Over 156,000 Americans become heroine abusers every year!
If you are a business owner and suspect that an employee is a heroin addict you may be curious about how you can go about confirming your suspicions. The truth is that confirming such an assumption is not that difficult if you know exactly what to look for.
Here are the biggest warning signs of drug abuse at work, so that you can help the abuser while protecting yourself and your other employees.
1. Possessions and Behavior
One of the major signs of heroin abuse is the finding of drug paraphernalia in the worker’s desk or locker. The major paraphernalia is usually a syringe and a heroin pipe.
You may also pick up footage of strange behaviors if you have . Watch out for slow uncoordinated movements.
You may also see a change in how the addict dresses. A major tipoff is that a heroin addict will wear long sleeve shirts even in warm weather to cover up needle marks.
2. Work Performance
One of the illusions out there is that someone with a heroin addiction cannot perform on the job. While work will eventually suffer. If you spot signs early on don’t dismiss them as illusions simply because the person is still performing well on the job.
Many users are what is known as “high performing addicts”. Eventually, though the façade erodes. Memory loss results and a nonchalant attitude toward showing up early or performing tasks ensues.
You may also notice weight loss, sores on the mouth from smoking the drug. Scratches on the skin may start to show from picking areas where needles were inserted.
3. Attitude towards Others
Heroin isolates. One of the major signs that an employee is under the influence of heroin is a sudden withdrawal from social interaction with other coworkers.
Open hostility towards others may also begin to take place and this is what makes a heroin addict so dangerous in the workplace. In their delirious state, they may begin to show signs of wanting to physically attack another worker.
Worst yet they may actually do it.
4. Overdose is Always Possible
The last thing you want is for an overdose to happen at the workplace. However, with a heroin addict, this is always on the verge of happening. This is the reason you need to learn why heroin addicts act the way they do.
In order to root out an addict, you may have to institute mandatory drug testing in the workplace. While this may be a necessary step in order to protect everyone, there is a school of thought that this reduces the morale of other employees.
However, if you are an employer, you have every right to secure your business, the jobs and lives of those who work for you. Every sometimes has to make unpopular choices.
Final Thoughts on Drug Abuse at Work
If you suspect that one of your employees is abusing heroine you need to act swiftly. Drug abuse at work is dangerous because of the unpredictable behavior that many heroin addicts are famous for.
The bottom line is that someone who is abusing drugs is a liability to your business. It is an issue that will have to be dealt with tactfully but firmly.
After all your business and the jobs of your employees are in your hands. However, you must deal with the matter with a certain level of sensitivity.
If possible, talk to family and friends to see if the abuser can get some help to get their life back on track. If you would like more business advice then please, .
