More than a third of staff think colleagues have drug problem

Over a third of employees either know or suspect that their colleagues take illegal substances either outside or during work, a survey by Crossland Employment Solicitors has found.

Sixty percent complained that the drug taking led to mood swings, missed deadlines and staff calling in sick – meaning there was a negative impact on team performance.

The survey, which polled 1000 people, also found that a fifth of employees confessed to taking, injecting or smoking illegal substances during weekends and holidays, while 12.5% said they did so every week. Almost half (45%) said it affected their work in a negative way.

Shockingly, around a quarter admitted they had done something illegal to fund their drug use either in or outside of work, with 12% saying this had involved work cash or resources.

Awareness of the law around drug taking was relatively low – more than a third were unsure of the exact grounds of any disciplinary action that could be taken against them.

One employer responding to the survey had found cocaine in the men’s toilets, while another found out about an employee’s drug use via their social media profile. Only just over one in 10 employers said they would immediately sack someone if they discovered they had a drugs problem.

Beverley Sunderland, Managing Director of Crossland Employment Solicitors said: “We were surprised by the number of people who know or suspect their colleagues have a drug problem and the multitude of ways they are having to cover for their colleagues’ performance, but we were totally shocked by how many respondents admitted doing something illegal to fund their drug use, whether inside or outside of work.”

She added: “There has been a noticeable shift in recent years in how the majority of employers handle substance abuse, from previously treating it as a disciplinary issue towards a more supportive approach where it is treated like an illness. However, all organisations should have their own detailed policy in place and clearly communicate it to employees.”

Employers have legal obligations to keep an eye on drugs use under the Health and Safety at Work Act, The Transport and Works Act and The Misuse of Drugs Act, Sunderland said.