Identifying Substance Use in the Workplace
Most employers strive to provide a safe and healthy work environment as well as encourage their employees to have healthy lifestyles. They consider the use of drugs and alcohol on the job to be an unsafe counter‑productive work practice and a serious threat to all of their workers and the public. In consideration of this, most employers prohibit the use, of illegal drugs and alcohol at work.
While drug testing can indicate the presence of a drug, it does not indicate the level of impairment. Additionally, there are many impairing substances, such as designer drugs, or inhalants, that aren’t included on standard drug tests. Employers must train their frontline supervisors on identifying and documenting observed signs and symptoms of substance use and misuse.
Indicators
If an employee has one or more of the following warning signs, he or she may have a problem with drugs or alcohol:
- Clearly refuses to do assigned tasks
- Has had an increase in errors
- Makes repeated errors in spite of increased guidance
- Has produced a reduced quantity of work
- Quantity or quality of work is inconsistent
- Exhibits behavior that disrupts work flow
- Procrastinates on significant decisions or tasks
- Needs more than usual supervision
- Gives frequent, unsupported explanations for poor work performance
- Has shown noticeable change in written or verbal communication
Other indicators:
Absenteeism
- Unauthorized leave
- Excessive sick leave
- Monday or Friday absences
- Repeated absences of 2-4 days
- Excessive tardiness, especially on Monday mornings or in returning from lunch
- Leaving work early
- Peculiar and increasingly improbable excuses for absences
- More frequent illnesses including colds, flu, gastritis, etc.
- Frequent unscheduled short-term absences (with or without medical explanation)
- Arriving or returning to work in an obviously abnormal condition
On-The-Job Absenteeism (also referred to as presenteeism)
- More absences from post than job requires
- Frequent trips to the water fountain or bathroom
- Long coffee breaks
- Physical illness on job
High Accident Rate
- On the job accidents
- Accidents off -the job
Difficulty in Concentration
- Work requires great effort
- Jobs take more time
- Hand tremors present when concentrating
Confusion
- Difficulty in recalling instructions, details, etc.
- Increasing difficulty in handling complex assignments
- Difficulty in recalling own mistakes
Spasmodic Work Patterns
- Alternate periods of high and low productivity
Generally Lowered Job Efficiency
- Misses deadlines
- Makes mistakes due to inattention or poor judgment
- Wastes more material
- Makes bad decisions
- Offers improbable excuses for poor job performance
Employee relations on-the-job
- Overreacts to real or imagined criticism
- Displays wide swings in morale
- Borrows money from co-workers
- Co-workers complain about employee
- Harbors unreasonable resentments
- Begins to avoid associates
Personal Matters
- Shows changes in personal appearance
- Shows changes in usual mannerisms
- Shows changes in level of activity