Retail owners and managers have you ever thought about how substance abuse can contribute to employee theft in your store(s)? Have you considered the negative impact an accident related to drugs or alcohol accident could have in your shops? Then there is the impact on morale, teamwork, productivity and customer service to consider if an employee is under the influence at work. According to mayoclinic.org, symptoms or behaviors of drug use may include:
• Feeling that you have to use the drug regularly
• Having intense urges for the drug that block out any other thoughts
• Making certain that you maintain a supply of the drug
• Spending money on the drug, even though you can’t afford it
• Not meeting obligations and work responsibilities, or cutting back on social or recreational activities because of drug use
• Doing things to get the drug that you normally wouldn’t do, such as stealing
• Driving or doing other risky activities when you’re under the influence of the drug.These are not all of the symptoms or behaviors listed by the mayo clinic and I did add emphasis to the last four behaviors noted. If you will notice these behaviors could have the impact on your business I am referring to. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/drug-addiction/symptoms-causes/syc-20365112
If drug use or substance abuse can lead to problems in the workplace it means owners and managers have to find ways to prevent it from being an issue to begin with. If it does find its way into the workplace a manager has to be able to correctly identify a worker who may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol or the after effects (i.e. a hangover). Manager training to stop employee theft and Manager training to prevent drug use in the workplace is available from Loss Prevention Systems Inc. The training courses complement each other since the substance abuse issue can lead to a dishonest employee stealing from the store. A comprehensive training program will go into how pre-employment drug screening can significantly reduce the odds of hiring someone who uses illegal drugs. It will also provide instruction on how to identify employees who may be using narcotics or demonstrating signs of substance abuse and how to address those individuals in an appropriate manner.
Some of you may have experienced being tipsy at one time or another and believe you would be able to readily identify someone who is under the influence or hungover at work. It would seem unnecessary to have to go through manager training to prevent drug use that would help you identify what you believe you can already identify. That may sound logical but there is a problem with that line of reasoning. What happens if you aren’t seeing what you think you see and make a false assumption? Did you know that some signs of medical issues can mirror the symptoms of a person under the influence of alcohol or narcotics? Listed below are some of the symptoms associated with just two categories of drugs according to the Mayo clinic.
Some of the signs of marijuana use:
• Red eyes
• Dry mouth
• Increased blood pressure
• Difficulty concentrating
• Anxiety or paranoid thinking
Some of the signs of barbiturate use:
• Drowsiness• Slurred speech
• Problems concentrating or thinking clearly
• Dizziness
The lists go on but I also want to point out some signs of common illnesses that can be found in the users of the drugs I mentioned above:
• Hypothyroidism can cause thinking problems
• Conjunctivitis can cause eye redness
• Dysarthria can cause slurred speech
• Kidney disease and diabetes can cause high blood pressure
• Depression or sleep apnea may cause drowsiness
I will even tell you that as a U.S. Air Force Law Enforcement Specialist I was trained to be aware that a person with diabetes can exhibit symptoms that mirror someone who is intoxicated by alcoholic beverages. You have to be careful before making judgements. Without going through a class about manager training to prevent drug use you could very well make a mistake if an employee exhibiting unusual behavior.
Those who use drugs or alcohol and work for you can become liabilities to your place of business. Don’t wait for something to happen such as an employee theft or a drug or alcohol related accident before you face the problem. Receive training on how drug screening and drug use identification can save you time and money in the long-term.
For more information on manager training to prevent drug use call us at 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
