Facts and Statistics for Employers

This article covers statistics behind substance abuse in the workplace, statistics that can show us just how dangerous these activities really are. Drug and alcohol testing is a relatively new workplace practice, and it remains as a challenging point of discussion for many business leaders and their employees. Implementing workplace drug testing is a balancing act between ensuring the safety of the workplace and respecting the workers’ privacy.
An employee’s decision to take drugs becomes the concern of the entire organisation because it endangers the safety and wellbeing of everyone in the workplace. Employers particularly have a legal responsibility to provide workers with a safe environment. Failing to fulfill this responsibility can expose employees, the production, the business process, and the management to significant risks and hazards.
The possibility of substance abuse in the workplace will only continue to increase as Australia’s drug crisis worsens. For you to better understand the importance of drug-safe workplaces, this article will look into existing issues relating to drug and alcohol testing in the work environment. The impact of these issues has extended to the policies, guidelines, and customs surrounding the use of illicit substances.
Facts and Statistics about Alcohol and Other Drugs in Australia
- Costs employers in Australia $16 billion annually resulting from lost productivity due to alcohol and drug use.
- Costs companies three times more
- Up to 16 times more frequent absences
- Admit to selling drugs to co-workers.
- Theft in the workplace.
Benefits of Drug Testing in the Workplace
Considering the loss of morale, productivity, revenue, and even life, business leaders cannot afford the risk of drug or alcohol use in the workplace. Here is a shortlist of the benefits of workplace drug testing:
Guarantees Workplace Safety
Conducting drug testing will ensure everyone in the organization that they are safe from the harmful effects of drug use in the workplace. Statistical data provide evidence that an employment setting where all workers are sober will have dramatically less drug-related accidents.
Increases Productivity and Improves Performance
Protects the Company’s Profits
Substance abuse in the workplace will result in absent employees, distracted and unfocused workers, accidents, and even injuries. Using drugs or consuming alcohol in the workplace disrupts the business and may lower profits. Drug testing will enable employers to strike directly at the heart of the issue and focus instead on delivering products and services to increase profits.
Protects the Business from Lawsuits
Management of Risk with a Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy
A drug and alcohol testing policy for the workplace is necessary for an employer to carry out testing in Australia. A crucial distinction must be made that the goal is to promote drug-safe, not drug-free, workplaces. The distinction is a realistic recognition that it is now impossible to insist on a drug-free community. In modern society, many people rely on medication or prescribed drugs to lead normal and productive lives.
This policy will explicitly define concepts of acceptable and inappropriate drug and alcohol consumption. The employer should also provide specific details on the testing, such as where, how, why, and by whom the tests will be done. Finally, the policy should explain how the outcomes of the testing will be used to evaluate a worker’s competence for service and the effect of a positive result. Employers should take care to include the situations in which employee dismissal may result from a positive test.
All personnel need to be mindful of the regulation and understand it to comply with fair policies and procedures.
One Last Note
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Australia Drug Testing provides quality drug and alcohol test kits that are simple to use, highly sensitive, fast, and reliable. You should always use products that are certified to Australian Standards to avoid device malfunctions which could cause a false positive.Our testing kits are sourced from the best products in the market to match your various workplace needs:
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