Alcohol, drug and substance abuse among workers cost the firms and the country millions of dollars every year. In the U.S, companies record a loss of up to 100 billion dollars, the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI) has established. The problems caused by drug and substance abuse range from reduced productivity, workplace injuries, and increased costs of insurance claims.
If you think these staggering figures are unimaginable, come to think of the fact that the numbers don’t include diversion of resources and cost of medication and rehabilitation not to mention the pain and suffering whose cost cannot6 be quantified in real economic terms. To help deal with the rising number of employees that struggle with alcohol and drug abuse, companies are now embarking on a strategy to formulate and implement an alcohol and drug abuse policy not only as a requirement by law but also to inform its employees of the challenges and cushion itself against the effects of alcohol and drug abuse.
Benefits of workplace policies on smoking, drugs and alcohol
Companies and state agencies that have clear alcohol and substance abuse policy can go a long way in helping to curb increased cases and issues that arise. It can also help organizations comply with the legal and regulatory requirements by the state and federal government. In addition, such a policy framework will help maintain the health, safety and welfare of the staff.
Drugs and alcohol policy
To effectively deal with the problem, designing a drug and alcohol policy should be such that it is clear rules and procedures for handling the matters related to alcohol and drug abuse. Organizations will need to provide the details of a training manual, procedures of handling the cases and how to deal with the staff that are victims of alcohol and alcohol abuse. It must be noted that the policy framework must be able to stay consistent with the organizational staff guidelines.
What are the benefits of An Alcohol and Substance Abuse Policy?
• It provides a clear guideline on what they should and should not do
• Staff are able to know where to access support as well as disciplinary procedures that will be used to deal with the problem
• A clear policy provides a mechanism of creating awareness and helps individuals to take the correct steps
• A policy will help organizations to meet the legal and health requirements that promote employee welfare.
If you are an organization whose employees are struggling with the problem of alcohol and drug abuse, you are not alone—there are many such organizations. Fortunately, you can talk to policy consultants to help you craft a functional policy to guide your response to the problems of alcohol and substance abuse.
