5 Reasons to Have a Drug-Free Salesforce

5 Reasons to Have a Drug-Free Salesforce: A drug-free salesforce refers to teams of salespeople prohibited from using drugs or alcohol while contracted with a company. Implementing a drug testing program can deter unfit employees and save your business money.

What are the benefits of a “drug free salesforce?”

1. To prevent associated problems

Studies show businesses lose over $100 billion yearly due to substance abuse, including within salesforces. Employees using drugs/alcohol are likely to cost due to absenteeism, accidents, and productivity loss.

2. To qualify for insurance discounts, rebates, and other incentives

In most states having a drug-free workplace program qualifies your business for insurance discounts or other financial incentives. Most people look at how much it would cost them to put a program like this in place but are not aware of all of the incentives that they are eligible for once the program is in place. Thanks to the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1998 you may be eligible to earn federal grants for your business and having a drug-free workplace gives you the ability to obtain a contract with a federal agency. You may also receive tax deductions equal to the amount of expenditures for employee assistance programs, treatment or illegal drug testing. There are also discounts on unemployment insurance premiums and workers’ compensation premiums.

3. Safer Work Environment

Investing in worker health and safety is imperative. Your salesforce is who is representing your company so it is important to make sure they feel like they are in a safe environment. Some studies suggest that working alongside a substance abuser can reduce non-abusers’ morale and productivity. That being said, having a drug-free workplace program is not only saving you time and money on one employee, but on your salesforce as a whole. If an employee were using a drug like K2, which is a fairly new synthetic drug that you can obtain legally, they may have bouts of rage and violent behavior. These effects could last up to four days, that is an entire work week where your staff is disrupted and in danger.

4. Decrease Turnover

Drug testing is a great way to weed out unwanted employees before they are chosen to represent your business. This is the key to building a strong sales team. Pre-employment drug screening is so common now that you are guaranteed to have several substance abusers apply if they know you are not going to test them. People who suffer from substance abuse are notorious for switching jobs more often than the average person, which leads to high turnover rates for businesses that do not drug test their employees. Having a drug-free workplace program has been proven to show a decrease in turnover rates. A decrease in turnover means more skilled workers who have experience under their belts. This will decrease the likelihood of bad customer service and increase the likelihood of obtaining more repeat business.

5. The Ability to Market Drug Free Workers

Sales is all about customer service and hospitality, qualities like politeness and compassion are valued in representing the overall image of the business. Employees who come to work under the influence are less likely to show these traits and may have impaired judgment. These are the people who represent your company, do you really want them giving your customers a bad impression of your business? Being able to tell your customers that you have a drug-free workplace gives you an edge and gives your clients a sense of security. With a drug-free workplace your customers can be sure that they can count on your business and that is exactly what you need.