Controlling the impact of alcohol and drugs at work: the IRS report

Managing the impact of alcohol and drugs on the workplace represents a challenge for employers, and this IRS research investigates their responses, highlighting the issues to consider, the factors linked to success and the obstacles faced on the way.

On this page:
How many employers have alcohol and drug policies?
Why have a policy on alcohol and drugs?
Further benefits of having a policy
Drink, drugs and the workplace
A balanced approach to tackling the problem of substance abuse
Some statistics on drinking and drugs
What should a policy cover?
The law: duties
The law: safeguards
Using and possessing alcohol and drugs
Alcohol and drug limits used by employers
Investigating alcohol and drug abuse
Taking action: next steps
Are more employers testing for alcohol and drugs?
Who is tested and for which substances?
Encouraging self-disclosure by employees
Employers’ support for employees with substance abuse problems
Training line managers in alcohol and drug issues
Health promotion
How effective are employers’ efforts in tackling alcohol and drug problems?
Barriers to effectiveness
Our research
Table 1: Self-disclosure of alcohol and drugs problems: points of contact
Table 2: The support available when employees disclose an alcohol or drug problem
Table 3: The training given to line managers about alcohol and drug abuse
Table 4: Health advice provided by employers about alcohol and drugs
Table 5: The most effective ways of controlling the impact of alcohol and drugs in the workplace
Table 6: Barriers to employers’ greater effectiveness in controlling the impact of alcohol and drugs
Additional resources
The information contained in employers' alcohol and drugs policies.