There has been an increase in number of people getting addicted to illicit drugs. The problems that are caused due to drug abuse in businesses and organizations are found to be very expensive. The highest rate of drug abuse in mining, construction, and manufacturing industries increase risk of workplace injuries.
Some of the problems associated with drug abused employees at workplace are:
- Absenteeism
- Mistakes in Work
- Problems with Supervisors
- Injuries and Accidents at job-site
- Loss of Productivity
- Impaired Group Efficiency
- Increase in Health Insurance Claims
- Theft and Fatalities
Drug abused employees are late for work or absent for most of the days. They also lack motivation and attention towards work. This leads to poor performance and decreased job satisfaction among such employees. Due to these problems, loss of overall productivity is seen.
Lack of concentration is the most serious side effect of drug abuse. Some other side effects include impairment of hearing, vision, motor coordination, and alertness. These side effects may lead to injuries and hazards at workplaces. It is very difficult to size up the scale of hazards of workplace drug abuse. Organizations had to spend more on health insurance and worker’s compensation costs. As the drug abused employees change jobs very frequently, it is necessary for organizations to replace those employees. These replacement costs further increase financial burden.
In order to avoid these problems, it is necessary to conduct employee drug tests. Employee drug test is a drug test conducted on an employee to detect whether he had consumed a drug or not. It is very essential for organizations to conduct drug-free workplace programs. This helps in improving worker safety and health.
