Problems stemming from employees with substance abuse disorder cost American businesses billions of dollars a year. Substance abuse problems in the workplace lead to more accidents, lower morale, and a much higher absentee rate. In fact, a 2022 study estimates employees with alcohol use disorder miss 32 workdays a year compared to other workers, who call in sick an average of 13 days per year.

Because of numbers like these, more companies are prioritizing the reduction of alcohol and illegal drug use in their workplaces. What these employers are realizing is that the impact of a substance abuse problem far outweighs the cost of employee support and educational programs addressing workplace substance abuse.

How Substance Abuse Problems Affect Employers

Approximately 9% of employees in the United States struggled with alcohol or substance abuse in the past year, according to the National Safety Council. High rates of substance abuse affect employers’ bottom line:

• Sixty-five percent of workplace accidents happen because employees are under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• Between 38% and 50% of worker's compensation claims stem from alcohol or drug-related accidents.
• Alcohol and drug users miss 1.5 more weeks of work each year compared to workers with substance abuse problems.

Insurance, legal, and healthcare costs are higher for companies with employees with alcohol-related illnesses. Combine that with lowered productivity and absenteeism, and companies are out between $33 billion and $68 billion each year because of alcohol use disorders.

Employers can determine how much substance abuse problems cost their company by using the Substance Use Cost Calculator created by the National Safety Council and NORC at the University of Chicago.

Substance Use Disorder by Industry

In December 2020, in the throes of the pandemic, 19% of construction workers had a substance use disorder. Other industries with high percentages of employees who abuse substances include:

• Service (except protective): 15.6%
• Transportation and materials moving: 13.9%
• Installation, maintenance, and repair: 13.5%
• Sales: 13.4%

Many industries with high rates of substance abuse are struggling to find employees and do not want to turn away job-seekers who use marijuana. A carefully crafted HR policy related to marijuana use mitigates the risk for companies choosing not to test employees for drugs.

Regulations for Employees in Safety-Sensitive Jobs

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) requires drug and alcohol testing for workers in safety-sensitive jobs such as truck drivers, air traffic controllers, and train engineers. All employees must be tested when they are hired. After that, their companies can test them randomly. If a supervisor has a reasonable suspicion an employee is using or under the influence of illicit drugs or alcohol, the supervisor needs to order drug and alcohol tests.

The DOT mandates training for supervisors and employees in safety-sensitive jobs. With transportation workers on the road, making the training convenient is important. HSI’s online drug-and-alcohol-free workplace training meets the needs of transportation companies.

• Supervisors learn their responsibilities in creating and maintaining a drug-and alcohol-free workplace, including what disciplinary action to take if an employee has a positive drug test.
• Employees learn their role in maintaining a drug-and alcohol-free workplace.

Four Factors Contributing to Alcohol and Drug Abuse

Top safety managers address drug and alcohol abuse in the workplace like other challenges: they identify causes then develop solutions. These four factors frequently lead employees to become substance abusers:

1. Pain: Work-related injuries and illnesses cause some employees to become addicted to prescription drugs including opioids, illicit drugs, or alcohol. Companies with effective safety programs prevent injuries and thus, pain-related addictions.
2. Stress: Research confirms that stress leads some people to abuse alcohol and drugs. They might have too much to do at work or be insecure about their job performance.
3. Loneliness: In some professions, employees spend most of their working hours alone. Loneliness leads some to turn to drugs and alcohol to relieve their emotional pain.
4. Long hours: For individuals with substance use disorder, working more than 48 hours a week on a regular basis increases the likelihood of risky use of alcohol by 11%.

As employers become more aware of conditions that might lead to substance abuse issues, they start making changes such as improving working conditions, safety, and schedules.

Working Toward a Drug-Free Workplace

Employers use two distinct strategies to create drug-free workplaces:1) They support employees, family members, and the community; and 2) they reduce risk for the company.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has an excellent guide to establishing a drug-free workplace using six steps:

1. Assess the workplace and its needs related to substance misuse.
2. Identify available resources.
3. Develop policies addressing alcohol, prescription, and illegal drugs in the workplace.
4. Determine whether to have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
5. Determine whether to implement a drug testing program.
6. Educate and train employees and supervisors.

Every employer is encouraged to post the number for SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 800-662-HELP (4357), which helps individuals and family members struggling with substance abuse and/or mental health disorders. The helpline is answered in English and in Spanish 24 hours a day every day of the year.

Note that any company with a contract with a federal agency for $100,000 or more must comply with the Drug-Free Workplace Act. Organizations with federal grants also must adhere to drug-free workplace rules.

Supporting Employees with a Substance Abuse Disorder

Investing in employees’ recovery from substance use disorders pays off, to the tune of $3,200 per year per employee, according to the National Safety Council and NORC at the University of Chicago. The Workplace Supported Recovery Program developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) provides a framework for supporting employees with addictions. The three tenets of the program are:

Prevent Exposure

Managers support employees with addictions by preventing exposure to their triggers. If an employee is recovering from opioid addiction, a supportive supervisor ensures he does not have to do work that might aggravate a painful injury. Another example is planning alcohol-free social events focused on healthy activities.

Eliminate Barriers

Employees often face multiple barriers to getting help for their addiction. Managers help in myriad ways from telling their team about community resources to providing reasonable accommodations for employees receiving care for their substance abuse disorder.

Reduce Stigma

Individuals trying to overcome, or manage, an addiction are often victims of discrimination, prejudice, and isolation. Companies involved in the Workplace Supported Recovery Program help reduce stigma with:

• training around misperceptions of substance use disorder,
• promotion of well-being, and
• support for individuals struggling with substance use disorder and their families.

Additional Resources

HSI has a variety of online courses addressing this important topic in both English and Spanish. Our library contains complete training courses and micro-learning/overview versions for annual refreshers or just-in-time training needs.

Check out Drug and Alcohol-Free Workplace and learn how to develop a comprehensive program that complies with the Drug-Free Workplace Act.

And for your next toolbox talk on the subject, try one of our Safety Tip videos: Drug and Alcohol-Free Workplace