Drug and alcohol abuse among employees poses a significant risk to organizations. Such individuals contribute to a hostile work culture that affects other employees. They also put your business's reputation at risk by behaving in an unprofessional manner that can cause suppliers, partners, and clients to seek alternatives. Moreover, substance abusers contribute to high healthcare costs since they require frequent hospitalization, especially after overdoses, in addition to causing workplace injuries that the employer has to cover. However, instituting drug and alcohol testing mitigates such risks and offers other benefits.
Keep Your Workers Safe
Drug and alcohol abusers sometimes behave in an erratic manner which can contribute to an insane work environment. For example, they may get into physical altercations with other employees resulting in injuries. Moreover, they may operate heavy machinery like trucks, cranes, and bulldozers, which can result in safety hazards due to poor judgment and reaction time. Every organization should thus consider instituting drug and alcohol testing. Regular testing can help an organization stop instances of people working under the influence by acting as a deterrent. The result will be a much safer work environment and healthier employees. Therefore, drug and alcohol testing contributes to a more conducive work environment.
Mitigate Factors That Undermine Productivity
People who do not abuse drugs and alcohol are generally more productive and produce high-quality work. On the other hand, substance abusers cannot perform optimally, which affects their output and efficiency. As an employer, it is vital to ensure your employees and recruits will help the business achieve its goals. Drug and alcohol testing guarantees you will identify employees and recruits with substance abuse issues. Consequently, you can help the employees achieve sobriety or hire other workers who will be productive and boost colleagues' morale. Drug and alcohol testing helps companies hire reliable people who motivate their co-workers.
Reduce Absenteeism And Employee Turnover Rates
One of the most significant drawbacks of having substance abusers in your employ is their inclination to absenteeism. That means you cannot rely on their output, forcing managers to redirect their workload to others. Over time, reliable employees may get tired of handling the workload of others at the same pay and quit. Therefore, the inconsistent availability of substance abusers threatens workplace stability. They will force you to hire other people, increasing recruitment costs. Having a drug and alcohol testing regimen in place will help you find and retain reliable employees. Consequently, your company will enjoy significantly lower recruitment and training costs. Overall, drug and alcohol testing helps hire a dependable workforce.