’t stop thinking about the drug, which becomes the focus of their feelings, thoughts, and activities.
Substance Use Disorder is an illness, not a weakness
SUD is a medically diagnosed condition, not a choice, weakness, or moral failure. No one chooses to become addicted. It’s not a simple matter of a person not having the willpower to control themselves.
SUD is a treatable medical condition, though recurrence is common. When an individual seeks help or treatment, their journey may have many routes, and healing may take some time.
What are the costs to a business?
The economic impacts of substance use on businesses or industry are hard to measure. Many costs are hidden by general absenteeism or illnesses, “unnoticed” low productivity, or a reluctance to document a connection between substance use and incidents in the workplace.
Costs to an organization may be both direct and indirect. Measurable costs include drug testing programs, medical, rehabilitation and employee assistance programs, staff turnover and training of new employees, health insurance claims, theft, and fatalities.
Additional costs can include:
- tardiness/sleeping on the job
- poor decision making
- loss of efficiency
- lower morale and physical well-being of workers and co-workers
- increased likelihood of having trouble with co-workers/supervisors
- disciplinary procedures
Behaviours like presenteeism are harder to measure.
What Is Presenteeism?
Presenteeism is the lost productivity that occurs when employees are not fully functioning in the workplace because of substance use, an illness, injury, or other conditions. Even though the employee may be physically at work, they may not be able to perform their duties fully. They are more likely to make mistakes on the job.
Though it’s impossible to track presenteeism accurately, the costs are estimated to be high as studies show that employees suffering from longer-term conditions are less productive.
In the United States, loss to companies due to alcohol and drug-related misuse by workers is $100 billion a year, according to the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI).
What factors contribute to substance use at work?
Many factors play a role in why a person may choose to use a substance. Work-related factors can include:
- high stress
- high demand/low control situations
- low job satisfaction
- extended hours or irregular shifts
- fatigue
- repetitious duties
- periods of inactivity or boredom
- isolation
- lack of opportunity for promotion
- lack of remote or inconsistent supervision and
- easy access to substances
Substance use Impacts the bottom line
As well as the human cost, lower productivity will negatively affect the bottom line. Cost saving shouldn’t be an employer’s primary motivation for taking steps to reduce substance use in the workplace. However, it may be an incentive to pay attention to the problem, find solutions, and support workers with substance use issues.
What can the workplace do?
Organizations, large and small, can adopt a workplace substance use policy that will reduce the loss of productivity and provide a safer work environment for all. Employers can outline a code of behaviour, educate managers and workers, provide company wellness and employee assistance programs and much more.
Informed employers who know how to spot signs of drug use among employees may be able to provide their workers with resources to help them recover from substance misuse.
Don’t turn a blind eye to drug and alcohol use in the workplace or at home. We all need to educate ourselves and learn how to support family, friends and co-workers with substance use disorder.
© Gill McCulloch, October 2022
Sources
United Nations World Drug Report 2021
The Centre for Addition and Mental Health
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
National Institute on Drug Abuse
Addiction Centre: The Relationship between bullying and addiction
American Journal of Public Health Published online 2020 August. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2020.305716
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
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