Not all businesses are large corporations. Though
there are varying methods for delineating businesses by size, the
Australian Bureau of Statistics defines a medium sized business as
having 20-199 employees; a small business as having 0-19 employees;
and a micro business as employing four or less people. Small
businesses (including micro businesses) account for a major portion
of the Australian economy, comprising 85 percent of the services
industry, 6 percent of manufacturing, 6 percent of agriculture,
forestry and fishing, and 3 percent of mining. In other words, small
business is big business in Australia, accounting for over 99 percent
of the number of all active businesses. In addition, almost half of
employed Australians work in small businesses. Small businesses
employ approximately 4.7 million out of 10 million people, and medium
sized businesses employ another 2 million.1
These statistics are presented to show the
importance of having a drug and alcohol policy and random testing
program, without regard for business size. With over 7 million
Australians employed in small to medium sized businesses, and many
having no drug and alcohol testing program in place, there is
likelihood that a large number of people are performing customer
services, making products, and driving company vehicles under the
influence of drugs or alcohol. Is it any wonder that substance
abusers writing comments in forums are discussing getting jobs in
small businesses because they will not have to pass a drug test
during pre-employment or worry about getting caught by a drug test
whilst employed?
A ‘Friend of a Friend’ on Drugs is Not Business
Friendly
It is true. Substance abusers love small to medium
sized businesses that do not have a drug and alcohol policy or
testing program. The reasons small business owners fail to add these
operational policies and procedures vary from “too expensive” to
“not necessary.” That attitude increases the risk of a business
experiencing lost productivity, poor employee decision making, higher
accident rates, and increased liability exposure. Ironically, a small
business is less able to absorb the mistakes that people under the
influence are known to make, and the costs that accompany employee
drug use, like increased health care premiums and legal fees. When an
employee drives a company vehicle and gets in a serious wreck, it
does not matter at that point if the company employs three people or
three hundred people. Either way, the employer will be held fully or
partially responsible, and especially if there is no drug and alcohol
policy or testing program.
Many chronic substance abusers are innovative.
Believing they cannot pass a pre-employment drug
test at a large corporation, they look for jobs with small and
medium sized companies that do not test for drugs and alcohol.
Unfortunately, there are still many such employers. The implication
is clear: a large number of the heaviest drug and alcohol workers
will be found in smaller businesses.
There are misconceptions about drug and alcohol
testing that persist despite numerous government information
campaigns. Employers believe they are opening themselves up for
accusations of invading employee privacy rights or that testing is
expensive. Small businesses tend to hire people through referrals,
meaning there is a more personal association between the employer and
employee. Employers may feel uncomfortable testing someone who is a
‘friend of a friend.”
No Safe Haven
All businesses need to establish a detailed drug and
alcohol policy that clearly explains the workplace policy on
substance use and explains when and why testing would take place.
Clearly explaining how usage of drugs or alcohol will impair work
performance provides legal defensibility should a tested employee
file a complaint. It really does not matter if a business is small or
large or an office or mine because occupational safety and health are
workplace issues affecting all workers.2 Pre-employment testing is an
effective step for stemming the flow of substance abusers to smaller
businesses. Random testing reinforces the policy and represents the
exercise of due diligence in keeping the workplace substance free.
Small and medium sized employers do not want drug
and alcohol users to view their business as a safe haven. There are
very affordable tests and testing services that can be adapted to any
business setting and budget. CMM Technology at http://cmm.com.au/
works with small, medium, and large businesses, providing high
quality drug and alcohol testing technology. There is simply no
reason to put a company at risk of damage due to any employee using
drugs and alcohol in the workplace.
No comments:
Post a Comment