Drug and Alcohol Abuse in Organizations, Essay Example

Abstract

There is an alarming rate of people in the workplace that are turning to drugs and alcohol that negative impacting the businesses and families. The alcohol and drug can be an expensive problem for the business, and a determinant to other employees that could become injured from abusers. In the long run, everyone loses from businesses losing productivity, employee absenteeism, work fatalities and an increase in healthcare.

Drug and Alcohol Abuse in Organizations

There is an epidemic of employees working under the influence of drugs and alcohol that is taking a toll on the business, individual decline in performance and lost wages. The wide rampant use in the workplace indicates employees are having difficulty dealing with work while willing to risk their health and careers is a social phenomenon that is increasing every year.  The workplace has a growing use of drugs in the workplace that is a major contributor to health problems, theft, lower production, accidents and absenteeism.  In addition, there are dangerous consequences of those working under the influence of alcohol or drugs that put others a serious risk.

Drug and alcohol abuse in an organization has become a social problem that needs to be addressed. The abuse of alcohol and drugs has negative consequences for the employee, the company and the government. The healthcare for alcohol abuse cost 224 billion and the drugs cost 193 billion[1]. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (2015) found that the employer is losing productive employee, healthcare cost and loss of employee work productivity costing over 700 billion in annual costs. The alcohol and drug abuse on the job has cataclysmic consequences because employees become impaired while making poor workplace decisions. In the workplace, there are 68% active drug users, 33% sold drugs on the job and 20% of American workers have died at work with a positive test for drugs in their system[2]. This is clear indicating that society as a whole need to address these alcohol and drug issues in the workplace because the numbers are increasing every year.

Prevention Programs

The corporations need to should some of the blame because not all employers promote the use of Employee Assistance Programs(EAP) which is a confidential program that is free to employees to get help with drugs or alcohol. The workplace Employee Assistance Program (EAP) programs help prevent drug and alcohol abuse at work because employees have outlets to discuss their problems at work or home in confidence[3]. In addition, the employers have a motivating factor to help these employees utilize the free benefit as well as using continuous education about alcohol and drug problems.

The Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) does work in the business environment because it provides the employee an opportunity to speak with professionals about their alcohol or drug problems. The program has 24-hour crisis counseling for employees and their families that are facing alcohol, drug, mental health or emotional problems[4].

Mental Health

The EAP programs are well equipped and experienced at handling mental health issues, alcoholism, legal programs, emotional problems, drug abuse and even marital problems at home. There has been some doubt whether the EAP program is working or does the program just give the employee a place just to vent. In response to the criticism, The Employee Assistance Research Foundation (EARF) that founded to examine the usefulness of the EAP programs in 2007. The EARF believes there is a dire need to raise the awareness about the universal depression, stress related problems, mental health, alcohol and drug issues in society and in the workplace[5].  There are over 54 million Americans that suffer from mental disorders in any given year and over one-half of all primary care physician visits are conditions related to mental or emotional problems[6]. It is clear that there is a need for mental support in the workplace and in society as a whole.

Legal Issues

In the workplace companies are doing mandatory drug testing for new and existing employees as a preventive measure to decrease alcohol and drug abuse in the workplace.  The employer has the right to require pre-testing of employees prior to employment. This is a legal requirement that every employer has the right to impose as a condition for employment. Drug testing that is random is allowed in some states but not all states because the primary argument is random testing is an invasion of private rights.  In addition, the employers are becoming more invasive asking employees to divulge all medication that are taking before and after drug testing. In some work environments such as a truck driver that has to remain alcohol and drug free while driving on highways is understandable. However, in the Tenth Court rejected the company’s ability to request personal information because it was an invasion of privacy of the employee according the court final rulings[7].  The employer has the right to ensure that employees work in a safe work environment however not at the expense of a person’s civil rights.

Conclusion

There is an epidemic of employees working that are using drugs and alcohol at work causing accidents, decline in performances and lose of wages.  The abuse of alcohol and drugs has negative consequences for everyone involved especially the employee who damages their health the companies work environment. The corporations should have some accountability because some of the businesses do not have an Employee Assistance Programs(EAP) to address drug and alcohol in the workplace. The EAP programs have the experience to help with legal programs, health issues and drug issues confidentially. The employer has the right to ensure the work climate is safe by requesting employees to take pre- employment drug test, however, in some states it violates an employee’s civil and privacy rights.

Works Cited

Buddy, T. (2015). Drug testing in the workplace. Retrieved from http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/work/a/aa990203.htm

Drug abuse.com (2015). Workplace drug abuse. Retrieved from http://drugabuse.com/library/workplace-drug-abuse/

EAP Personal Management Services. (2015). Why does the company need an EAP? Retrieved from http://wheretoturneap.com/fact_sheet.htm

Heathfield, S. (2015).DO EAPs work or just make employees feel good? Retrieved from http://humanresources.about.com/od/employeebenefits/qt/eamployee-assistance-programs-eaps.htm

National Institute of Drug Abuse. (2015). Trends and statistics. Retrieved from http://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics

Roman, P.M., & Blum, T, (1999).  Internalization and externalization as frames for understanding workplace deviance. In: Simpson, I.H., and Simpson, R.L., eds. Research in the Sociology of Work: Deviance in the Workplace, Vol. 8, Greenwich, CT: JAI Press, 1999. pp. 139–164.

[1] National Institute of Drug Abuse. (2015). Trends and statistics. Retrieved from http://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics

[2] Drug abuse.com (2015). Workplace drug abuse. Retrieved from http://drugabuse.com/library/workplace-drug-abuse/

[3] Roman, P.M., & Blum, T, (1999).  Internalization and externalization as frames for understanding workplace deviance. In: Simpson, I.H., and Simpson, R.L., eds. Research in the Sociology of Work: Deviance in the Workplace, Vol. 8, Greenwich, CT: JAI Press, 1999. pp. 139–164.

[4] Heathfield, S. (2015).DO EAPs work or just make employees feel good? Retrieved from http://humanresources.about.com/od/employeebenefits/qt/eamployee-assistance-programs-eaps.htm

[5] Heathfield, S. (2015).DO EAPs work or just make employees feel good? Retrieved from http://humanresources.about.com/od/employeebenefits/qt/eamployee-assistance-programs-eaps.htm

[6] EAP Personal Management Services. (2015). Why does the company need an EAP? Retrieved from http://wheretoturneap.com/fact_sheet.htm

[7] Buddy, T. (2015). Drug testing in the workplace. Retrieved from http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/work/a/aa990203.htm