For all the talk of Wall Street's cocaine culture, it seems that a majority of job candidates would just say no to a drug-tinged job-offer.
In FINS' informal Sign or Decline question forum, 31% of 573 respondents said they'd sign for their dream job if there was peer pressure at the firm to do drugs, while 69% said they'd turn down the offer.
Those who would be willing to work in a drug-infested office are "naive about what it is they are stepping into," said Robert Curry, founder of Connecticut-based residential addiction treatment center Turning Point for Leaders.
According to research from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, drug use at work can lead to an increased occurrence of accidents and injuries on the job, higher rates of absenteeism, lower productivity levels, and diminished employee morale.
These effects are not exclusive to the drug addict alone, however -- they also impact the non-abusers who work with them, said SAMHSA. More than 10% of full-time employed adults are dependent on drugs and/or alcohol, according to research from SAMHSA.
"The reality is, you can't do your work in a corporate environment in complete isolation," said Curry. "You're going to have to interact with people."
Curry said that you're not only putting your personal well-being at risk in a workplace riddled with drug users, your career could be in jeopardy as well. "Studies show that addicts only bring 60% of their mental capacity to the workplace," he said. "Forty percent of that individual's attention isn't there. It means you're not going to be working in a highly functioning environment."
If you are already working in an environment with a lot of drug users, Curry says you're "stepping into this horror movie with zombies all around."
Related: Wall Street Kicks Coke in Favor of Pot and Pills
What Would You Do?
Answer the question and see how you match up with the rest of the FINS community.
You've just been offered your dream job, but... there's peer pressure at the firm to do drugs.
Sign ...or... Decline
Write to Kelly Eggers
Sign or Decline is a series of questions on FINS.com that ask what you would do for your dream job. Since its launch late last year, over 100,000 answers have been received and compiled in our database. Participate in Sign or Decline here.
