In 2007, more than 8% of full-time employees in the U.S. were current drug users and nearly 9% of full-time employees reported heavy alcohol use, according to data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
That’s pretty alarming. And, that was before the recession started and added additional stress to every employee’s life.
What’s even worse is that small-to-medium sized businesses (SMBs) – those with fewer than 500 employees – are the most likely to have employees with drug and alcohol problems. According to another 2007 SAMHSA report, nine (9) out of 10 full-time workers with alcohol or illicit drug problems work for SMBs.
Understandably, smaller businesses are often the least prepared to deal with these issues.
A fact sheet by the U.S. Department of Labor (“General Workplace Impact”) states: “Smaller businesses are less likely to have programs in place to combat the problem [of drug and alcohol abuse,] yet they are more likely to be the employer-of-choice for illicit drug users. Individuals who can’t adhere to a drug-free workplace policy seek employment at firms that don’t have one, and the cost of just one error caused by and impaired employee can devastate a small company.”
As Drug-Free Work Week approaches (October 19-25, 2009), more data will be shared nationally about the impact to businesses of all types, sizes and industries. But ultimately, there are a few things that all businesses should do, including:
- Creating and promoting a drug-free workplace policy
- Training your supervisors on how to identify employees with drug and alcohol challenges and refer them to resources for help
- Offering an employee assistance program (EAP) as a benefit to help employees
On the later, a high-touch EAP is the best choice for businesses that need counsel and support for creating policies as well as providing employee counseling and follow-up. “Free” EAPs, which are embedded in another benefit like health insurance, usually don’t provide those value-added services.
Jerry Roper, President and CEO of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, recently said: “Businesses that promote drug-free workplaces, like those that use Perspectives’ EAP services, have a better chance of retaining employee talent because they understand that you’re invested in an employee the moment you hire them.”
I agree. In fact, it’s one of the reasons that we’re partnering with the Chamber beginning next month to offer workshops for SMB worksites. We’ll be helping companies understand substance abuse, how to identify it and how EAP can help both you and them – so that employees can continue to serve your business.
No matter what size business you are, EAP can help you protect your most valuable resource – your employees – for pennies on the dollar compared to your other benefits. In fact, inaction can be a lot more expensive. It eats away at your bottom line through absenteeism, presenteeism, lawsuits, customer service complaints, overtime for employees that have to cover someone else’s missed shifts, worker’s comp claims, and more.
In short, EAPs help protect SMBs.
NEWS UPDATE (Oct. 20, 2009): Find out about our workshops on employee substance abuse and our partnership with the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce here!
Tags: absenteeism, alcohol, bottom line, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, drug abuse, Drug-Free Work Week, EAP, Employee Assistance Programs, Jerry Roper, missed shifts, presenteeism, SAMHSA, small business, SMB, substance abuse, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, worker’s comp claims
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