4.4 Occupation and Workplace Information, Policies, and Programs

Figure 4.4 Percentage of Full-Time Workers, Age 18-49, Reporting That Their Workplace Has Provided Information About the Use of Alcohol or Drugs, by Occupation Categories, 1994 and 1997

In 1997, there were four occupations in which the proportions of full-time workers, age 18-49, reporting current illicit drug use were above 10 percent. These four occupations were (1) Food Preparation, Waiters, Waitresses & Bartenders, (2) Construction, (3) Other Services, and (4) Transportation & Material Moving (see Table 2.4 ). As indicated by Table 4.2 and illustrated by Figure 4.4, 4.5, & 4.6, in 1997, the four occupations in which the full-time workers, age 18-49, were least likely to report that their workplaces provided information about drug or alcohol use (<70%) or had a written policy about drug or alcohol use (<65%) or provided Employee Assistance Programs (<45%) were (1) Construction, (2) Food Preparation, Waiters, Waitresses & Bartenders, (3) Sales, and (4) Other Services. Three of the four occupations with the highest rates of drug use were also among the four occupations with the lowest rates of drug information and policy in the workplace.

In 1997, full-time workers in the professional specialty field were significantly less likely than their counterparts in 1994 to report that their workplace provided information about drug or alcohol use. Eighty-three percent of the full-time workers age 18-49 in the professional specialty group reported that their workplaces provided information about drug or alcohol use in 1994, but in 1997, only seventy-five percent of the full-time workers age 18-49 in the professional specialty group reported so -- a significant drop of 8 percent between 1994 and 1997.

Figure 4.5 Percentage of Full-Time Workers, Age 18-49, Reporting That Their Workplace Has a Written Policy About Employee Use of Alcohol or Drugs, by Occupation Categories, 1994 and 1997

Figure 4.6 Percentage of Full-Time Workers, Age 18-49, Reporting That Their Workplace Provides Access to Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) for Employees With Drug or Alcohol Problems, by Occupation Category, 1994 and 1997

As illustrated in Figure 4.5 and shown in Table 4.4, there were no significant differences between 1994 and 1997 in the percent of workers by occupation category who said their workplace had a written policy about drug or alcohol use.

As illustrated in Figure 4.6 and shown in Table 4.4, 38 percent of workers in the handlers, helpers, and laborers occupation reported that their workplaces provided EAPs in 1994; however, in 1997, 51 percent of these workers reported that their workplaces provided EAPs in 1997. This 13 percent increase was statistically significant.