NCJ Number
112999
Date Published
1988
Length
228 pages
Annotation
This text provides managers with information and guidelines for dealing with alcohol and drug abuse in the workplace.
Abstract
Attitudes toward alcohol and illicit drug use are discussed. The early, middle, and late stages of alcoholism are characterized; and descriptions of illicit drugs, their effects, and associated symptoms are provided. The impact of substance abuse on workplace morale, safety, and productivity is discussed; and factors contributing to managerial denial of the problem of substance abuse are examined. Guidelines are provided for training supervisors and volunteers, documenting abuse, intervening in a humane and productive way, choosing a treatment facility, providing for long-term aftercare, establishing an employee assistance program, and primary prevention. Special difficulties related to substance abuse among executives and women are discussed, as are issues relating to workforce reentry and relapse among substance-abusing employees. The pros and cons of various types of corporate chemical abuse programs are analyzed. Legal, ethical, and medical implications of drug-testing programs also are considered. Emphasis is placed on the importance of management-employee cooperation in establishing and administering antidrug programs. Self-quizzes, forms for documenting employee impairment, sample warning letters, and model policy statements are included. Index.