Unit # 15
Name:
WORLD OF WORK
Date:
To complete this unit, you must:
1. Understand five vocabulary words and complete the
“Substance Abuse Vocabulary Check” worksheet.
2. Read “Substance Abuse in the Work Place.”
3. Type a three to five paragraph essay about substance abuse
on the job: rough draft and final draft. Do not do the final draft
until after your Teacher Advisor has corrected your rough draft.
4. Discuss each assignment with your Teacher Advisor and get
each assignment graded.
Name: ____________________________________________ Today’s Date: ____________________
Substance Abuse Vocabulary Check
You might not know the meaning of some words you will encounter in the next reading. So, the
first assignment in this unit is to show that you know what the following words mean.
PROFOUNDLY
ADVERSE
TERMINATION
CONFIDENTIAL
STATUTES
On the lines below, write a good definition for each word. You do not have to look the words up
in the dictionary if you already know what they mean. Your own correct definitions are the best.
If you use a dictionary, do not copy the dictionary definition. Understand the word well enough
that you can use your own words to define it. The words have been highlighted for you in the
reading so you can see them in context. That can help you understand their meanings.
PROFOUNDLY
(PROFOUND)
TERMINATION
(TERMINATE)
STATUTES
(STATUTE)
ADVERSE
CONFIDENTIAL
Substance Abuse in the Work Place
The vast majority of drug users are employed, and when they arrive for work, they don't leave
their problems at the door. Of the 16.7 million illicit drug users aged 18 or older in 2003, 12.4
million (74.3 percent) were employed either full or part time. Furthermore, research indicates
that between 10 and 20 percent of the nation's workers who die on the job test positive for
alcohol or other drugs. In fact, industries with the highest rates of drug use are the same as
those at a high risk for occupational injuries, such as construction, mining, manufacturing and
fishing.
Substance abuse in the work place costs money. Companies lose productivity and prices go up.
Health care costs increase due to accidents, illness, and substance abuse care. Numerous
studies, reports, and surveys indicate that substance abuse is having a profoundly negative
effect on the workplace:
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Employees show up late
More accidents occur
Increased absenteeism
More turnover in employees
 More worker’s compensation claims
 Production per worker (productivity)
declines
And this all costs money! Here are some shocking statistics.
 More than 6% of the population over 12 years of age has used drugs within the past 30
days. Rates of use remain highest among persons aged 16-25, the age group entering
the work force most rapidly.
 According to a national survey conducted by the Hazelden Foundation, more than 60%
of adults know people have gone to work under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
 Full time workers age 18-49 who reported current illicit drug use state that they had
worked for three or more employers in the past year, took an unexcused absence from
work in the past month, voluntarily left an employer in the past year, and had been fired
by an employer in the past year. Similar results were reported for employees who were
heavy alcohol users.
 Alcoholism causes 500 million lost work days each year.
The economic and human costs of drug and alcohol use are astounding. In fact, the National
Institutes of Health reported that employees need to realize the extent that drug and alcohol use
have on not only the business they work for, their co-workers, and customers, but also their
families and their own lives. The loss in pay and benefits for the employee can affect future
earnings and retirement funds.
Alaska State Statutes Sections 23.10.600 to 23.20.699 deal with drug testing on the job. The
law states that the employer has the right to test a potential employee or a current employee
under the following circumstances:
•
A policy is written and employees are informed about the policy. This policy must
include information about who will be tested, the types of testing, the
circumstances for testing, the consequences of refusing to participate in testing,
the rights of the employee and the employer, and a statement of confidentiality.
•
Job related purposes. These include safety issues, causes of accidents,
maintenance of productivity, and reasonable suspicion that an employee is
affected by drug or alcohol use on the job.
Action may be taken against an employee when s/he has been found to have a positive drug
test or alcohol impairment test. Action may be taken against an employee for refusal to
participate in testing.
These actions may include: requiring the employee to participate in a substance abuse
program, suspension from work with or without pay for a certain amount of time, termination, or
other adverse employment action as decided by the employer.
More and more, employers have established substance abuse programs, often called Employee
Assistance Programs, to respond to the problems created by drugs and alcohol in the work
place.
Employee Assistance Programs can help employees with all kinds of health issues; services
vary, but they must always be confidential.
These programs save businesses money, and in some cases, they save careers, families, and
lives. Employee Assistance Programs help to keep the work place alcohol and drug free.
It is also important for employers to have a plan for employees who may be dealing with
coworkers who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. There needs to be a process in
place for reporting concerns about co-workers. All employees need to know that it is everyone’s
job to keep the work place safe.
ASSIGNMENT: Write a three to five paragraph essay on how substance abuse on the job
can affect you, the employer, other employees, the customers, and/or the business as a
whole. There are several approaches you can take:
1. Use only what you have read in this page and a half.
2. Use personal observations and your own experiences.
3. Describe the extent of the substance abuse on the job in the Bristol Bay region.
4. Discuss assistance available in the Bristol Bay region for those who abuse drugs and
alcohol.
5. Name employers in Bristol Bay who test for drugs and alcohol and describe why they
do so.
6. Give good ideas for reducing substance abuse in the work place.
7. Do research online to find out more and write about a specific aspect of work place
substance abuse. For ideas, go to www.osha.gov/SLTC/substanceabuse/index.html
or www.drugabuse.gov or www.hih.gov
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In your essay, pick a topic and stick to it. Be sure to fully develop your ideas.
Organize your thoughts. Present your ideas in a clear and logical order.
Think about the audience you want to read your essay. Do you need to be persuasive or
do you need only to present information?
Give your essay a title, which you format and space differently than the body of the
essay.
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Use correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, of course.
Choose the best words for what you want to say.
Type your essay. Double space, use Arial 10 or 12 pt. font or Times New Roman 12 pt.
font. Indent paragraphs, using the Format menu.
Type your name and the date at the top of the essay, aligned right.
Put one piece of clip art or a photo into your essay.
If your essay is longer than one page, insert page numbers in the footers.
Give the essay to your Teacher Advisor on a disk. He will proofread it using the “Track
Changes” option in Word, and give it back to you to do a final draft. You might need to
ask about using “Track Changes.”