Substance abuse at the workplace

Substance abuse at the workplace

Substance abuse issues are common in most workplaces. The abuse of drugs and other substances is an enemy of the program at the job places in different industries. It is common to hear an organization asked an employee to go for rehab because of constant drinking and drug abuse. Companies always warn staff members against indulgence in drug and substance abuse. However, the efforts of some of these companies always fail to bear fruits because of the different types of employees the job market presents.

Substance abuse affects employers in different ways. First and foremost, drugs and substances lead to poor decision making. Decision making is a critical element in the success of the business. Poor decision making can lead to poor results in different departments of the organization. Firms that want to avoid issues such as these must ensure that their staff is not full of addicts. Secondly, substance abuse can lead to low production. The employers will make low profits from their products once the use of drugs and substance becomes the order of the day. A significant number of the employees are bound to waste their time in the name of abusing the drugs at the expense of performance. Thirdly, the use of drugs and other related substances can also lead to interpersonal problems. The management would be compelled to address the issues instead of finding ways to increase their levels of productivity.

The abuse of drugs can lead to cases of accidents and injuries at organizations. The substances can impair the judgment of most of the staff members of the organization. The poor judgment can lead to cases of accidents as well as injuries among the employees. It is worth noting that injured employees are less productive, and in some cases, they are unproductive. Drugs can also force some of the members of staff to resolve theft to sustain their living standards. Drugs and substance abuse is costly to both the employee and the employer. The users often get tempted to use the same all the time hence they splash a lot of money at the expense of their future.  Drug addicts rarely report to work on regular days. Increased cases of absenteeism could cost the firm its fortune at the end of the day.  The management must ensure that it does not work with employees of this nature to maintain their position within the competitive industry.

One of the best ways the employer and employees can handle the matter is the formation of a formal committee to address the issue of substance and drug abuse at the organization. The committee can be tasked with guiding and counseling different members of staff linked to the abuse of drugs at different levels. The firm needs to ensure that the committee comprises members with knowledge on the subject matter if they want to attain the desired results at the end of the day. Secondly, the addicted employees of the organization can be taken to rehabilitation centers where they will be transformed into productive members of society. The employer can sacrifice to pay for the rehabilitation of addicted employees to ensure that they go back to their normal lives so that they can resume work at the end of the day.

In conclusion, drug and substance abuse can affect the performance of workers in different ways. The management of every organization needs to address the matter before it is too late for the same. Abuse of drugs can lead to different effects such as lowered productivity, absenteeism, and theft of items at the workplace, among others.

REFERENCES

Cook, R., & Schlenger, W. (2002). Prevention of substance abuse in the workplace: Review of research on the delivery of services. Journal of Primary Prevention, 23(1), 115-142.

Spell, C. S., & Blum, T. C. (2005). Adoption of workplace substance abuse prevention programs: Strategic choice and institutional perspectives. Academy of management journal, 48(6), 1125-1142.