Drug-Free Workplaces: 10 Myths & Insider Tips: How Employers Establish and Keep Drugs Out of the Workplace

MYTH:  Most Individuals addicted to alcohol and/or illicit drugs are unemployed.

Reality:  More than 75% of substance addicted persons work. [SAMHSA 2007] The rate of substance addicted workers in the average workplace is about 13%.

Employer Tip:  Search the SAMHSA website for current substance abuse statistics and free information about prevention and treatment. Workplace addiction can be prevented with innovative best practices that save time, money and lives.

MYTH:  The financial consequences of workplace substance abuse are decreasing.

Reality:  Employer expenses related to substance abuse are increasing and may  exceed $250 Billion per year, based only on the following expenses:

-  Workers’ Compensation:  Substance abusers register 50% of all claims and 5X more claims than average. [National Council on Compensation Insurance]

-  Health Benefits:  Abusers utilize 8X greater health benefits and spend >300% more on healthcare than peers. [US Department of Labor]

-  Absenteeism:  Substance abusers account for 35% of all work absences and are 6X more truant than colleagues. [US Department of Labor]

-  General:  Substance addicted employees are responsible for much higher rates of workplace turnover, theft, accidents, deaths and violence.  [Special Congressional Report on Alcohol and Health; US Department of Labor]

Employer Tip:  Implement Drug Free Workplace (DFW) programs featuring zero-tolerance, high integrity drug testing, measurable performance behaviors, and Lean principles to best and most quickly impact substance-related expenses. (Resource:  U.S. Drug Testing Laws By State (http://reduceyourworkerscomp.com//drug-testing-state-laws.php)

MYTH: Absenteeism is the leading substance addiction expense for employers.

Reality:  Untrue!  It is estimated that “presenteeism” (present at work but impaired) may be 6.5X more costly than absenteeism.   In fact, many substance addicted workers are never intoxicated on the job, but are in an acute phase of detoxification, given the short acting pharmacology of alcohol and most illicit drugs.   In simplest terms, this is brain-impaired presenteeism.

Employer Tip:  Be vigilant for substance related presenteeism (i.e. alcoholism: tremors, sweating, irritability, mistakes, poor judgment, injuries etc.). Best practice mandates immediate feedback re: symptoms/behaviors, and facilitated discussions with managers and staff to explore presenteeism solutions.

MYTH:  Recent data published in the Wall Street Journal showing a declining rate of positive urine drug    tests means that workplace substance abuse is decreasing.

Reality:  No scientific conclusions* can be drawn from this data about workplace substance abuse.  What definitely is true is that urine drug test adulteration and substitution is big business.  On the day this article was written, a web-search of “How to beat a urine drug test” returned 976,000 results!  These results showed how to beat employment screening, return to duty and random drug testing, even naming specific companies and their urine drug testing protocols to ensure best-practice adulteration method!  SAMHSA’s substance abuse survey data shows worker substance addiction to be over 10% for decades, including the latest results from 2007 (8.8% illicit drugs and 8.9% for alcohol).  The Supreme Court shares our concern, recently ruling that regardless of company policy/preference, all workers who test positive  must be observed  during return to duty drug testing.

*[The authors have contacted the Wall Street Journal Editor to clarify any misperceptions].

Employer Tip:  Consult a clinical expert about drug test contamination and the latest drug testing technologies, some of which help minimize adulteration (i.e. lab-based oral fluids testing with “non-mandated” companies).  Be cautious of any research study interpretations which do not match up with SAMHSA’s data.

MYTH:  In 2006, the next drug-class abused after alcohol by individuals 12 years of age and older was THC (marihuana etc.), as it has been for decades.

Reality:  Surprisingly, for the first time in years, “illicit pain-relievers” inched out THC as that next class of drugs abused after alcohol.

