Drug Testing is NOT the Solution

Imagine a school where the students are only told what is going to be on the test and then given the test. They aren’t taught about the material, there isn’t anybody who intervenes if they are struggling with it, and they don’t know where to go for extra help. Would you be surprised if many of them failed the test? This scenario is analogous to a business with a stand-alone drug testing program, and yet many of these businesses are surprised when they aren’t achieving the desired results. Here are a few of the reasons why just implementing drug testing is not a solution. Drug testing may keep drugs out, but it won’t keep employees in. Even if drug testing alone could keep substance abusers out of the workplace, it won’t help keep good employees in. If your drug testing program consists entirely of testing employees and then terminating those who do not pass, you might as well install a revolving door. A zero tolerance drug testing program shuffles off good employees who may have benefited from prevention or early intervention. It’s a disservice to your employees to focus your efforts on catching them when they fail. If an employee fails a drug test, you may have missed the boat, especially if it is a post-accident or reasonable suspicion drug test. Once the accident has happened, or an individual is showing up to work impaired, the safety of the workplace has already been compromised. An effective substance free workplace program will give employees the ability to self-refer and give supervisors the ability to intervene before substance use escalates to...

Does your workplace culture foster a “head in the sand” approach to substance abuse?

Almost all workplaces have some type of substance free workplace policy, but there is frequently a huge gap between the policy on paper and the policy in practice. In the absence of a deliberate workplace culture centered around effectively addressing substance abuse, the default culture supports a “head in the sand” approach. Here are some workplace Culture Red Flags to watch for: Lack of Big Picture Thinking Employees must be trained and encouraged to see the big picture, especially as it pertains to substance abuse. Nobody hesitates to take action if they see somebody about to back a forklift into a large stack of finished product, because the big picture is immediately apparent: injury to the driver, injury to nearby employees, loss of thousands of dollars worth of product, loss of hundreds of man hours. Do all employees know that lack of action regarding substance abuse has the same big picture consequences and requires the same urgent action? Perception of Gray Areas In order for policies and procedures to be utilized effectively, there cannot be any “gray areas.” These opportunities for subjectivity may be written directly into the policy (with phrases such as “up to and including” or “on a case by case basis”) or be generated by selective application. Regardless of their origin, any perceived gray areas will push employees towards inaction. After all, nobody wants to make the effort to report a problem and see nothing happen as a result. Likewise, a supervisor doesn’t want to address an issue if he fears he may lose a valuable employee. It is very difficult to take action if the...

Keep Your Employees, but Lose Substance Abuse

Business owners often hesitate to implement substance free workplace and drug testing programs because they fear they will have to fire valuable employees. While this fear is understandable, we never recommend firing as the best course of action. Some of the main goals of a Substance Free Workplace program are to hire are retain quality employees and reduce the costs associated with turnover. Firing employees with substance abuse issues is in direct opposition to these goals. An effective Substance Free Workplace program employs the following tools to avoid having to fire an employee for substance use. Prevention, Prevention, Prevention Prevention. Prevention is the number one most effective tool in any substance free workplace program. Substance abuse prevention in the workplace can take many forms. Here are a few examples: Supervisor Training – Supervisors should be trained on recognizing and addressing the earliest signs of a substance abuse issue. There are indicators that an employee is struggling long before he is abusing substances on the job. There are also specific steps that supervisors can take to prevent the progression of addiction to the stage where firing the employee is considered. Employee Education – Employees should have a full understanding of the substance free workplace program, particularly its rationale, consequences and potential benefits to them. Employees with a solid understanding of the policy and program are much more likely to comply. They should also have an understanding of how substance abuse can affect the workplace, their health, and their families. In addition, employees should be educated on the self-referral process, including when and how to seek assistance. Many businesses post a self-referral...