Substance Abuse

Course Description:

The main objective of this particular session is to help you recognize and understand substance abuse. By the end of the session, you will be able to understand substance abuse, know the causes and symptoms, understand how it can affect work, know what the law says, and learn how to handle employees who use alcohol or drugs at work.

Why “Substance Abuse” Matters:

• It is estimated that at least 10% of the workforce has a problem with drug or alcohol abuse, costing employers more than $81 billion annually.
• Studies show that alcohol and drug abusers are far less productive, on average performing at only 67% of their work potential. Studies also show they use three times as many sick days.
• Abusers are also more than three times more likely to have an accident on the job as other workers, and they are five times more likely to file workers’ compensation claims.

Key Points:

• Substance abuse is a serious and widespread illness.
• Substance abuse can have a big impact on workplace productivity.
• As a supervisor, you play a key role in detecting substance abuse among your employees.
• There are many workplace laws and confidentiality rules you must follow when dealing with employees who have issues with substance abuse.