Employer Tip:  Stay current with the latest drug addiction trends, some of which are geographically specific.  It is best-practice to add oxycodone to drug testing regimens, especially in the northeast, where epidemic abuse is emerging. Additionally, parent education must stress this startling development.

MYTH: The DOT’s standard drug test detects oxycoton, because one of the “standard panels” measures for the opiate class of drugs.

Reality:  Not so! In fact most standard drug screens will not detect oxycodone (semi-synthetic opiate) unless it is present in very high quantities. A survey of MDs at a major academic hospital found most physicians to be unaware of this.

Employer Tip:  Annually consult a clinical substance abuse expert to review your DFW plan.  Immediately add oxycodone to all drug screening protocols.

MYTH: The best way to reduce workplace addiction commits most resources to catching abusers, so as to deter other employees from substance abuse.

Reality:  This “war on drugs” enforcement tactic has not reduced worker addiction.  The #1 drug of choice is alcohol, and test-measurable alcohol is almost always “slept off” before work.  A DFW program primarily focusing on drug testing undermines DFW integrity, encourages adulteration and lowers employee morale.

Employer Tip:  Shift strategy/resources to create DFW cultural norms consistent with zero-tolerance, personal responsibility, continuous-improvement coaching, employee empowerment, health/wellness, and employee assistance.  Complete the “win-win” by enhancing leader competency to manage accountability for performance expectations, and gain the competitive advantage of highest employee engagement and increased productivity organization-wide.

MYTH: Transforming a work culture to truly achieve and sustain a substance-free environment takes a significant amount of money and time.

Reality #1:  Not true. Financing a DFW culture essentially amounts to shifting resources (refer to substance related employer costs documented in Myth #2).  

Reality #2:  Integrating best-practice change-management techniques and Lean principles will fast-track DFW transformation and improve/accelerate ROI!  With supportive executives, the infrastructures for a new/upgraded DFW culture can be implemented in less than a week, and instantly begin delivering a huge ROI.

Employeer Tip:  Implement DFW cultures which are leader/employee driven and hard-wire measurable performance expectations. Create a dashboard of success-measures (expense and revenue indicators) and post quarterly, company-wide.

MYTH:  Most companies manage change well, and incremental, slower transitions will improve the chances for success.

Reality:  No, and no!  *McKinsey’s Classic Change Study (2008) found change is successfully managed only 33% of the time and “bigger and timely” transitions predict success.   

Employer Tip:  When initiating or refining DFW programs, consult with both workplace addiction and change-management experts.

*[ Creating Organizational Transformations: McKinsey Global Survey Results – August 2008 ]

MYTH:  In this economy, workplace addiction should become a less important priority, particularly for retrenched companies unable to increase market share.

Reality:  These unprecedented times underscore the quintessential value of employees and the P&L’s bottom-line. For retrenched companies, addressing DFW improves morale/productivity and reduces major expenses (saves jobs). For growing businesses, improving DFW adds to company valuation, reduces risk and improves employee engagement (company of choice).  (workersxzcompxzkit)    

Employer Tip:   Learn as much as possible about workplace addiction.  Consult with the many free resources available, including web-sites sponsored by the US Department of Labor (Partners for a Drug Free Workplace) and SAMHSA. 

WorkersCompKit® Blog Guest Authors:   Bill White MSN and Katharine White MS

Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker about workers’ comp issues.

©2009 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact [email protected]

Related Drug Addiction Blogs

• 10 Things You Need to Know About Corporate Drug Testing | TestCountry Articles
• Medicare and Medicare Programs » Blog Archive » Understanding Medicare’s NCCI Edits: Logic and Interpretation of the Edits
• Drug Abuse Statistics | Drug Rehab Blog
• New Reports Highlight Important Substance Abuse Treatment Statistics in Key Metropolitan Areas across the Country « Docuticker
• Substance Abuse Facts 1-877-788-5931 » Blog Archive » SUBSTANCE ABUSE FACTS: THE KEY NUMBERS WHICH YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT