Part 1: Who Is required to Have a Program?
Is Your Company Required to Have a Drug-Free Workplace Program?
- Do you have a Federal grant?
- Do you have a Federal contract valued at $100,000 or more?
- Do you have any subcontracts that include a drug-free workplace requirement?
- Are you subject to any Federal agency regulations, such as those of the Department of Transportation, Department of Defense, or Nuclear Regulatory Commission?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you are probably required to have a program. Even if you are not required to comply with the Drug-Free Workplace Act, it provides guidelines that you can use to develop a drug-free workplace program.
If you have questions about whether you are required to have a program in your workplace, call the CSAP’s (Center for Substance Abuse Prevention) Workplace Helpline at 1-800-WORKPLACE for assistance. The Helpline is a free and confidential service of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, an agency of the Federal Department of Health and Human Services.
Why should a company care about having a drug-free workplace unless they have to?
Alcohol and other drug abuse is widespread in our society, and it affects us all in many ways. Although national, State, and local efforts have begun to show encouraging results, the problem of alcohol and other drug abuse remains a serious issue.
No workplace is immune. In 1991 the National Institute on Drug Abuse reported that 68 percent of illicit drug users were employed. Employers who think alcohol and other drug abuse will never be a problem in their workplace should consider this: Job applicants who can’t pass a drug test tend to apply to companies that don’t test.
Employers who have implemented drug-free workplace programs have important experiences to share:
- Employers with successful drug-free workplace programs report decreases in absenteeism, accidents, downtime, turnover, and theft; increases in productivity; and overall improved morale.
- Employers with longstanding programs report better health status among many employees and family members and decreased use of medical benefits.
- Some organizations with drug-free workplace programs qualify for incentives, for example, decreased premium costs for certain kinds of insurance, such as Workers’ Compensation.
- Employers find that employees, employee representatives, and unions often welcome drug-free workplace programs. If you don’t have a program, your employees may be wondering why.
- Employers with drug-free workplace programs find that current users of alcohol and other drugs prefer organizations that do not have such programs.
- An effective program can keep you from being the employer of choice for users, abusers, and addicts.
Source: The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information