Many employers believe that alcohol and substance abusers are primarily unemployed or unemployable. Data shows the opposite. Indeed, one study estimates that 90 percent of alcoholics and 74 percent of drug addicts are employed. Recent studies also demonstrate that 8.7 percent of full-time U.S. workers ages 18 to 64 are heavy drinkers, and 8.6 percent of these workers used illegal drugs in the past month. The upshot, for employers, is that alcohol or substance abuse is almost certainly affecting, or has recently affected, at least one—if not more—of your employees.
Home > Federal Law Articles > Human Resources > Drugs & Alcohol > QBB Review: What employers should know—but often don’t—about employee substance abuse