Telltale Signs of Employee Drug Abuse

Note that you must document all conduct problems related to substance abuse the way any conduct problem would be documented. A cocaine addict may start to slack when it comes to their personal appearance and their hygiene habits may get noticeably less routine. Signs of cocaine use in a coworker or employee may specifically include wearing unprofessional outfits, wearing stained clothing, not brushing their hair, and smelling like they have not showered. If work performance has declined dramatically in the past few months, this could be one of the many signs of cocaine use at work or that the employee is a cocaine addict. They may be distracted and thinking about the next time they can get high, or they may be high and their thinking could be impaired.

• Beyond this, it is important to keep information about an employee’s drug addiction confidential.
• Workers who don’t have health insurance can tap into resources from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
• An employee’s addiction may result in illegal activities, such as buying or selling drugs at work, or crimes like embezzling from the company.
• Keep a contact list of area treatment providers or nonprofits where you may send employees for treatment.

In some cases, employees may turn to drugs or alcohol as a way to cope with their problems, and this unhealthy pattern can, unfortunately, turn into a full-blown addiction. Even on video conference calls, it’s possible to observe subtle changes in someone’s appearance that may signal addiction. Someone who normally looks rested may start to have bags under their eyes from staying up late. Addictive behavior starts before someone actually uses the addictive substance.

Even with testing, it is possible for drug abuse to transpire – wreaking havoc on your business and overall morale. Unfortunately, the destructive effects of drug addiction or drug abuse can occur in any business sector. That’s why it’s better to be safe than sorry by including comprehensive and recurring drug testing services – especially if you notice potential drug abuse. Another sign of a potential employee drug abuse is a change in job performance. If you start to see a noticeable dip in an employee’s productivity or unusually poor quality in their work product, seek out the cause. However, for some professionals in addiction, their work is the last area to slip, so if your ordinarily reliable employee shows signs of decline, don’t wait to address it.

Building Resilient Employees

This is often the last and most glaring sign of substance abuse than an employee will display. The first step to dealing with this is to resolve the immediate conflict to ensure the safety of your other staff. It is then advisable to determine the origins of their behavior and ascertain whether or not substance abuse is at play. Employee drug addiction may become particularly problematic with the transition to remote work during the pandemic. Anxiety related to the COVID-19 pandemicmay lead peopleto cope through drug abuse. Data collected by The Recovery Village points to a36% increasein past-month illicit drug use in 2020.

Remote workers may also feel an added sense of isolation or loneliness. When combined with anxiety, these feelings could lead to relapse or increased drug use. The CCOHS says there is a spectrum eco sober house ma of use that can range from casual to addiction or dependency. It says employers need to consider if a worker’s substance use poses a risk to their safety or the safety of others.

Substance abuse may cause significant personality changes in individuals with no identifiable cause. Such individuals are likely to become moody, show a lack of focus, and stay irritable most of the time. Due to their substance addiction and abuse behaviors, they often have low motivation and energy at work. A behavioral health app that minimizes the risk of a workplace mental health crisis through proactive first aid & 24/7 access to licensed medical professionals.

Declining Job Performance

Reporting to work may have previously motivated them to stay sober, but they have less motivation to stay abstinent at home. It is also easier to use drugs privately at home than at work, so people may return to substance abuse or increase their use while working remotely, which can interfere with their work performance. Opiates are among the most dangerous substances being abused, and has led to a nation wide crisis, often referred to as the opioid epidemic. Opioids include legal drugs like morphine, codeine, fentanyl, and some mild sedatives.

Alcoholics, particularly those who drink during the working day, are heavy users of various sorts of breath mints to kill the smell of alcohol. Supports and manages extended absences for personal illness or injury. Once upon a time it was very common for an executive to have their https://rehabliving.net/ corner office outfitted with a liquor cabinet. Back then, those mahogany-lined executive suites were incomplete without an array of crystal carafes brimming with bourbon or gin. At the very least, a bottle of something stashed inside a desk drawer was not at all uncommon.

Identifying Substance Abuse in the Workplace

Our workers have created innovative products, services, and revolutionary ideas. The mission of EHS On Tap is to provide clear, relevant, actionable information on topics that matter to EHS professionals in podcast form through engaging and insightful interviews with experts and thought leaders. If this method of ensuring a safer, more OSHA-compliant workplace interests you, we’ll be happy to make Safety Audit Checklists available for a no-cost, no-obligation, 30-day evaluation in your office. Make as many copies as you need for all your supervisors and managers, and distribute.

Another way to address addiction in the workplace is to offer resources to employees. Keep open lines of communication with your employees so they will be willing to come to you for help. Keep a contact list of area treatment providers or nonprofits where you may send employees for treatment. Stimulants include several illegal drugs such as cocaine, crack cocaine, amphetamines, methamphetamines, and MDMA. These can elevate mood and lead to overactivity, heightened confidence, panic, anxiety, paranoia, tremors, dizziness, and violent behaviour. Extended use can cause sleep problems, moodiness and depression.

