Substance Use and the Workplace: Tools and Resources
Publication date:
2019
Substance use can have a significant impact on the workplace. It affects employers, employees and potentially the public. The type of substance use can vary in its severity from an employee drinking alcohol during a business lunch to an employee affected by an addiction to opioids. Employers can feel the impact through lost productivity, through the lowered morale of employees or through the compromised safety of the public.
Substance use is not the only type of impairment (e.g., fatigue, stress, family crisis) that can affect the workplace. Employers typically do not receive nor should they be expected to receive training in recognizing the different types of impairment. While they should be prepared to observe and identify impairment, they should leave diagnoses up to professionals.
Using the proper resources to assist them, employers can help their staff deal with impairment in the workplace by developing comprehensive policies that focus on prevention and education, by reducing the stigma surrounding substance use and by improving employee supports.
The Canadian Substance Use Costs and Harms: 2007–2014 report estimates that lost productivity to businesses attributable to substance use in 2014 was $15.7 billion dollars. With the recent legalization of cannabis, many employers are re-examining their policies and best practices related to substance use and fitness for duty/impairment more broadly to ensure that they are comprehensive and effective.
To help employers, CCSA conducted a review of Canadian workplace policies and best practices to find out what employers were doing to address substance use and the workplace. Review key findings from the report or download the full report below.
Examines the state of Canadian substance use policies in the workplace by surveying the literature and interviewing key informants at select companies. The study reviews substance use policies, identifies lessons learned and best practices, and determines which areas require more guidance, tools an…
The Atlantic Canada Council on Addiction developed a step-by-step guide to help employers develop a fitness-for-duty/impairment policy. This guide provides a useful overview, specific examples and instructions on how to develop a workplace policy.
Employers frequently are looking for information and resources on how to address fitness for duty/impairment issues related to substance use. CCSA has compiled a list of resources to assist them.
The Canadian Substance Use Costs and Harms: 2007–2014 report estimates the costs of substance use to various sectors of society. The costs include those related to lost productivity and how it affects organizations financially (e.g., employee assistance programs, drug testing programs, and administrative costs associated with workers’ compensation). Employers may find it useful to understand some of these costs. The cost study project provides an interactive website that allows users to calculate different costs according to various elements such as by province or territory, per capita, and year.
Use the CSUCH Visualization Tool and learn more on the cost study project website.