HR in the stoned age: prescription pills in the workplace. Thought leaders share their views on the HR profession and its direction for the future
| Date | 09 April 2018 |
| Published date | 09 April 2018 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/SHR-01-2018-0005 |
| Pages | 97-98 |
| Author | Martin Murtland |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour,Employee behaviour |
Strategic commentary
HR in the stoned age: prescription pills in
the workplace
Thought leaders share their views on the HR profession and its
direction for the future
Martin Murtland
The 2015 National Survey on
Drug Use and Health reported
18.9 million Americans misuse
prescription medication –secondonly
to marijuana. Drug addiction is no
longer limited to the big cities; it has
become a growing concern
throughout the entire country. Every
community from rural to urban is
affected by the increase of opioid
usage in the USA. It is a stunningfact:
over two million Americans are
estimated to have a problem with
opioids, and according to the CDC,
the opioid crisis claimed 64,000
American lives last year and more
than 140 Americans die every day
from an opioid overdose. The non-
medical use of prescription
psychotherapeutic drugs–and of
pain relievers in particular –is now
second only to marijuana use among
the nation’s most prevalent drugs of
choice.
Widespread opioid abuse costs
employers nearly US$12bn annually
(Douglas, 2017) with 12 per cent and
higher (depending on the industry) of
the workforce under the influence of
drugs at work. Dependence on opioids
could decrease employee productivity,
increase absenteeism and increase
workplace accidents causing the
employees to be a safety hazard to
themselves and their coworkers.
Drug abuse’s impact on
productivity
There have been many startling
statistics about the impact of drug use
on the workplace. The US Department
of Labor[1]found:
ndrug users are absent from work
an average of five days a month
due to drug use;
ndrug and alcohol abuse in the
workspace cause 65 per cent of
on-the-job accidents;
nsubstance abusers use three
times the normal level of
employee health benefits and
incur 300 per cent higher medical
costs; and
nsubstance abusers are 10 times
more likely to steal from the
company or other employees.
Employee drug testing[2]isasingle
data point in –but an integral part of –
the assessment of an employee or
candidate. Most employee drug
screening has previously included
testing for marijuana, cocaine and
natural opiates, including opium and
codeine derivatives, amphetamines
and methamphetamines and
phencyclidine –PCP. However, the
Department of Health and Human
Services recently issued the
“Mandatory Guidelines for Federal
Workplace Drug Testing Program-Final
Martin Murtland is Vice President of
Product Management at Drug and
Health Screening Services, Sterling
Talent Solutions, New York, New York,
USA.
DOI 10.1108/SHR-01-2018-0005 VOL. 17 NO. 2 2018, pp. 97-98, ©Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1475-4398 jSTRATEGIC HR REVIEW jPAGE 97
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