They need to complete the return-to-duty testing process, which will include a negative drug test, for workers to resume their workplace roles. Employees who were once quiet, honest, and easy to get along with may suddenly have angry outbursts and start lying about work-related issues. They may seem fine one moment and become paranoid or extremely irritable the next. Drugs interact with the brain in ways that can lead to erratic, unpredictable behavior and mood swings. Employers who suspect an employee is using drugs can benefit from keeping an eye out for sudden mood changes and how that particular employee is interacting with their coworkers. Drug misuse in the workplace can lead to lower productivity, high absenteeism rates, and a higher number of workplace-related accidents and injuries.

Special Situations: When Being High Puts Lives at Risk

But you’ll know that you did your best to keep the problem from getting to that point. Clearly any of these problems, when taken alone, can be the result of any problem in an employee’s life. It’s when you start to notice a pattern of several of these that should lead you or your managers to question what’s going on.

A common misconception is that most individuals with substance use disorders are unemployed. In fact, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence reports that 70 percent of the approximately 14.8 million Americans who use illegal drugs are employed. According to the National Drug-Free Workplace Alliance , drug usage is connected to 40% of industrial fatalities in the U.S. and costs employers $81 billion annually. Someone with an active substance use disorder may begin to isolate themselves more at work, or avoiding work-related events, in an effort to avoid detection of the signs of drug or alcohol use. However, the reality is that there is still a significant problem with substance abuse in the American workplace. In fact, according to a report published by the National Council of Alcoholism and Drug Dependence , 24% of workers report drinking during the workday at least once in the past year.

Perhaps the employee is dealing with another health issue, and addiction isn’t the problem. Medically Reviewed By Jenni Jacobsen, LSWA licensed behavioral health or medical professional on The Recovery Village Editorial Team has analyzed and confirmed every statistic, study and medical claim on this page. While alcohol is legal across Canada, different workplaces have different rules regarding acceptable use. Sometimes these can include eco sober house price limits on what a worker is allowed to drink while performing their duties, but many workplaces also have zero tolerance policies. Signs and symptoms of excessive alcohol use include impaired judgement, slowed reflexes, impaired motor function, drowsiness, and coma. That is why we offer drug test kits, it makes it so much easier to concern yourself with work-related issues instead of whether or not an employee partakes in drug use.

Of the 70% of employees who continue to work while suffering from addiction, more than 42% report experiencing decreased work productivity as a result. If an employee is constantly stimulating themselves with their preferred drug while on the job, they won’t show this withdrawal symptom. Even though some employees can use eye drops to remove bloodshot eyes, you can still see changes in the pupils or the glazed look they may have. An employee addicted to cocaine will lack an appetite and most likely not eat all day. Lunch breaks seem more secluded and they will not go out to eat with co-workers.

However, nothing in this law prevents an employer from implementing a drug-free workplace policy or taking action against employees using illegal drugs. This means that you can discipline employees who use drugs during paid time while working remotely. Hallucinogenic drugs make it almost impossible for an employee to function in a workplace setting and the signs and symptoms will be extremely obvious for managers. These include drugs like LSD, PCP, mescaline, magic mushrooms, and salvia.

Ask your manager or the human resources manager to meet privately. While you may think your actions don’t hurt anyone, they hurt the people around you, the company you work for and the owners or investors in the company. Hearst Newspapers participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.

Decreased Productivity

Individuals struggling with a substance use disorder will benefit from a company that provides accommodations for them to receive treatment for the substance use disorder. As a result, the company will benefit when the employee in recovery is fully engaged on the job, present and productive. This is a win-win solution for both the company and the individual in need of professional treatment. Studies show that employees with untreated substance use disorders miss more work than their counterparts — taking an average of two weeks more time off. People struggling with addiction tend to lose control of their daily lives and schedules as their dependence increases, making excessive absences from work an indicator of a potential issue.

If a workplace does not offer an EAP, HR can still provide employees with resources they can use to find and receive addiction treatment without further jeopardizing their careers, health, and livelihood. If you are looking for assistance with offering resources and drug addiction recovery support, The Recovery Village is here to help. We can provide you with guidance in developing an EAP or creating policies to address drugs at work. For employees seeking addiction treatment in Colorado, The Recovery Village at Palmer Lake is located just minutes from the Denver Airport.Contact ustoday to learn more about our services. Because the cost of obtaining drugs or alcohol is high, most substance abusers often need more money to fulfill their addiction needs. Eventually, their need for cash becomes chronic, and they may frequently borrow money from colleagues.

Drug abuse in the workplace, as well as alcohol abuse in the workplace, isn’t as isolated an event as you might wish it were. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, 68.9 percent of all active drug users are employed. 1.An otherwise inexplicable fall-off of work efficiency in terms of volume, accuracy, or promptness is often an early warning sign of substance abuse problems. Excessive trips to the restroom may be an indication of cocaine abuse, or of withdrawal symptoms that include nausea and vomiting. Someone with a deteriorating substance use disorder will begin to ignore personal appearance and hygiene, appearing unkempt at work.