Overview
Drug and Alcohol use can be a serious problem that affects all facets of human life. With the detrimental effects such practices have on the human body and mind, one must exercise caution and restraint in questions of using addictive substances. This is especially true in the case of environments that are made for interactions with other people and active individual involvement. Work, as one of the core facets of a person’s life, is also something severely affected by the consequences of drug and alcohol use. A person suffering from substance abuse presents a liability for the company, and a danger for themselves and others. A comprehensive framework is needed to properly access the required steps of resolving instances of alcohol or drug abuse at work. In an effort to safeguard the safety and health of all employees, a plan of action will be devised with the goal of effectively counteract the emerging problem. The program will cover all facets of the substance addiction issue, including prevention work, the reduction of the incentive to use drugs or alcohol, treatment and recovery options, as well as optional activities to help people better adjust to life without harmful habits. In this proposal, a policy to address worker substance abuse and addiction, will be discussed, with both its major goals and potential benefits being outlines. The work will also make informed recommendations on the kinds of response most suitable for the process, and introduce a framework of evaluating the progress made. As a result, it is expected that the work environment will become more healthy, allowing more people to work in cooperation with one another.
Goals and Benefits
The main goals of this process are to ensure that the work environment remains healthy, and individuals can interact in a free and effective manner. When a person is suffering from substance abuse, their behaviors are likely not reflective of their true judgements, they are more likely to make brash decisions or act out in an unprofessional manner. A person affected may also suffer from side effects of their habits resulting in decreased job performance or cases of frequent absence. Some types of substance abuse may also hold negative legal repercussion, resulting in the issues with the law for either the company of the people that represent it. This combination of effects results in a conclusion that drug and alcohol abuse negatively affect the workplace environment and the people in it. A need therefore emerges to resolve this issue in a comprehensive manner. The benefits of addressing the problem of addiction among workers are immune, and the appropriate measures should be taken as quickly as possible. Firstly, the effort of combating addiction and substance abuse in the workplace can help improve the work efficiency of employees, making them more easily able to meet set goals and complete tasks. Due to the lack of additional health complications, both their mental and physical capacity will be better than the alternative. Furthermore, this approach can improve their critical thinking skills, judgement calls and decision making. With the mind unpolluted by corruptive substances, individuals will be able to more rationally and decisively resolve the daily challenges of work. Another benefit the practice can bring is the improved sense of communication and comradery, which comes primarily from the workers ability to understand each other and communicate on both the professional and personal level. A number of other positive effects can also be mentioned, including the improvement of health, worker-employer relations and the promotion of the company’s longevity.
Recommendations
First and most fundamental part of this framework is policy. By directing correct laws to be followed and written, a person can effectively control the types of behavior that is acceptable or unacceptable to them. The policy answer to the addiction problem would initially include a strict prohibition on any harmful substances in the workplace, as well as their use on its grounds (Employee Substance Abuse Policy Template: Workable). The regulation seeks to limit the availability of alcohol and drugs during the work process, and control the substance intake of the employees through passive prohibition. The measure significantly reduces people’s opportunity to be intoxicated at work, or be under the active influence of drugs during it. Furthermore, it establishes a precedent or substances being an unacceptable and intolerable part of the workplace process. As the second part of the process to address potential substance use, regular medical evaluations should be present at the workplace, to evaluate the condition of their health and mental capacity. Check ups should affect the entire staff at regular intervals, as well as when substance use is suspected to have taken place (Implementing Workplace Policies for Drug and Alcohol Issues). This would allow to detect both early and late signs of substance abuse, and take necessary action. As a final set of regulations that would have a beneficial effect on preventing workplace substance use, educational programs should be adopted for the management and the workforce. Educational efforts for the former would include programs for recognizing the signs of addiction and taking necessary action. For the latter, they would be focused on introducing various methods of fighting and recovering from addiction, as well as the appropriate resources to combat this issue. A written policy that applies to every person equally will help to reduce feelings or alienation and stigma, which can permeate among employees (Government of Canada). By sufficiently preparing the workforce to the challenges associated with addressing drug and alcohol use, the leadership and management can ensure that their organization is able to adequately respond to the changing environment.
Measuring the Effectiveness and implementation
To measure the effectiveness of the policy, a number of suspected and confirmed cases of drug use from before, during and after the implementation of the policy should be taken. As the most direct and evidence-based approach to testing effectiveness, it would be best suited to show whether a program has been able to effectively meet its goals. Measurements on the difference in cooperation between workers and operational efficiency should be collected, as both are also significantly influenced by the condition of the employees. Other than that, organizations should collect worker feedback, either anonymously or not, to see if the organization’s internal members consider it to be effective in meeting their needs and enforcing company policy. The implementation itself should be handled in collaboration with educators capable in the fields of medical examinations and drug use, that will be able to relay their experience to the management of the company. In relation to writing the policy, a company could use existing frameworks and policies of other organizations as a frame of reference. By combining the existing pool of knowledge with the approaches used by other, an organization can develop most contemporary and suitable solutions.
Works Cited
“Employee Substance Abuse Policy Template: Workable.” Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better. 2020. Web.
Government of Canada, Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. “Substance Use in the Workplace : OSH Answers.” Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. 2021. Web.
“Implementing Workplace Policies for Drug and Alcohol Issues.” Implementing Workplace Policies for Drug and Alcohol Issues | Wolters Kluwer. Web.