Tom Warner couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he knew something in his company was not right. In fact, he recognized that something was very "weird" about the way his employees were performing.

Warner, president of the Warner Corporation, a plumbing, heating, and air conditioning services company in the Washington, D.C. area, described the situation as a series of "stupid" mistakes by experienced plumbers and assistants who couldn't handle simple responsibilities. However, when Warner discovered how prevalent workplace substance abuse is, he began to suspect that drug abuse was at the heart of his employees' problems.

"When I learned that statistics show 20 percent of our population uses drugs - and that in the Washington, D.C. area, at least 20 percent of the work force uses drugs every day - things started to make sense," Warner says.

In response, Warner's company implemented a comprehensive substance abuse program for its employees. This program included the development of a thorough policy statement that strictly prohibits workers from abusing alcohol and prescription drugs and from using illegal drugs. Today, the program also includes drug testing and counseling for troubled workers who self-refer through the company's employee assistance program.

Taking Its Toll

The substance abuse problems experienced by the Warner Corporation are not unique to this company, its industry, or even its geographic location. The unfortunate truth is that substance abuse - the abuse of alcohol and legal drugs and the use of illegal drugs - is more common today than it has been for the last several years.

According to the federal government, 71 percent of all illegal drug users are employed, an increase of 5 percent since 1992. As a result, substance abuse is taking a tremendous toll on employers' ability to stay in business. This trend is particularly apparent among smaller companies that, for a variety of reasons, have been slow to address the problem.

How exactly do substance abusing employees cost their employers? Consider the following: employees who abuse drugs are less likely to show up to work on time or put in a productive day's work. Conversely, they are more likely to be absent from work without a legitimate reason, use their health care benefits, and file workers' compensation claims.

According to the National Council on Compensation Insurance, as many as 50 percent of all workers' compensation claims are related to the abuse of alcohol or drugs in the workplace. Drug users, as a group, use medical benefits at a rate 8 times higher than non-users. Substance abusing employees also are absent from work more often than their non-substance abusing co-workers, often resulting in increased workloads for co-workers and decreased employee morale.

Though the total cost of substance abuse in the workplace is difficult to assess, Marsh & McLennan Companies estimates the national figure to be $75 billion per year or about $640 per employee, whether user or non-user.

The Signs

Unfortunately, once employers begin to see the dollars leaking out of their bottom line, it is often late in the development of a serious substance abuse problem. Can this be avoided? Can employers look for signs of possible substance abuse? Are there hidden signs that might warn employers that a problem is developing?

The answer to all three of these questions is yes. In most cases, many of the long-term problems associated with workplace substance abuse can be avoided if employers are constantly on the look-out for the hidden signs of substance abuse and take appropriate action. However, it is also important to recognize that an employee's declining job performance may be caused by factors unrelated to substance abuse.

Supervisors should be trained to measure each worker's job performance and to refer employees with performance problems to the appropriate qualified professional to determine the nature of the problem.

Performance

There are many ways to measure workers' performance. These indicators can also help employers spot potential substance abuse problems early on. Is a certain employee's quality of work inconsistent? Is the employee's work pace slow, slower than usual, or sporadic? Does the employee have trouble concentrating on his work? Are there signs of fatigue?

Other telling performance signs include increased mistakes, errors in judgment, and a sudden inability to fulfill complex assignments or meet deadlines.

Increased absenteeism or tardiness, both of which have a direct impact on the performance of the troubled employee and the co-workers who have to carry the extra workload, also could indicate that a substance abuse problem exists.

Other performance-related signs of substance abuse may include:

Excessive sick leave

Frequent early departures

Patterns of absenteeism (Mondays, Fridays, before or after holidays, and following paydays)

Extended coffee breaks

Excessive time on the phone
Behavior and Appearance

Workers who display sudden changes in behavior on the job may be trying to hide a substance abuse problem. For example, irritability, moodiness, arguing with co-workers, or insubordination toward supervisors are not uncommon among substance abusers.

For substance abusing employees, personal appearance may lose its usual importance. Troubled workers will often show up to work looking sloppy, unkempt, unshaven, or dressed inappropriately (i.e., long sleeved shirts in the summer, sunglasses indoors, etc.).

Also, employers may begin receiving complaints from customers, clients, and co-workers regarding the attitudes and work quality of substance abusing employees.

Other behavior-related signs of substance abuse may include:

Sleepiness

Slurred speech

Unsteady movements and shaky hands

Cold, sweaty palms

Dilated pupils

Red eyes

Unusual weight loss or gain

Smell of alcohol on breath

Deteriorating family relationships

Borrowing money from co-workers

Stealing from the company and co-workers

Sudden change in choice of friends

Poor personal hygiene

Violent behavior

Impatience

Depression

Suspicious attitude toward others

Emotional behavior

Excessive talkativeness
Safety Hazards

Substance abusing employees are not safe employees. Depending on the type of work employees do, substance abuse problems can begin manifesting themselves in employee safety records. Substance abusing employees will be involved in more accidents than other workers, even though they are often not the ones who are injured. They also tend to display carelessness in the operation and maintenance of potentially hazardous materials or dangerous equipment.

Other safety-related signs of substance abuse may include:

Risky behavior

Increased involvement in off-the-job accidents

Damaging equipment or property
Conclusion

The most important thing employers can do to help control the cost of substance abuse is to establish and enforce a policy that prohibits employees from using illegal drugs and abusing legal drugs or alcohol. Employers should train supervisors to monitor workers' job performance and to report any irregularities. However, supervisors should not be expected to diagnose possible medical conditions, such as substance abuse. Employers should also offer employees ongoing substance abuse education opportunities so that everyone in the workplace can be on the look-out for the hidden signs of substance abuse.

As for Tom Warner, it wasn't long before his company began reaping the benefits of its substance abuse program. In fact, Warner credits the program with saving the company at least $385,000 in one year due to fewer accidents, which in turn resulted in lower workers' compensation costs and vehicle insurance premiums.

Warner says, "Companies need to establish drug testing and drug abuse policies, make them known, and enforce them vigorously and without exception."