If you’re ready to start drug-testing potential and/or current employees, Drug & Alcohol Testing Compliance Services is here to help you get started. Not sure how, what kind, or when to start a drug testing program? No problem! D.A.T.C.S. helps companies begin implementing programs on a daily basis.
WHERE DO YOU START?
Before you begin to drug test employees, it is critical to ensure your company has a drug/alcohol testing policy. Because state and federal law does not mandate substance testing for most businesses (exceptions being ones that fall under US DOT), many state and federal guidelines are not clear for companies who wish to begin a drug/alcohol testing program. A policy enforces consistency and can prevent litigation regarding drug tests resulting in termination and in other sensitive matters. Among others, it also makes employees aware of:
What type of drug tests they are subject to (i.e., pre-employment, random, post-accident, etc.)
How your company will deal with positive-testing employees.
Resources they can consult to get help with drug/alcohol problems.
If your company does not have a policy in place and you’re not exactly sure how to develop one yourself, the professionals at D.A.T.C.S. will be happy to help. In fact, we offer a model policy that can be customized to your specifications for a nominal fee.
TYPES OF TEST
Pre-Employment: The most important decision you’ve made is to drug test your employees. The second most important decision you’ll make is why, for what reason, you’ll test employees. Most companies feel complacent about only performing pre-employment tests. This is definitely a good start, but pre-employment testing generally does not deter drug use after an employee is hired.
Random Testing: In order to establish and commit to a drug-free workplace environment, it is critical that you implement a random testing program. As a complimentary service to our clients whose programs are not regulated by the federal government, D.A.T.C.S. will maintain an objective third-party random pull for you! This means employees will not think a manager or supervisor is singling them out.
Post-Accident: One of the most important reasons to implement a drug testing program is to promote safety in the workplace. You want to protect your company image, your employees, and—in many cases—your customers. Of course there is no way to completely prevent accidents from happening, but you can be certain if they occurred from the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. In many cases, if stated in your policy, a company may be absolved from worker’s compensation and/or other legal responsibility if an employee involved in a workplace incident tests positive.
Reasonable Suspicion: As is mandated by companies subject to federal testing, we suggest every company have their supervisors trained in awareness of drug and alcohol abuse in the workplace so they may be able to recognize and test employees under a reasonable suspicion. If “reasonable suspicion” testing is disclosed in your company policy to your employees, this is one of the most effective ways to prevent drug-related incidents on the job.
Return-to-Duty: Everyone makes mistakes, right? Many companies do not want to terminate an employee because of a failed drug test. In these cases, we suggest companies model their policy after federal guidelines and institute an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). An EAP provides an employee the opportunity to return to work after completing substance abuse counseling by an SAP (Substance Abuse Professional) and completing a negative drug test. To ensure the employee stays clean, the SAP will prescribe a number of Follow-Up tests over the course of the next year:
Follow-Up: A number of periodic tests an employee must pass after failing a company drug test and returning to duty under and Employee Assistance Program. These are outlined by the Substance Abuse Professional.
WHAT NEXT?
Time to start testing: D.A.T.C.S. will provide you with a customized Authorization Form to supply to your employees when they need to come in for testing. The Authorization From will contain information specific to your company: the name of the company, the name of the Designated Employee Representative (DER), and your unique D.A.T.C.S. account code. This form provides all critical information to our facilities and allows for expedient and accurate testing.
Keeping up with results: You have a lot of things to worry about, and D.A.T.C.S. wants to ensure drug testing is not one of them. That’s why D.A.T.C.S. utilizes the latest in industry technology to help you keep track of drug/alcohol testing results. Our system allows for these records to be disseminated automatically through fax, email, or you can log-on through or website and browse any records at your convenience!
The next step: We have found that the companies who have the most success in screening employees are those who take an active role in their programs. Sure, D.A.T.C.S. can do all the work for you, but an informed and educated supervisor has a significantly higher chance of knowing who, when, why, and how to test. D.A.T.C.S. encourages all company supervisors to participate in our Supervisor Awareness Training course, to be able to identify the most common signs of drug use in the workplace (program is taught by certified professionals and is approved by the US Department of Transportation).
Aside from keeping your employees, customers, and company reputation safe, drug testing can save your company money in the future by helping to prevent liabilities that accompany drug use:
Loss in productivity
Tardiness and absenteeism
On-the-job accidents, insurance, and workers’ compensation claims
And that is just to name a few. For a comprehensive view of the economical impact of drug/alcoholism abuse on U.S. businesses, please follow the link to this article on the Department of Labor’s website.
By choosing to implement a drug testing program and policy, you have taken a necessary step toward providing a safer environment for your employees, your clients, and your company’s reputation. The professionals at D.A.T.C.S. can help you get started today, so don’t hesitate—call today!