Evaluating your drug-free workplace program
Adapted from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration by
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Program evaluation is an important part of any drug-free
workplace program. Periodic evaluation lets you know if you are
saving money and improving your bottom line. There are several ways
to evaluate your program. Some employers hire a consultant, while
others elect to conduct their own evaluations. For organizations
with limited resources, this section offers guidelines for
conducting a basic evaluation of your drug-free workplace
program.
- Step one:
Establish a baseline. In other words, assess
your organization as it is today. Specifically, check your company
records for the past two years and figure out the incidence and
prevalence of some or all of the following factors, which can be
indicators of problems with alcohol or other drug abuse:
- Absenteeism
- Tardiness
- Health care benefit utilization
- Workers' Compensation claims
- Theft
- Accidents
- Turnover
Estimate the costs of these factors in dollars, if possible. If
records are not available for years past, start tracking the trends
now. Also talk to employees at all levels of the organization to
assess the current overall morale of the staff. This will give you
baseline data for determining the impact of your program during the
coming years.
- Step two:
Start your drug-free workplace program. Use
available resources to help you plan and implement your
program.
- Step three:
Review the records at the end of the first
year (and in subsequent years) for the factors listed above. Also
reassess employee morale. Compare the results to your baseline
data. Have there been any changes? Determining the success of your
program will depend on your original goals. Revisit your original
goals. Ask employees and supervisors to offer feedback. Talk to
employees and supervisors about their perceptions of the impact of
the policy and/or program. Cost savings may take some time to
accumulate, but improved employee morale may be evident right
away.
- Step four:
Establish an ongoing plan for evaluating your
program to assess the cost/benefits of continuing your drug-free
workplace program.
- Step five:
Use the results to modify your program.
Establish a regular review period-perhaps annually-and use that
time to assess the progress of the program. Determine the steps
needed in the next year to reach your program goals. Consider
developing a committee of employees from all levels of the
workforce to assist in both the ongoing evaluation and the
implementation of program changes.
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care
provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a
substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER
IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the
advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to
starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition.
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2007
EBSCO Publishing All rights reserved.