Ace the 2026 Employee Drug & Alcohol Training Challenge – Boost Your Workplace Safety Skills!

Frequent absenteeism is indeed a significant symptom that might indicate possible substance abuse in an employee. When individuals struggle with addiction, they may miss work more frequently due to the physical and psychological effects of their substance use, or because they may be dealing with related legal, health, or personal issues. Absenteeism can be a direct consequence of the need to use substances or recover from their side effects, impacting overall work performance and reliability.

While excessive work expenses and overtime pay requests can also raise concerns about an employee's behavior or management of their responsibilities, these factors are not as clearly indicative of substance abuse as frequent absenteeism is. Recognizing absenteeism as a potential warning sign allows for proactive measures to support the employee and address any underlying issues related to substance use.