The Alcohol & Drug-Free Business Advantage

In addition to saving your company money, your participation in the program helps your workforce as well as your community image. Research shows that 92 percent of Americans say that have a more positive image of companies and products that support socially responsible causes, and 75 percent say a company’s commitment to social issues is important when deciding which products and services to purchase or recommend to others.

Wondering whether the benefits of a drug-free workplace program will outweigh your cost in time and effort to set up and maintain the program? Assessing whether your business should implement a drug-free workplace program is a matter of weighing the costs and benefits, which will differ with every organization. However, your Drug-Free Workplace program can grow and change with the needs of your business, and with the help of the DWI Resource Center, your start-up costs will be negligible.

You can begin the process of determining the right course of action for your company by analyzing the cost of alcohol and other drug abuse, such as health care utilization costs and losses due to theft, absenteeism and accidents.

Weigh these costs against the documented advantages of a Drug-Free Workplace Program.

Short Term Advantages

	Fewer Accidents and disciplinary actions
	Reduced costs due to lost productivity, absenteeism, theft and fraud
	Access to cost savings and incentive programs offered by medical and health insurance carriers, property, casualty, and liability insurance carriers, and Workers’ Compensation insurance carriers
	Less chance that a current user/abuser will apply for a job or be hired

Long Term Advantages

	Improved employee morale and productivity
	Lower costs due to losses and errors
	Reduced costs of insurance claims
	Greater employee awareness about alcohol and drug abuse as well as about other health issues
	Earlier identification and resolution of problems affecting job performance
	Decreased legal costs and costs of hiring and training new employees

Still not convinced? Try asking yourself if your business is “at risk” for serious damage which might be caused by an employee working under the influence of alcohol or drugs. If you answer yes to any of these questions, consider the benefits of a Drug-Free Workplace Program.

Is Your Business At Risk? Do certain employees perform key functions of the organization? Brokers handling large financial transactions Technicians monitoring essential equipment such as computers or pressure dials Salespeople representing the company Do you have employees in positions where alcohol or other drug abuse would be difficult to detect? Employees who work at home Traveling salespeople Home health care workers Do you have employees in “safety sensitive” jobs? Driving vehicles Operating machinery Managing a place of public entry, such as a security checkpoint? Do you have employees in “security sensitive” positions? Responsible for inventory or stock Responsible for ideas, products, plans and proprietary material Responsible for financial accounting or cash Responsible for confidential documents