Effects of Drug Use in the Workplace, and What You Can Do to Stop It

Although you may not know it, illegal drug use by employees is prevalent and increasing. In fact, studies by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration show that over 8% of employees have used illicit drugs in the past month. If that’s not alarming enough, studies have also shown that employees who use drugs are substantially more likely to miss work, cause more accidents at work, and require more healthcare, all of which cost your business money.

One way to address this problem that many companies have utilized is random drug testing. In this process, employees are subject to testing at the whim of the employer, which arguably leads to a lower drug-use rate and a greater chance of exposing drug users. However, it can also cause resentment among employees, who view it as a breach of privacy and trust. Further, many urine drug tests are inaccurate. Many times, employers choose to address drug use on a case-by-case basis.

In fact, many courts have ruled against random drug testing in the workplace, so if you decide to implement such a program, it is important to make sure there are no laws against it. A PEO can advise you not only on state and federal laws concerning drug use in the workplace and drug testing, but also help you put a testing system into place delicately, to avoid causing resentment among workers. Also, if you decide against random drug testing, a PEO can provide advice on a proper course of action if you do suspect drug use.