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DASH is committed to working in the community to reduce the
harms caused by drugs. As society is reflected in the
workplace, so too will drug or alcohol problems. If you are
an employer or employee, you need to be aware of your
obligations and rights.
IS DRUG MISUSE REALLY MY CONCERN?
No matter
what your view of drugs and drug use is, if you are an
employer it will affect your business in one way or another.
Every drug user will have a family, partner or friend - and
either of those who are affected by that persons drug use
could work for you too.
YES!!
Drug
Misuse in the workplace is your concern as an employer both
LEGALLY
and FINANCIALLY
in terms of loss of business, loss of staff, productivity,
errors and reputation.
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Management
of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999:
'If you
knowingly allow an employee under the influence of drugs to
continue working and his or her behaviour places the
employee or others at risk, you could be prosecuted.'
Measurable
costs, such as increased sickness, poor productivity
and poor quality of work
Hidden costs, such as diverted managerial time,
friction among workers and staff turnover
Other
costs, such as disciplinary actions, legal actions and
health and safety implications
WHAT DOES DRUG USE BY MEMBERS OF STAFF MEAN FOR MY
ORGANISATION?
-
Absenteeism
-
Lack of or reduced productivity
-
Loss of money due to errors or theft
-
Low staff moral
-
Increased costs of recruiting
-
Your organisation's reputation
HOW AS A MANAGER DO I SPOT DRUGS IN THE WORKPLACE?
It is
very difficult to actually spot. Caution is required so that
we do not jump to conclusions and assume someone has a drink
or drug problem. However, the following
MAY be an
indication of a problem:
-
Regularly off 'sick' Monday and or Friday
-
Poor attendance record, lateness
-
Decline in work performance or increased mistakes
-
Inappropriate or out of character behaviour / sudden mood
changes
-
Deterioration of relationships with colleagues and or
management
It is
important to remember that all of these could be the result
of other illnesses or problems at home. As a Manager your
concern is for your staff's welfare at work. If these are
causing you concern then you do have a right to enquire if
there is a problem affecting your staff's work. This would
give them an opportunity to discuss issues with you.
QUESTIONS TO ASK
YOURSELF
Can you answer these
questions??
-
Do we have a Drug or Alcohol policy for
the Workplace? A policy that gives direct guidelines of what
to do if the situation arises?
-
Do the staff know
what is acceptable? i.e Are they permitted to drink at
lunchtime, what happens if someone needs counselling
appointments - can they have time off?
-
What is the
procedure if someone uses drugs at a staff party?
-
Am I
approachable? Do the staff know that if they have a drink or
drug problem that they can come to me and I will be able to
refer them to the correct helping agencies?
A member
of staff under the influence of drink or drugs will
only achieve 67% of their work potential.
Drug
misusers are 3.5 times more likely to injure
themselves or someone else at work.
DOWNLOADS & LINKS
Prevalence, Risk
and Cost
Adopting a
workplace policy
Link to Health & Safety Executive Site (provide leaflets &
info on legislation regarding Health & Safety)
PUB OWNERS &
LANDLORDS CLICK HERE
ACAS Website
Workplace & Alcohol Document
Order 'Substance Misuse & the Workplace - guidance for
Employers pack'
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