Illicit drug use among employees in Belgium: an initial estimate of the costs borne by employers

INTRODUCTION: The use of illicit drug can affect workplace absenteeism, accidents, job turnover and worker productivity. The magnitude of the cost borne by employers has not yet been calculated. OBJECTIVES: Assessing the perception corporate directors in Belgium on illicit drug use and costs that the company has to bear because of this consumption. METHOD: An online survey on alcohol and other drugs was conducted in 2005 with 216 employers in Belgium, based on a stratified random sample of companies with 50 employees or more. Data on the costs related to illicit drugs incurred by the company were collected from 17 companies in the sample. The survey results were supplemented by data from a literature review. RESULTS: Employers have little data on the impact of illicit drugs on the company. A very small sample of companies has given us enough information for a first estimate of the cost incurred by the use of illegal substances in the workplace. Their estimates are still very close to the estimates found in the few articles from the literature. Reduced productivity is seen as the most important cost. CONCLUSION: The productivity of employees who use drugs was estimated reduced by 30%. Employers perceive the reduced productivity of drug users as the most important cost, rather than absenteeism, accidents and staff turnover. Language: fr