Last updated : December 16, 2024
Establishing a drug-testing program and paying for the screenings may seem like an unnecessary cost for your company. While it’s true that a drug-testing program costs money, have you considered the cost of not implementing a program? It may be higher than you think! A correctly-implemented drug-screening program can actually help save you money in the long run.
Productivity
The most obvious loss of money relating to substance use in the workplace is the loss of employee productivity. Substance abuse hurts productivity in countless ways. Addiction leads to higher rates of absenteeism, tardiness, and health problems and theft. Even if substance users do show up on time, being hungover or under the influence usually causes brain fog and slower thought processes, reducing the number of productive hours in a day. People under the influence are also more likely to make mistakes and do tasks incorrectly, leading to wasted materials or the need to re-do projects . Not to mention, injuries and accidents caused by substance use can put a halt to company operations. Mistakes made by one employee can end up inhibiting other employees from working effectively, leading to a cumulative loss of productivity and safety threats that will hurt your bottom line.
Medical Costs
As mentioned above, chronic substance users are more likely to have health problems. Not only will the employee miss more work, but medical care costs will skyrocket. Anything from more colds due to a compromised immune system to liver failure due to alcoholism, could plague an addicted employee. If this employee is covered under your health insurance plan, you may find your costs going up. Plus, an employee with health problems due to undetected substance use may try to blame those health problems on conditions at work in an attempt to claim compensation from your company. Drug-screening programs help identify employees with these types of risks.
Employee Turnover
Sadly, people who are addicted to substances often don’t stay in a job very long. Lower productivity and higher rates of mistakes will likely lead to the employee being fired, even if you never discover their drug use. When it’s time to replace the employee, your company will have to suck up the cost of locating, interviewing, and training a brand new employee. If you include pre-employment and random drug screening as part of your company policy, you’ll have a much better chance of screening out candidates who are chronic substance users. You’ll be able to hire more reliable people from the start and retain those good employees.
Workers’ Compensation and Other Liability Claims
Employees who are injured on the job usually qualify for Workers’ Compensation and other benefits. However, if the injury was caused by the employee’s own substance use, they may lose their benefits. If your company fails to implement a formal drug-screening program, you are losing a valuable level of protection against these types of claims. Another aspect of this issue is liability claims by others who may be injured by an intoxicated employee. Failing to maintain a policy that promotes workplace safety could increase your liability for harm caused by your employees. Having a policy in place and being able to prove that an employee was intoxicated at the time of an accident may help you shift the burden of liability to the employee or an insurance company.
When you think about all the ways that substance use can cost your company money, a drug-screening program doesn’t seem as expensive anymore. Loses to productivity, medical costs, increased employee turnover, and claims for damages are all expensive costs your company doesn’t need.
