August 3, 2007
Did you know...?
Few Organizations Deal Proactively with Substance Abuse
A national survey of HR professionals finds that abuse of legal and illegal substances is a serious workplace problem that affects productivity, absenteeism, health care costs and other issues. However, less than one-fourth of HR professionals surveyed say that their organizations deal with substance abuse proactively.
Alcoholism results in about 500 million lost workdays annually, and alcohol use can be linked to up to 40 percent of industrial fatalities and 47 percent of industrial injuries according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA).
Eighty-five percent of HR professionals think drug testing is an effective way to diagnose the existence of substance abuse and addiction in the workplace. Furthermore, 92 percent of HR professionals believe that an effective treatment program increases employee productivity and 67 percent think that access to an effective treatment program reduces an employer’s overall health care costs.
Most companies offer employee assistance programs, but many do not refer employees to treatment programs (on a regular basis).
The Society for Human Resource Management said in a 2006 report that 84 percent of private employers conduct pre-employment testing, 39 percent conduct random screening of employees, 73 percent conduct for-cause testing, and 58 percent require drug tests after on-the-job accidents. State and federal law also requires drug testing in many public-sector jobs.
Drug and alcohol abuses continue rising across the nation. Seventy-one percent of all drug users over the age of 18 are employed full or part time, according to the Department of Labor. Drug abuse affects such financial areas as sick leave, medical costs and workers' compensation costs. Substance abusers file three to five times more workers' compensation claims than the average employee and account for 38 percent to 50 percent of all claims. In addition, substance abuse leads to higher rates of violence and contributes to the increasing problem of violence in the workplace.
Drug testing alone is not enough. HR professionals, managers and employee supervisors need to be able to identify substance abuse and addiction in the workplace, how to discuss the issue with employees and how to choose the most effective treatment options for those employees.
One tip offered by the Bryan Cave law office is to tread carefully. Address performance issues, not perceptions.
It is important for employers to provide policies that balance the need for safe and productive workplaces with upholding individuals' rights to privacy.
Drug testing is not required under the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988. The majority of employers across the United States are not required to test and many state and local governments have statutes that limit or prohibit workplace testing, unless required by state or Federal regulations for certain jobs. On the other hand, most private employers have the right to test for a wide variety of substances and should to create a safe workplace.
To learn more about the impact drugs and alcohol have on the workplace and how to ensure the workplace is free of the hazards of alcohol and drug abuse, point your browser to the US Department of Labor’s Working Partners at Work website: http://www.dol.gov/asp/programs/drugs/workingpartners/wp_work.asp.
To learn more about how OHS-COMPCARE can help with your company’s drug testing needs or other services OHS-COMPCARE has to offer, contact our Client Services Team at (816) 559-6306 or by e-mail at customerservice@ohscompcare.com. You can also visit us at www.ohscompcare.com.
*Please feel free to forward this information to any member of management in your company who would benefit from it.*
OHS-COMPCARE has eight (8) area clinical facilities:
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Blue Springs Clinical Facility |
Independence Clinical Facility |
Johnson County Clinical Facility |
St. Joseph Clinical Facility |
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801 NW St. Mary’s Drive |
19000 E. Eastland Center Crt, St. 200 |
10415 Lackman Road |
904 Edmond Street |
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Blue Springs, MO 64104 |
Independence, MO 64055 |
Lenexa, KS 66219 |
St. Joseph, MO 64501 |
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816-224-9121 |
816-478-9299 |
913-495-9905 |
816-233-7702 |
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After Hours Available |
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KCMO/Broadway Clinical Facility |
KCMO/Front Street Clinical Facility |
Wyandotte County Clinical Facility |
Grandview Clinical Facility |
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1650 Broadway |
6501 East Commerce, Suite 110 |
1333 Meadowlark Lane, Suite 200 |
13830 S Us Highway 71 |
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Kansas City, MO 64108 |
Kansas City, MO 64120 |
Kansas City, KS 66102 |
Grandview, MO 64030 |
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816-842-2020 |
816-483-5550 |
913-596-2774 |
816-761-4664 |