What employers can do about opioid use among workers
Workplaces are not immune to the opioid epidemic in the U.S., which means employers are grappling with ways to manage and react to factors that affect their workforce and its health and productivity. In 2016 alone, the CDC says there were a record-setting 42,000+ drug overdose deaths involving an opioid - a death rate 5 times higher than it was in 1999. The economic impact on communities is stunning. Costs stemming from opioid addiction that are associated with emergency response, health care and social services are soaring. Employers in the U.S. are having trouble filling jobs in part because many applicants can’t pass the pre-employment drug test.
Experts say employers must be aware of the high prevalence of opioid use in the workplace – and take a proactive role in dealing with the problem.