Retail Employee Drug Testing

Retail employees are everywhere: grocery stores, jewelry stores, malls, electronic stores, fashion boutiques and bookstores. These employees hold titles such as, Cashier, Store Managers, Key Holder, Sales Associate, Visual Merchandiser, Stock Associate, Inventory Manager, among others. The Retail Industry makes up a large portion of America’s workforce due to its broad range of positions and company types. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, drug use costs employers between $75 billion and $100 billion each year in lost time, accidents, health care and workers’ compensation costs.

Rates of substance abuse among workers employed in several different areas of retail are as follows:

Sector	Current Illicit Drug Use (%)	Past Year Illicit Drug Use (%)	Current Heavy Alcohol Use (%)
Apparel and Shoe Stores	3.9	12.3	1.5
Auto Supply Stores and Gas Stations	11.2	22.2	13.2
Department Stores	5.7	13.1	3.5
Eating and Drinking Places	16.3	28.0	15.4
Furniture and Appliance Stores	14.4	20.2	6.2
Grocery Stores	9.3	17.2	5.8
Other Retail Stores	5.9	12.8	4.7

Source: SAPAA

Retail Industry Drug Testing Retail employees are responsible for representing the company as the often first line of connection between staff and the customer. These employees are trusted with the company reputation, money and inventory on a daily basis. Retail employees using and abusing drugs and alcohol are putting the entire business at risk.

A Federal government survey revealed workplace substance abuse is a significant problem in the retail industry. Among full-time retail employees between the ages of 18 and 49:

10.8 percent report that they have used illicit drugs in the past month.
About 22 percent report that they have used illicit drugs in the last year.
8.8 percent report heavy alcohol use.

Rates of substance abuse among retail workers compared to other industries:

Drug Abuse: Retail Employees 18-64
	Retail Industry (%)	All Industries Average (%)
Illicit Drug Use	9.4	8.2
Heavy Alcohol Use	8.8	8.8
Illicit Drug Dependence or Abuse	3.1	2.6
Alcohol Dependence or Abuse	9.1	9.2
Source: SAPAA

According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s 2012 National Report, “The consequences of illicit drug use in America’s workforce include job-related accidents and injuries, absenteeism, health care costs, and lost productivity. Workplace programs that provide clear policies regarding drug use; offer prevention and education opportunities for employers and supervisors; conduct drug testing to detect and deter use; and support referral and treatment for those who have substance use disorders can play a large role in reducing the demand for drugs throughout our Nation and in helping drug users get into treatment.” Implementing an effective drug testing program will help protect your reputation, your company and your entire staff.

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