Employers

Employers are sometimes inclined to bypass the risks of not testing staff for addiction related issues. It has become more critical with the availability of drugs, alcohol & medication addiction drugs, temployers and human resource organizations focus more on pre-employment testing including ongoing random testing.  Misuse of alcohol and any drug addiction among U.S. workers create, can cost medical, social, and other problems that affect both employees and employers. Substance abuse among employees can threaten public safety, impair job performance and threaten their own safety.

Companies can expose themselves to liability for their staff & themselves if there are incidents related to staff behavior that causes injury, damage to property or incidents related to visitors coming to your site due to intoxication related issues like drug and alcohol usage. The impact of these risks can cause loss of work, performance issues, injury, litigation and other risk related issues.These are ‘hidden’ costs that sometimes may not have a dollar amount attached to it. Even more important is the fact that injury can cause significant legal implications for the company and hurt to employees and others around them. Monitoring and setting testing standards, helps organizations manage these losses, reduce risk, increase return on investment and more importantly creates a safe environment for all employees, visitors and vendors.

The loss to companies in the United States due to alcohol and drug-related abuse by employees totals $100 billion a year, according to the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI). These staggering numbers do not include the cost of diverting company resources, that could be used for other purposes, toward addressing substance abuse issues. Nor does it include the “pain and suffering” aspects, which cannot be measured in economic terms.

According to NCADI statistics, alcohol and drug users (source NCADI):

• Are far less productive.
• Use three times as many sick days.
• Are more likely to injure themselves or someone else.
• Are five times more likely to file a worker’s compensation claim

NCADI statistics show that nine percent of heavy drinkers and 10 percent of drug users had missed work because of a hangover, six percent had gone to work high or drunk in the past year, and 11 percent of heavy drinkers and 18 percent of drug users had skipped work in the past month.

When the issue of workplace substance abuse is addressed by establishing comprehensive programs, it is a “win-win” situation for both employers and employees, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

A study of the economic impact of substance abuse treatment in Ohio found significant improvements in job-related performance:

• 91% decrease in absenteeism
• 88% decrease in problems with supervisors
• 93% decrease in mistakes in work
• 97% decrease in on-the-job injuries

Companies and employers, large and small, can adopt a workplace substance abuse policy that will reduce the loss of productivity and provide a safer work environment for all. This policy should include pre-employment testing for drug and alcohol abuse including ongoing random drug testing.

Company Wellness Programs

There are other aspects of employee wellbeing that employers can focus on that will improve productivity, reduce absenteeism, increase moral and develop overall employee retention and engagement. These wellness programs can be done through regular testing of employees using mobile or on-site testing services that will provide the employees regular check points in the year of their health and welfare.

All of us can do our part to help encourage a healthier workforce.

Having healthy employees reduces time taken in leave, creates more motivated and happier employees and more importantly displays that you care for your team and their well being.

Schools and Academic Institutions

SmarTest Labs, provides lab based services to schools, as well as higher education academic institutions, universities, healthcare and administrative staff at schools and universities and other medical staff and training institutions.  Student testing will include parents involvement creating complete support and transparency in the testing process. Some examples of the tests included would be MMR vaccines, Hepatitis A,B & C, Cotinine and nicotine tests, Mononucleosis and other tests as requested.

SmarTest Labs, provides these services at reasonable costs and assist you in making your workforce healthier and more productive. You can contact us at the information below:

Email: Contact@SmarTestLabs.com
Address: 501 N Frederick Avenue, Suite 106
Gaithersburg MD 20877
Phone: (301) 686-8566