Another major contributing factor has been the trend toward abuse of pain pills. The opioid epidemic has be- come a significant issue for employers who face the con- fusing task of responding appropriately to the abuse of prescription drugs employees have obtained legitimately or illicitly. Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic has had an important effect on substance misuse. “We know that there was about a 29 percent increase in overdose deaths during the pandemic last year,” says Pierce. “We’re also seeing a lot more suicides, substance misuse, and mental health issues. Some 40 percent of adults reported struggling with a mental health or a substance misuse issue, according to the CDC. I’m not even sure we’ve seen all that we’re going to see as far as the impact of the pandemic.” Reducing The Problem Employers are not powerless to address the issue. “We believe that a drug free workplace program is the best way to prevent substance misuse,” says Pierce. “Such a pro- gram consists of five essential elements: a legally sound, state-specific policy; a program of annual employee ed- ucation; supervisor training on substance misuse issues; testing in whatever flavor the employer thinks appropriate; and finally, a plan (such as an Employee Assistance Pro- gram) to help people who may have a problem or may be on the verge of a problem.” Drug Use In the Workplace (CONT’D FROM PAGE 12)
A successful program starts with a written policy pro- hibiting the use of illicit drugs on the job or on the way to work. “Employees need to know the consequences of a policy violation,” says Reilly. “They should be informed of the harmful effects of drug use, how it can affect their work, their coworkers, and the overall business.” Testing is a vital tool for protecting a company. “Most of the employers we work with do preemployment or new hire tests,” says Pierce. The former provides results before the person starts work; the latter sometime after. “Most employers are also doing what we call reactive testing— both reasonable suspicion and post-accident. Those who want to be more proactive can add random testing, which can deter substance misuse.” The more safety sensitive the work, the more likely a company will consider random testing. Prior to starting a drug testing program, the employer should consult legal authority to ensure compliance with federal, state and local laws, many of which directly ad- dress the topic. Random testing, in particular, often comes under varying scrutiny. “Some states allow random testing only of people in safety sensitive positions,” says Pierce. “Ohio, on the other hand, has an incentive program that provides rebates on workers’ compensation premiums for companies that have a drug free workplace, with the highest discounts reserved for those organizations doing random testing.”
CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
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