Drug & Alcohol Policies: An essential part of your workplace

Have you had problems with drug or alcohol use in your workplace?

Author: Marie Russo

25 February 2022

For years we have advised employers about the implementation, review and enforcement of workplace polices. We have seen the very adverse affect of drugs and alcohol on our clients’, their staff and businesses.

Alcohol and drugs cost workplaces an estimated $6 billion per year in lost productivity. 1

Alcohol and drug use impact on your employee’s ability to conduct themselves safely and efficiently in your workplace. Drug and alcohol consumption reduce an employee’s productivity, create safety issues, and negatively impact workplace relationships between co-workers.

Having an effective, simple-to-understand Drug & Alcohol Policy in your workplace protects businesses, employees and anyone entering your workplace. Employers have a legal obligation to respond to alcohol use and related harm in the workplace through ‘duty of care’ provisions under section 19 of Work Health and Safety Act (Cth) 2011.

One employee’s behaviour can endanger the wellbeing of other employees and customers/clients including serious injury and in the worse cases death.

Within industries where employees are working in a high-risk workplace, manual labour it is essential to prohibit drug and alcohol use and manage your workforce. This includes any Trades, Factories, Service providers, Mining, Agriculture, Manufacturing, and Construction.

We have a team of experienced professionals that can assist you prepare, revise and implement a Drug & Alcohol Policy.

Please contact Tom Ellicott or Clarissa Sempel for your free initial Consultation on 02 4220 7100 or email: lawyers@alg.com.au

1 Manning, M., Smith, C. & Mazerolle, P 2013, ‘The societal costs of alcohol misuse in Australia. Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice’, Canberra: Institute of Criminology, 454.