It’s no clandestine that drug abuse is a problem in the United States. What may be less known, however, is how drug abuse affects workplaces. This is why the drug testing nyc employers have in place is so important.
In this article, we will explore the effects of drug abuse on workplaces and discuss why drug testing is important to keep our workplaces safe.
Lost Productivity and Safety
It is no covert that drug use can harm people’s performance and safety. In the workplace, this can be particularly dangerous. Drugs can hamper the decisions that employees make, reduce productivity, lead to accidents, and put coworkers at risk.
Drug abuse costs employers billions of dollars every year in lost productivity, absenteeism, and accidents. Drug use is estimated to cost employers $75 billion annually in lost productivity alone. Employees who use drugs are more probable to be late or absent from work, and when they are at work, they are less able. Drug users are also more likely to injure themselves or others, leading to compensation claims and time lost for everyone.
Drugs can have a significant impact on people’s ability to perform in their roles. This is because drugs can impair decision-making, mean slow reflexes, and lead to a lack of focus. This can be extremely dangerous in workplaces where people are operating heavy machinery or working with hazardous materials.
The types of jobs where drug taxing is mandatory are:
- A jobs in the military
- Jobs in law enforcement
- Jobs with the federal government
- And also, Jobs in positions of trust
Also, driving jobs will require that a person is drug-free as well as alcohol-free whilst driving others around. Their passengers could be adults or children and potentially a whole bus or train full of people.
Those who control industrial machinery that has the potential to harm them or someone else should drug test. This can be before employment and regularly during employment to maintain safety for all.
Increased Health Care Costs
workers who use drugs are also more likely to need health care services than employees who do not use drugs. They are more likely to suffer from chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. In addition, drug users are more likely to be injured on the job and develop mental health problems. All of these factors can guide to increased health care costs for employers.
Every employer will want to keep their staff costs to a minimum if they are to make a profit. Staff costs can be increased by time lost due to incidents that might not have resulted had drugs not featured in the equation.
Legal Issues
Employers can also face legal issues if they do not drug test their employees. For example, if an employee injures on the job while under the influence of drugs, the employer may be held liable. In addition, if an employee is arrested for drug possession or drug trafficking, the employer may be held liable for negligence.
It is the liability of every employer to keep their entire workforce safe. This is why drug-taking should take seriously and regularly checked for. Employers can avoid employing those already taking illegal substances by making drug testing a part of the pre-employment checks that they carry out. It is wise to know about this aspect of an employee too so that the wisest decisions can be made when adding to your workforce. You owe it to your existing employees not to put them at risk. Any lost production time also threatens the survival of the business as a whole and all of the livelihoods of those employed.
So, as you can see, drug testing is important in workplaces for many reasons. By drug testing employees, employers can help to create a safe and productive workplace environment.