Want to know tips for drug testing for a drug-free workplace? Check out these tips discussed below.
Drug testing of a workplace is very important for keeping it as a great drug-free workplace. About 67% or more employed people in America secretly face drug problems. Their problems with drugs are either part-time or full-time, which is pretty dangerous. This can negatively affect all the job sectors in America, which is a very alarming situation.
If companies do not have drug testing programs in their workplace, they are bound to face low productivity, increased absenteeism, accidents, high turnover rates, etc. The HR department drafts a drug testing policy, which plays a vital role in getting a drug-free workplace. Here are 9 tips for drug testing that will grant you a drug-free workplace.
Begin With A Drug-Free Workplace Policy
All of your drug testing policy and its procedures are the main part of your drug testing program. You have to upgrade your policies to the latest possible conditions because nobody likes or prefers an outdated drug-free workplace policy. If your existing policy addresses all the necessary points of drug testing, then you might still be up to date with that policy. If not, you have to update the drug-free workplace policies of your company.
You can make a system to know the precedent sets of your policies. No operational documents can point out all situations that can happen with your drug-free workplace program. Every point shall be documented. Also, do not be shy to show your reasonable suspicion checklist to all of your employees.
- Know Who And When To Test
Workplace drug testing is done for different occasions and reasons. Before employing anyone, every company tends to do a drug test to know if they have any drug problems. Apart from that, it is usually done after any sort of accident in the workplace, which makes other employees acknowledge the restriction of drug abuse in the workplace.
Many of the companies administer random drug testing and pre-employment drug testing. These two prevent any mistakes related to the employment of anyone with drug problems. Additionally, you are able to point out any new drug abusers among your existing workers. The HR needs to be clear about who is going to be drug tested and when because if it is not clear, you might face legal issues in the future.
- Select A Drug Testing Method That Suits Your Needs
There are many drug testing methods available, and you are free to choose a method that suits your work environment the best. There are drug tests involving each individual’s urine, hair, blood, sweat, mouth swab, etc. These drug testing methods are varied in their authenticity, costs, and method for detection. Here are some of the popular drug testing methods-
- Blood Test: The blood test method for drug testing is the one with the most accurate results. The tests done with this method are the only ones that must be performed by knowledgeable and trained phlebotomists, and the samples must be analyzed in a lab. This method detects any use of drugs for up to 24 hours.
- Hair Follicle Test: The results are easy to obtain in this method. The problem with this method is that it does not show any recent drug usage, but it shows the drug usage in a historic way of up to 90 days. This method tests for marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, opiates, and PCP (phencyclidine).
- Saliva Test: Saliva testing is well-known to give out quick results of drug testing. This uses a mouth swab to collect saliva, or it needs the test subject to spit in a lab testing sample cup. It will reveal any use of cocaine, marijuana, alcohol, methamphetamine, and amphetamine use of the past few days.
- Urine Test: This test is the most common of drug tests, and it looks for evidence of marijuana, cocaine, opiates, amphetamine, nicotine(for some companies), and alcohol.
Look After Your Employees To Detect Common Substances
Some companies will just normally follow federal drug testing programs. Others might want to consider common symptoms of abuse, the nature of the job, and worker demographics to determine which drugs you have to be testing for. Just like a COVID-19 detection kit, the drug testing kit is also similar to detect any presence of any dangerous drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, marijuana, amphetamine, etc.
You should know about your workers’ issues, but to know from their own statements, you have to be free with them. You have to let them know that they are safe, even if they share their struggles with drugs with you. You will be able to come with solutions for their drug addiction issues and give them proper treatment. All you have to do is just upgrade your policy where positive results will not result in immediate dismissal from the job.
Determine the Window Of Drug Selection
It is up to you if you want to screen every employee or applicant for their possible recent drug use or identify their long-term drug use. Detection windows are varied for various types of drug tests. Amphetamine drug is detectable after 2 to 4 days in the urine test. The hair follicle test can detect the historic abuses of drugs of the past 90 days.
For complete drug testing of your workplace, you can use different drug testing ways together. Also, you have to review any possible mistakes included in the results of the drug testing. You do not want to scare your workers with the detection windows.
Decide The Collector Of The Test Specimens
The test specimens should be collected by a professional from a certified laboratory. The collector should not have any sort of failings of the testing supplies. The analysis of specimens should be carried out at two separate locations to get the potential results of drug testing. Also, a drug testing policy needs to be clear about how and where those specimens are collected.
If you do not have any ways to get a collector for the task, you can hire someone who is very well experienced and will not make any mistakes in the results.
Train Supervisors Regularly
The workplace supervisors need to be trained to a point where they will know any early signs of drug abuse of any worker. They should also know how to point out performance-related issues, drug abuser’s behavior signs, and note every employee’s statements about drug abuse in their workplace.
Here are some training and skills that all supervisors need to have-
- How to motivate employees to keep themselves clean of any drugs
- How to give a worker proper help
- Health insurance coverage plans for any worker’s drug addiction issues
- EAP (Employee Assistance Program)
- Drug testing policy’s most recent changes.
Be Open About Why Your Company Runs Drug Testing
The HR managers must inform any potential hires in advance who might have to undergo pre-employment drug testing. Many companies let the job applicants know the drug testing policies such as-
- A subjective offer of employment to the passing candidates of the drug testing of pre-employment.
- Already hired candidates will have to go through random or periodic drug testing during their course of employment.
These are the notices that new or old workers have to be worried about because they can be tested for drugs randomly. They have no choice but to avoid drug addiction at any cost. If anyone is already addicted to drugs, they must let the authorities know about it.
Be Confidential With Your Drug-Testing Procedures
There needs to be total clarity on what happens if an employee has positive results in a drug test. The employees must know all of the consequences of the outcome of a positive result. They should be acknowledged whether they will get a second chance, enrolled in an EAP, or fired from the workplace forever.
All of those things should be clear in every worker’s mind, and they have to accept the possible consequences. Without any bias, employees have to accept those outcomes if they are found positive for the drug test.
Conclusion
If you have enough employees and supervisors with the proper training and education, they will be able to flawlessly point out any signs of alcohol or drug problems in a worker. Handling the drug-free workplace will be easy when you have more men to find out the signs in your absence. A drug-free workplace is always praised by every citizen of a city.