| The director of telemarketing operations at a | | | | Compensation Insurance.. Substance abusers are |
| financial services company looks out across his | | | | three times more likely to use medical benefits |
| 3600 square foot call center on a typical Monday | | | | than other employees.According to Edward Poole, |
| morning. "Look at all those empty chairs", he | | | | president and COO of OHS Health and Safety |
| laments. "It is sickly Monday and my partiers are | | | | Services Inc., in Costa Mesa, Calif., several |
| taking their usual unscheduled day long break". | | | | government and private industry studies |
| The problem of the "three day weekend" or | | | | concluded that each drug user in the workplace |
| absenteeism in general doesn't just affect the | | | | "can cost an employer an average of |
| manager in this setting. What about the other | | | | $11,000-$13,000 annually." Despite studies and |
| 80% of the work force who showed up? They | | | | surveys that indicate a significant number of |
| are now burdened with additional duties while filling | | | | substance abusers hold jobs and work while under |
| the vacancies that have temporarily | | | | the influence, Poole points out that many |
| developed.With the challenge of recruiting qualified | | | | employers have an "it can't happen here" attitude |
| workers becoming more difficult all over the | | | | about substance abuse in the workplace. "Once |
| nation, the last thing American businesses can | | | | they get in there and implement a policy and start |
| afford is to have major portions of its existing | | | | testing employees, they're usually very surprised |
| work force abusing drugs - on or off the job. The | | | | by the results," he says.Poole tells the story of |
| truth is that most employees do not engage in | | | | one client who operated a small, local delivery |
| illicit drug use and most do not want to work | | | | service. When a representative from OHS Health |
| side-by-side with drug abusers. A majority of | | | | and Safety Services visited the business owner, |
| employees are parents who are concerned about | | | | he stated repeatedly that there was no reason to |
| the effects of drug abuse on their children, now | | | | conduct drug testing in that workplace. After all, |
| and in the future. Given this profile of the typical | | | | the company had only 63 employees. After a |
| American workers, it is clear that | | | | couple of years of rebuffing them, the delivery |
| substance-abuse prevention can and should be | | | | service owner called OHS to start up an |
| viewed as a common concern of both employers | | | | immediate screening program. Apparently the |
| and employees.We interviewed one company that | | | | company had a change of heart after observing |
| has recognized the true damage that drugs in the | | | | unusual behavior in their workforce. OHS showed |
| workplace causes and why it is still prevalent. | | | | up unannounced one day after performing roughly |
| Labwire, Inc. ( a Houston, Texas based developer | | | | 45 days of drug free workplace education, and |
| of online security solutions, began addressing what | | | | did what's called a "sweep." They were going to |
| many medium and large size companies have | | | | test every employee in the workplace.Nine people |
| consistently failed to address-the true cost | | | | immediately walked off the job. Says Poole, "One |
| effectiveness of their testing programs. "What | | | | or two probably had deeply rooted beliefs in the |
| stops companies from being effective about drug | | | | right to privacy and all that crap, but it is probably |
| prevention in the workplace is the apparent cost | | | | safe to say that most of those nine employees |
| to do so", states Dexter Morris, President of the | | | | would have tested positive." Out of the 54 who |
| company. "What most companies don't | | | | took the drug test, 19 tested positive for |
| understand is the wasted cost of NOT using the | | | | marijuana and several tested positive for cocaine |
| latest in technology management in handling such | | | | as well. "The employer was shocked," says Poole, |
| issues," he added.Drug use in the workplace costs | | | | "Most employers have no clue how many |
| this country billions of dollars every year in lost | | | | employees are working under the influence."Once |
| productivity, increased health problems and | | | | a company decides to confront its potential |
| workplace accidents, to say nothing of the | | | | workplace issue regarding illicit drug use the |
| problems it causes us at the federal and state | | | | problem of finding the appropriate security |
| level with associated family problems. Contrary to | | | | company crops up. "There are a lot of companies |
| the typical portrayal of drug abusers, many | | | | professing to have the expertise to address drug |
| apparently functional drug and alcohol abusers | | | | screening issues", Morris cautions. "Just find out |
| manage to hold down full or part-time jobs, | | | | what their track record is and talk to some of |
| masking their destructive problem from their | | | | their clients".Many companies are heading the |
| employers. In fact, over seventy four percent of | | | | warnings about drug abuse in the workplace. |
| all current illegal drug and heavy alcohol * users | | | | According to data on companies that test |
| hold down some type of job. *(Those drinking | | | | employees, drug testing increased from twenty |
| five or more drinks per occasion on five or more | | | | one and a half percent to almost eighty five |
| days in the 30 days preceding the survey). | | | | percent in one six year period - a two hundred |
| According to the U.S. Department of Labor, more | | | | and fifty percent increase. Recent evidence |
| than 8 million Americans use some type of illegal | | | | suggests that drug testing has now leveled off |
| substance.The overall cost of illicit drug abuse is | | | | and in fact has decreased slightly, but primarily |
| estimated to have been $160.7 billion in 2000, and | | | | among medium businesses. National studies |
| 69 percent of these costs are from productivity | | | | indicate that sixty six percent of the country's |
| losses due to drug-related illnesses and deaths. | | | | largest firms engage in some type of drug testing. |
| Reducing substance abuse positively impacts | | | | Among Fortune 500 companies, during the late |
| America's economic landscape.Medium businesses | | | | 1980s and early 1990s, drug testing likewise |
| bear the greatest burden of substance abusers. | | | | increased in use. For example, in 1985 about |
| Traditionally, larger employers participate in | | | | eighteen percent of Fortune 500 companies |
| drug-free workplace practices. As a result, | | | | tested their employees. The number increased to |
| medium to large employers who do not have | | | | a high point of forty percent by 1991. Among |
| drug free workplace policies in place are - in | | | | Fortune 1000 firms, forty eight percent of |
| essence - adversely selected against in terms of | | | | employees are subject to drug testing."These are |
| the employees that are left to hire. Another thing | | | | good trends overall", says Morris when asked |
| to note is that substance abusers will steer away | | | | about the increase in drug screening across the |
| from drug-free workplace companies. They will | | | | US. The weakness in screening program |
| work for those businesses that don't have a | | | | administrations (drug testing and background |
| policy or a program and where there is no drug | | | | screens) by medium and large size businesses is |
| testing involved. Let's face it, no abuser wants to | | | | the increasing focus of Labwire's business model. |
| be detected."The fact that medium and large size | | | | "We know what the solution is for tens of |
| companies are at greatest risk is why we | | | | thousands of companies, and we are it", concludes |
| developed our web-based employee screening | | | | Morris. With companies like Labwire, who are |
| process. Any company can deploy this system | | | | building affordable applications, coming onto the |
| inside of 30 days", says Morris confidently. "In | | | | scene, maybe your call center manager will have |
| fact, we can train up to 100 human resource | | | | better attendance on future Monday |
| people on how to use our system in only 60 | | | | mornings.Laura Betterly |
| minutes online".Morris went on to say that just | | | | Press Direct International |
| the cost of workers compensation claims can | | | | Direct International is a global information web |
| bury a company. | | | | site providing indispensable information tailored for |
| Drug-using employees are 3.6 times more likely | | | | professionals in the financial services, media and |
| to be involved in workplace accidents and five | | | | corporate markets. Our information is trusted and |
| times more likely to file a workers' compensation | | | | drives decision making across the globe. We have |
| claim. Between thirty eight and fifty percent of all | | | | a reputation for speed, accuracy and freedom |
| workers' compensation claims are related to | | | | from bias. |
| substance abuse per the National Council on | | | | |