10/ 13/ 2006
by the Department of Labor's Partners for an Alcohol- and Drug-Free Workplace
America's businesses have a strong influence on societal norms, attitudes and behavior and can play a powerful role in promoting positive change in their communities. This is especially true for the nation's small businesses, which are often an integral part of their communities' social fabric.
One area in which small businesses can make a big difference is alcohol and drug abuse. As employers and community leaders, small-business owners can reinforce local efforts to prevent alcohol and drug abuse through drug-free workplace policies and programs. By doing so, they demonstrate not only good corporate citizenship but also sound business practices. Such efforts help businesses increase productivity, boost bottom lines and manage risk. They also send a clear message that businesses care about the health and safety of their employees.
Drug-Free Work Week, Oct. 16-22, 2006, presents an opportune time for small businesses to demonstrate their commitment to a drug-free workplace and community. The purpose of Drug-Free Work Week is to educate about the importance of being drug free to improve workplace safety and health and to encourage workers with alcohol and drug problems to seek help. Drug-Free Work Week is sponsored by the U.S.. Department of Labor (DOL), but activities conducted by individual employers and their employees provide its foundation.
DOL's Working Partners for an Alcohol- and Drug-Free Workplace Web site lists a number of ideas for how small business employers can recognize Drug-Free Work Week. All suggestions represent ways to build safer, healthier workplaces through substance abuse prevention and intervention, and most can be implemented at any time during the year.
For example, if your organization does not already have a drug-free workplace program, Drug-Free Work Week is an opportune time to launch one. Such programs are natural complements to other initiatives that help protect worker safety and health. The Working Partners Web site's Drug-Free Workplace Advisor Program Builder offers detailed guidance on how to develop a Drug-Free Workplace Program, starting with the first step: a written policy.
If your organization already has a drug-free workplace program, Drug-Free Work Week is a logical time to ensure it is adequate to meet current needs and to remind employees about its important role in keeping them safe while on the job. One way to do this is to distribute a copy of your drug-free workplace policy to all employees, along with a positive message about valuing health and safety.
Another way to participate in Drug-Free Work Week is to conduct supervisor training and employee education on topics such as alcohol and drug abuse and its impact in the workplace; sources of help for workers with alcohol and drug problems; and actions workers can take if they think a colleague may have an alcohol or drug problem. The Working Partners Web site offers more information on how to conduct such training, including ready-to-use training materials.
Other ideas include offering health screening, publicizing available community alcohol and drug treatment resources and reviewing company health-insurance policies to determine coverage for alcohol and drug treatment. Companies might also create a workplace display, put up a DOL Working Partners poster, publish articles in employee newsletters and/or distribute a payroll message listing sources of help for employees who may be struggling with alcohol or drug problems.
To show commitment to alcohol and drug prevention both inside and outside the workplace, a company could grant employees time to volunteer to assist with community prevention activities. Such efforts often are coordinated by schools, faith-based organizations and community anti-drug coalitions. In addition, a business could host a social event celebrating safety and health for employees and their families. Such an event, with plenty of food, fun and non-alcoholic drinks, helps reinforce the importance of being drug free to working safely, and reminds workers that alcohol is not necessary to unwind and relax.
