What
are the costs of not drug testing my employees?
In 1989 the Department of Labor took a comprehensive look at
the costs of alcohol and other drug abuse in the
workplace. Some costs were easy to see. Others were
hidden costs that employers might not normally think
about. The list below offers a basis for assessing the
possible costs of alcohol and other drug abuse in your workplace:
|
Absenteeism |
Wages
paid for days absent or for time tardy |
| |
Wages
paid for temporary staff to fill in |
| |
|
|
Accidents/Damage |
Wages
paid for days absent |
| |
Wages
paid for unproductive hours during downtime |
| |
Wages
paid for temporary personnel |
| |
Increased
expenses for medical claims |
| |
Cost
of replacing damaged equipment |
| |
Legal
fees, court fees, investigative fees, travel costs |
| |
|
|
Health
Care |
Increased
costs for insurance, physicians, and more |
| |
Employee
time lost |
| |
Administrative
costs |
| |
|
|
Theft/Fraud |
Wages
paid for unproductive hours during downtime |
| |
Cost
of repairing damage or replacing stolen items |
| |
Cost
of hiring security services and/or consultants |
| |
Legal
fees, court fees, investigative costs, travel costs |
In addition,
business opportunities may be lost because people are not on the
job or are not fully productive. Another major cost is the
time spent by co-workers, supervisors, and administrators who must
find ways to get the work done when someone is not pulling his or
her weight.
Keep in mind
that while there may be more cases of alcohol and other drug abuse
in larger firms than in small ones, a single troubled employee can
have a major impact on a smaller firm.
We're here to
help. If you have questions about how IHSN's drug testing
programs can help you avoid the problems above, call us at
(800) 880-4444 and one of our representatives would be happy to
answer all of your questions.
Go back
to IHSN's Drug Testing Essentials
|
