The Affect of Drug Use on Workplace Productivity

We all need a chance to unwind after a tough day at work – and for some people, popping a pill, smoking a joint or racking a couple of lines is the ideal way to de-stress and let loose.

But the morning after can come as a shock to the system, with many wanting to sleep off the previous night’s antics.

This can be an issue if you’re expected to turn up to work that day – but some get around this roadblock by simply ‘chucking a sickie’ and staying in bed.

The occasional drug or alcohol induced sick day might go unnoticed by your employer, but a new study has found that the cumulative impact of sick days is costing employers and the Australian economy billions.

A ‘Costly Problem’

The research, conducted by Flinders University in South Australia, followed up on the results of the 2013 National Drug Strategy Household Survey into impact of drug and alcohol related absenteeism on businesses and society.

According to statistics, a staggering 16% of Australian workers use illicit drugs.

The survey asked 12,196 workers how many sick days they had taken in the past three months due to alcohol consumption, drug use, injury or illness.

The study then compared the number of ‘legitimate’ sick days against those taken due to drug or alcohol consumption, and multiplied the number of days by four to determine the number of sick days taken on average each year.

Researchers then sought to estimate the cost of alcohol and drug abuse using two measures – firstly, the number of sick days due to drug or alcohol use as reported by respondents to the survey, and secondly, by calculating the number of sick days taken due to injury or illness associated with drug and alcohol use.

This second figure was calculated by comparing the average number of sick days taken by drug and alcohol users with the number of sick days taken by non-users. The difference in the number of days was assumed to be drug or alcohol related.

Researchers then multiplied the number of sick days taken by drug and alcohol users by $267.70, which is the daily wage as calculated from the average weekly income in 2013.

An extra 20% was also added on to these figures to account for employers’ ‘on-costs’ associated with absenteeism.

The direct cost associated with drug and alcohol related sick days came to $680 million, based on an estimated total of 2.5 million sick days. This figure was further broken down into sick days due to alcohol consumption (1.6 million) and sick days taken due to drug consumption (around 854,000).

The estimated cost due to illness or injury associated with drug and alcohol use came to a whopping $3 billion, based on approximately 11.5 million sick days.

According to the study, the costs of drug and alcohol abuse increased in line with the amount of drugs or alcohol consumed.

Researchers also found that a big night out could have an impact on productivity even days later, with many workers taking further sick days due to the delayed effects of drug use, and their performance after returning to work being compromised.

Problems with the Study

$3 billion might sound like an enormous waste of money for Aussie employers – but can these costs really be attributed solely to drug or alcohol abuse?

The glaring problem with the study’s methodology is that it is based on assumptions which are unsupported by any factual evidence.

However, the authors assert that the proven link between drug use and health concerns such as stomach aches, headaches or symptoms associated with a compromised immune system due to drug use – which may not arise for many days – validates their estimates.

But it is dangerous to simply assume that the difference in sick days taken by drug and alcohol users and non-users due to illness or injury is purely due to drug or alcohol habits, especially as these costs comprise the largest part of the estimated total.

Despite the problems with the study, businesses that are frustrated at potentially losing money due to drug use may use these findings to justifying workplace drug testing – despite the fact that this could be an even greater waste of money.