A Substance Abuse Free Workplace

Employee benefits could be improved by expanding the employee assistance program to include counseling services to help employees work through various life challenges that may adversely affect job performance, health, and personal well-being to return them to full productivity, thereby optimizing the company’s success.

An Employee Assistance Program, also known as an EAP, is an employer funded counselling service to help employees deal with social and emotional problems that impact on their well-being and on their work.

According to Stephen Wilcox, the FIDSA Principal and Founder Design Science stated, “The impact of alcoholism and drug dependence in the workplace often focuses on four major issues: premature death/fatal accidents, injuries/accident rates, absenteeism/extra sick leave, and loss of production” (Wilcox). A chart from Google gives a helpful visual of the different ages and genders that shows how they harm the workplace. Both men and women of all ages bring danger to the workplaces from their ability to do their job is affected, having to work extra hours, or there is an accident or close call at

Drug abuse does not only impact a person’s well-being, but it also negatively impacts society. The economy is impacted by health costs incurred from prevention, treatment, and hospital visits. Public Safety is impacted by drug-affected driving. Operating a vehicle under the influence is illegal and dangerous for the driver, passenger(s), and other people on the road. There are three classifications for drug abuse related crime: nexus, economic-compulsive, and systemic. Drug abuse also hinders productivity because addiction causes an individual to constantly seek the drug while deeming all other things less important. Companies experience loss of potential income from employees that are under the influence, incarcerated, hospitalized, or seeking treatment. Finally, economic consequences effect specific populations which include children, women, and people with low-income. Drug prevention strategies have been identified as a way to decrease economic consequences on society (“Economic Consequences of Drug Abuse,” 2013).

1. Review the assignment directions above. What is the purpose of the message the HR

Being under the influence can be a result of many different things, such as drinking alcohol or taking drugs. While doing such things can be fine when an employee is at home, these substances have no business in the workplace. Being under the influence at work can cause accidents, less production, tardiness or absenteeism, poor decision making, theft, and much more (“Drugs”, 2015). Employers can combat these problems by utilizing drug testing programs, establishing anti-drug abuse policies, and establishing an Employee Assistance Program.

However, in comparison, the EPA program addresses any issues that hinder the work performance of any employee. EAP is a worksite-focused program designed to assist in the identification and resolution of productivity problems associated with personal problems, such as alcohol and/or drug abuse.(2) If design properly, a wellness programs can best address early alcohol problems if they adopt the “back door” approach by incorporating specific information about alcohol’s negative effects on other health condition (1). An EAP alcohol program addresses the short term and long term use of alcohol treatment. (2) Like EPA, Duke’s PAS Personal Assistant programs consist of guidelines with short and long term goals for the employee. Upon hire the EAP program representative

Drug abuse by employees in the workplace is a major concern for many employers Approximately 16.4 million drug abusers and 15 million heavy alcohol users

The first substance abuse prevention program is called AlcoholEdu for College by the EverFi company. AlcoholEdu for College is an online alcohol education, harm reduction, and misuse prevention course for undergraduate students in colleges and universities. The course takes 2 to 3 hours to complete. (DeJong, 2015) The fully independent, 3-year, 30-college controlled study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). (New Federal Government Study: AlcoholEdu Reduces Binge Drinking and Alcohol-Related Harms, 2011) This shows how the NIH involvement enhances the validity of EverFi effect on college students. A quote by Brandon Busteed, creator of AlcoholEdu states the magnitude of its effect, he says "This study is the equivalent of an FDA approval on a pharmaceutical drug. No other program has ever reached this bar, and it 's likely that no other program will anytime soon." (New Federal Government Study: AlcoholEdu Reduces Binge Drinking and Alcohol-Related Harms, 2011) It is also funded by its sponsors such as WalMart, American Express, and the National Basketball Association, among others. It is

President Reagan signed the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 on November 18, 1988. The intent of the bill was to establish the foundation of a drug-free workplace in the areas that the federal government could affect outside the federal government; i.e., the workplaces of federal grantees and contractors. The Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 does not mention drug testing at all. However, many companies have made drug testing a requirement. The Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 has 7 compliance requirements. (Miller, 1991)

Every work place should have to do drug tests on all of their workers and/ or soon to be employees; Also if employees get drug tested to be able to make their own money, people

Literature implies that employee drug use in the workplace may create high costs to firms in the form of lower productivity, increased absences, and an increase in workplace accidents. As a response to these costs, employers have implemented a variety of policies and programs to decrease employee drug use. Educational programs and standards such as “Zero Tolerance” policies, employers have turned to drug testing programs more in the past decades. About 46 percent of American workers report that their employer conducts drug testing, although other sources indicate that 90 percent of Fortune 200 companies use some type of drug testing (Flynn 1999). The factor behind workplace drug

Specific programs that Lynne should launch include an Employee assistance program (EAP), “to help employees cope with physical, mental, or emotional problems (including stress) that are undermining their job performance” (Gomez-Melia et al., 2011, p. 561). In additional, Lynne should look at implementing wellness programs which are “preventive efforts designed to help employees identify potential health risk and deal with them before they become problems” (Gomez-Melia et al., 2011, p. 561). A wellness program will “encourage

Googins, B. EAPs and early intervention: Maximizing the opportunities. In: Roman, P.M., ed. Alcohol Problem Intervention in the Workplace: Employee Assistance Programs and Strategic Alternatives. Westport, CT: Quorum Books, 1990. pp. 191-202.

The employee assistance programs commonly known as EAP’S are the services and employee benefits programs that a provided by the company to its employee to develop trust with the employee that the company is providing the best package in accordance to the employee services so that he or she can work in a stress free environment and give a batter performance.