Rosalyn Sanchez Team H

Jazmin Gonzalez

Is controlling drug abuse and otherwise monitoring employee productivity more important than employee privacy?

We believe that testing employees and monitoring their productivity is important and not a violation of privacy because an employees safety and work quality are crucial in any company or business. An employees productivity is what is important in a company, not what they do in their personal time, unless what they do in their personal time is then brought to work. When this happens a company should be allowed to monitor an employee despite arguments of employee privacy. Monitoring employees can benefit a company as well as all of its workers. By taking actions like drug testing you are preventing drug use in the work place and by drug testing during the hiring process you are eliminating possible future problems with employees regarding substance abuse. It is a proven, low cost strategy, which identifies those needing help, reduces demand, cuts accidents and sick leave, improves attendance and increases productivity. In 2007, of the 17.4 million current drug users age 18 and over, 13.1 million (75.3 percent) were employed. Similarly, among 55.3 million adult drinkers, 44.0 million (79.4 percent) were employed. Regardless of where illegal drug use or heavy alcohol use takes place, workers reporting substance use and abuse have higher rates of turnover and absence. Abusers are absent 30-35 days per year and are three times more likely than non-users to be late for work. (U.S. Chamber of Commerce) Abusers are three to four times more likely to have an accident on the job and five times

more likely to file a workers compensation claim. (Employee Assistance Society of North America) Substance use and abuse is not necessarily limited to after work hours, leading to the risk of impairment on the job.
In many workplaces, 20 to 25 percent of accidents at work involve intoxicated people injuring themselves or others Up to 40% of industrial fatalities and 47% of industrial injuries can be linked to alcohol use and alcoholism 41 percent of all workplace injuries requiring days out of work. In fact, more than 4 out of 10 of injuries and illnesses were sprains or strains, most involving overexertion or falls. Employees who use drugs are 2.2 times more likely to request early dismissal or time off, 2.5 times more likely to have absences of eight days or more, and 3 times more likely to be late for work. There are many effects of workers abusing drugs and alcohol while being a full time worker. These can be avoided by simply monitoring your employees and making sure that your employees are capable of working to the best of their ability.

The impact of employee substance use and abuse is a problem that extends beyond the substance-using employee. There is evidence that co-worker job performance and attitudes are negatively affected. Workers have reported being put in danger, having been injured, or having had to work harder, to re-do work, or to cover for a co-worker as a result of a fellow employees drinking

Drug abuse affects such financial areas as sick leave, medical costs and workers' compensation costs.

Each year, substance abuse costs the United States billions of dollars in expenditures for health care, workplace injuries, disability payments and productivity losses. Drug and alcohol problems cost the United States an estimated $276 billion a year. Since most adults who have problems with alcohol or drug use are in the workforce, employers incur a large share of the costs related to lost productivity and increased health care needs. Substance abuse by employees results in: Higher health care expenses for injuries and illnesses; Higher rates of absences Reductions in job productivity and performance More workers compensation and disability claims; and Safety and other risks for employers. Employees with substance abuse issues often Fail to fulfill major role obligations at work, school or home. Use substances in situations where it is physically hazardous (e .g. driving an automobile or operating a machine when impaired by substance use). Have recurrent substance-related legal or financial problems. Continue to use substances despite persistent social or interpersonal problems that are a result of the substance use Although costs for substance abuse treatment may appear low as reflected in an employers health plan, drug and alcohol problems cost the United States an estimated $276 billion per year. The majority of these expenses result from lost work productivity

(which will not be reflected in a health plan) and health care costs related to substance abuse. Increased Health CARE COSTS Employees with alcohol-related problems have health care costs that are double those of their peers. In fact, individuals who abuse alcohol use four times as many hospital days as nondrinkers. In 2003, an estimated $21 billion was spent in the United States for treatment of substance-related disorders. Drug and Alcohol use in the workplace leads to Reduced Productivity And Absences. Lost work productivity related to substance abuse (including absence and poor job performance) cost the United States an estimated $129 billion in 2002. Research demonstrates that excessive drinking outside normal working hours negatively affects productivity at work. Productivity can be reduced at any level of dependence. Employees with light and moderate alcohol use cause 60% of alcohol-related absences, tardiness, and poor work quality. Studies have shown that substance-abusing employees function at about two thirds of their capability and that employees who use drugs are three times more likely to be late for work. An estimated 500 million workdays are lost annually due to alcohol abuse. Employees who use drugs are twice as likely to request early dismissal or time off and are two and a half times more likely to have absences of eight days or more. More Turnovers Substance abuse can also increase employee turnover. Individuals with drug or alcohol problems are more likely than non-substance abusers to report having worked for three or more employers in the previous year. Turnover is expensive for employers. Replacing an employee can cost from 25% to almost 200% of the employees annual compensationnot including the loss of institutional knowledge and service continuity and the damage to co-worker

productivity and morale that can accompany employee turnover.