As a business owner, you know that anything that affects your business IS your business. Drug addiction might be a personal problem, but employees under the influence of drugs or alcohol at work constitute a great risk for themselves as well as others. The well-being of your staff is important to you, so here are six ways you can identify and deal with an employee’s addiction.
Research
If you’re unacquainted with addiction and are uncertain if a employee is an addict, plenty of materials are available to assist you. Many trustworthy medical centers, educational institutes, and anti-addiction organizations have information that explains addiction, its symptoms, and tips for how to address it. The internet is a good place to find information, too.
Here are just a few examples of government-related sites that can provide useful information:
U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)
If you are Miami-Dade-based and are interested in getting information about drug addiction and drug testing in Hialeah, visit our website or call us to make an appointment.
Observe
Does your employee take unexpected days off more frequently than before? Do they arrive later or leave earlier than normal? Do they act differently? Do they look, sound, or smell differently? They might have red eyes, for example, or slurred speech, or smell like drugs or chemicals.
Based on the information you’ve collected in phase one, you can compare your employee’s appearance and performance to several indicators of drug addiction.
Listen
Are your other employees worried about this employee? If your employee’s drug addiction affects their job performance, their co-workers will probably notice. Listen to what others have to say about this employee; there might be valuable information there. Just be cautious to distinguish between legitimate employee concerns and idle workplace gossip.
Talk
As a general rule, addicted people refuse to acknowledge their addiction, especially when it comes to their bosses. Nonetheless, talking to a person who you suspect might be addicted can give you sense of their reactions, appearance and speech. It might be uncomfortable for you, but it also might give you a chance to ask how they are doing and what is happening in their life
If your employee is unwilling to talk or appears to be not telling the full truth, it might be a sign that something’s not right. This conversation may also be beneficial in building trust, which could lead to more talks in the future.
Act
Talk with your human resources staff. This step is particularly crucial if your employee’s addiction could lead to a workplace accident or affect the well-being of other employees. Your HR department may also have resources to deal with this problem. If the person addicted opened up to you when you talked to them, you might consider working together on the right treatment plan for them, with the help of a healthcare professional. It might be necessary for them to take a longer leave of absence. Finding early treatment is crucial. Such early treatment can help prevent further damage to the addict’s health, personal, and professional life; it can also prevent further damage to an addict’s workplace.
Prevent
Consider pre-employment / post-offer drug testing; this will give you a chance to screen future employees. If they currently use drugs, there is little chance they will stop when they start working for you, which would put your business and other employees at risk.
You may also employ drug screens (random drug testing) for your current employees. This way you will make your workspace a much safer environment for everybody. Do not forget to test employees who have been involved in any workplace accident. In the stress of the moment, it might not be top of mind, but it is crucial for avoiding future accidents.
While dealing with addicted employees is not easy, there are people and resources available to aid you and your employees, and it’s vital to take advantage of them.
Drug Testing Hialeah
Our drug-testing programs save employers money and help create a safe and productive work environment. RiteCare Urgent Medical Center manages drug-testing programs which are fully compliant with ever-changing federal regulations and that supervise every phase of testing. Our our drug screens are collected by trained and certified drug screen collectors.
If drug tests in Hialeah are something that might benefit your business, you may consider the following drug tests, available at your convenience:
- MRO Services (Certified Medical Review Officer)
- 24-Hour Drug and Alcohol Testing
- Random Selections
- Reasonable Suspicion/ For Cause
- Return-to-Work
- Hair Collection
- FAA, FTA, DOT and Non-DOT Compliance, Training, Testing and Documentation
- Pre-Employment / Post-Offer Drug Testing
- Post Injury / Post Accident
- Follow up
- Steroid Testing
- Instant Urine Testing
RiteCare Medical Center also offers consultation, policy development and supervisor training at our urgent care location in the Hialeah area. If you would like further information about drug tests in Hialeah, or if you have any questions, please contact us. Alternatively, you can schedule an appointment online.
Source: https://www.opioidpreventionatwork.org
The material contained on this site is for informational purposes only and DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PROVIDING OF MEDICAL ADVICE, and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health.
