You are an employer, and the drug testing policies and procedures are well written and include education and Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) components. You conduct random and blanket on-site drug and alcohol testing regularly as the policies require using state-of-the-art technology like the saliva drug test. In your opinion, everything possible is being done to keep drugs out of the workplace and workers safe.
Or is it?
There is a step missing in this description, and it is enforcement. Though random and blanket drug and alcohol testing falls under policy enforcement, what happens in between each testing is just as important as the testing itself. An employer may actually develop a workplace drug culture despite having an official testing program in place.
How is this possible? Following are some simple examples of how a drug culture develops in the workplace.
- Your random testing program always seems to avoid testing certain employees in one particular department despite persistent rumors that drugs are being used during the work shift
- Your workplace Christmas party is held offsite but employees are supplied with free beer and liquor – it never fails that several people get so inebriated that they don’t show up for work for several days but there are never consequences
- Drug and alcohol testing is never done on Monday morning and the workers are snickering about the coincidence knowing it’s on purpose since people party on the weekends and some will test positive for drugs and alcohol
- Managers attends frequent after work drinking sessions at the local bar in the belief that it is a great way for employees to bond
- Enforcement of penalties for testing positive for drugs and alcohol are sporadic and most of the time there are no consequences
- An employee is obviously acting in an unsafe manner and displaying bizarre behavior but employer chooses to ignore the situation despite suspecting drugs are the cause
Workplace rituals such as after work drinks or office parties are used to build camaraderie. The workplace culture does not just influence behavior at the place of employment. When a manager joins the after work group and abuses alcohol or participates in any drug use or turns a blind eye to obvious drug use, the message is abundantly clear that there is a high tolerance level for substance abuse. That impacts consumption on and off the workplace premises.1
The signals an employer sends to workers through actions or inactions may actually encourage substance abuse despite the employer having a drug and alcohol policy in place. In other words, you can meet legal requirements for substance testing but still have a workplace drug culture. When a drug culture exists you are, in effect, contributing to alcohol and drug use.
Inconsistent enforcement of workplace drug and alcohol policies and procedures can erase the very impact they are supposed to achieve. An employer can void workplace substance abuse issues, and in doing so, becomes an enabler.
The tolerance-responsiveness of an employer influences the willingness of some employees to use drugs and alcohol. There is a concept called dysfunctional tolerance that includes enabling, neutralisation of deviance and problem minimisation. An employer may exhibit dysfunctional tolerance for a number of reasons: 2
- Reluctance to interfere in an employee’s personal life
- Fear of making a false accusation
- Poor managerial skills
- Failure to see the alcohol or drug use as creating a safety issue
- Stereotyping by believing substance abusers have a particular appearance, and anyone who doesn’t match the stereotype is not considered at risk
- Over reliance on the reasonable suspicion policy
- Failure to recognise the testing policy as more than a legal requirement and ignoring the safety in the workplace issues
Employers need to be aware of what messages their words, actions or lack of action are sending to workers. Not only does a workplace drug culture jeopardise employer safety, but the employer may have increased difficulty defending against employee court claims connected to enforcement actions that are applied inconsistently to individuals. An employer must be consistent in the implementation of workplace alcohol and drug policies and procedures to avoid the appearance that illicit substances or alcohol will be tolerated.2
Mediscreen (http://mediscreen.net.au/index.php?mod=services) professionals can work with employers to review and improve existing alcohol and drug testing policies. Periodic organisational reviews are critical to maintaining a workplace free from illicit drugs and alcohol.
References
1 Presentation: “The Only Problem is Not Getting Enough!”. (2009). Retrieved April 30, 2011, from Australian Government Rural Industries and Research Corporation: http://bit.ly/ot0qFW
2 Bennett, Joel B. and Wayne E. K. Lehman. (2001, March 2). Supervisor Tolerance-Responsiveness to Substance Abuse and Workplace Prevention Training: Use of a Cognitive Mapping Tool. Retrieved April 27, 2011, from Oxford Journals: http://her.oxfordjournals.org/content/17/1/27.full#sec-11
