Weeding out druggies

POST FALLS - A few hundred dollars spent on drug testing can mean thousands of dollars on the bottom line, says a 34-year veteran of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Larry Hedberg, now with DrugFree Idaho, told a small group of business owners and human resource managers they need to be on the lookout for employees who use drugs, not only for the sake of their bottom line but also for the safety of all their workers.

"The U.S. is the No. 1 drug use country in the world," he said. Drug users spend $340 billion a year on their habit, he said, which represents 60 percent of the planet's consumption, by 5 percent of its population. "America likes to be No. 1 in everything."

Hedberg presented the information on creating a drug-free workplace Wednesday at the North Idaho Workforce Training Center in Post Falls.

The three easiest places to get illegal drugs are schools, jail and the workplace, Hedberg said. And even workers who do not use drugs and alcohol, legal or illegal, on the job, can overdo it on their days off and bring their problems to work.

"They get high all weekend, and their brain is fogged all week," he said.

Those employees are more likely to be involved in an accident, file a worker's compensation claim, utilize health care benefits, quit or get fired, steal from their workplace, miss work or show up late or be involved in a confrontation, Hedberg said.

"If you have a drug habit and are spending $100 a day, there are very few businesses who pay enough to support that," he said. "The easiest place to steal is the workplace."

As many as 50 percent of worker's compensation cases filed are related to substance abuse, Hedberg said. Drug use impacts safety, but it is often not the drug user who gets injured.

"Eight percent of those injured in serious drug-related accidents at work are not the drug abusing employee, but innocent co-workers and others," he said.

Drug users are 3.6 times more likely to be involved in a workplace accident, and five times more likely to file a worker's compensation claim. Alcohol and drug abuse cost the U.S. economy $81 billion a year, he said.

And the smaller the business, the more susceptible they are to the problem.

Seven of 10 illicit drug users are working in someone's business," Hedberg said. "That's equal to 6.7 million full-time workers and 1.6 million part-time workers."

Among companies with 25-99 workers, 8.2 percent of the employees have a substance abuse problem, he said. Those with 100-499 see 6.7 percent, and those with 500 or more 5.7 percent.

There continue to be myths about drug testing by employers, Hedberg said.

Among them:

• Drug testing is against the law

• Employers will lose existing employees and have trouble recruiting new ones

• Drug testing is too expensive

• An employee's off-the-job drug use doesn't concern me

• Drug testing is unreliable

Myths dispelled include:

• If I had an employee on drugs I'd know it

• Nobody else is testing

• Labor unions will not accept drug tests

• I would have to terminate every employee who fails

• A drug testing program would be a burden on the business

There are plenty of good reasons for a drug-free workplace program, however, Hedberg said, including safety, health, productivity, employee relations, public image and the bottom line.

How employers should respond:

• A written policy

• Supervisor training

• Employee education

• Employee assistance services

• Drug and alcohol testing

"If you don't have a written policy, you are asking for trouble," Hedberg said. "The employee needs to read and sign it, and you need to keep it on file."

Supervisors need to know how to recognize the signs of substance abuse, he said.

"If a worker comes back late from lunch and is acting strange, the supervisor needs to be trained to be able to recognize suspicious behavior," Hedberg said.

And a quality drug-testing program is essential, he said.

"A $7 test is not accurate," he said. "A swab is great for alcohol, but no good for recreational drugs. Don't go into a program half way."

But just because an employee proves to have a problem doesn't mean he should be fired.

"We recommend employee assistance services to help a valued employee get his life back together and be a productive member of society," Hedberg said. "It depends on the circumstances. If it is an employee is costing the company money, stole or caused an accident, let him go."

The myth that drug testing costs too much is just that, he said. Employers who have a drug testing program can get 5 percent back on their worker's compensation insurance, which can put $2,000 to $3,000 back in their pocket.

A U.S. Navy study showed 15 percent of the national workforce are substance abusers, with an average cost of $7,000 per year, Hedberg said, so drug testing will provide a good return on investment.

To help with that, the U.S. Small Business Administration is offering a $200 voucher toward a DrugFree Idaho membership fee. Available for two years, it provides financial assistance to set up drug free workplace program, technical assistance, supervisor training and employee education and third-party administrator services.

Though only a few showed up for the presentation, those who did said it was eye opening.

"It made me realize I need to get my supervisors more training," said Teresa Benner, human resources director for the city of Post Falls, which has a testing program because it hires drivers under the Department of Transportation auspices.

Elden Goodwin, owner of Hico stations in Post Falls and Rathdrum, already has a testing program in place, started four months ago, and puts signs up notifying prospective employees the businesses are drug-free.

"I thought it was in our best interest to use this as a precaution," he said. "If they're going to have a problem with drug testing, they need to know up front we are drug-free."

Information on assistance available and the SBA voucher is available at www.drugfreeidaho.org.