Maintaining a Drug Free Workplace
Employers of DOT mandated safety-sensitive employees must stress the policies, strategies, and programs that support a drug free workplace. Enforcing these policies promotes safety and produces a work environment that is both healthy and efficient. Read on to learn more about what you can do as an employer to maintain such a workplace.
Encouraging Employees to Stay Drug Free
The responsibility of maintaining a drug free workplace falls on the employer. First, create a written policy where the laws and regulations regarding drug and alcohol are clearly stated. Be sure to include the consequences for violations. Encourage healthy behaviors and offer help by creating a wellness program where employees can connect with community resources. These programs successfully prevent substance abuse in the workplace.
Drug testing, both random and announced, deters employees from risking their jobs and the safety of themselves and others. It’s also important to observe the behaviors of your employees. Do you notice symptoms such as fatigue, slurred speech, bursts of energy, paranoia, aggressive behavior, or scents of marijuana or alcohol? If so, you must act quickly to address your suspicions.
What Happens If an Employee Fails a Drug or Alcohol Test
If a DOT mandated safety-sensitive employee fails or refuses a drug and/or alcohol test, they will be immediately removed from their duties. Next, they must comply with a SAP guided return-to-duty process. Employers must provide a list of SAPs, or a referral to a Service Agent, to their employees. Unfortunately, using a SAP list isn’t always that easy. Employees must be sure to meet with a DOT qualified SAP for evaluation. If the list includes SAPs who are no longer DOT qualified, the return-to-duty steps completed by the employee may be null and void.
The SAP prescribes a program that may include education and/or treatment. Additionally, there is a follow-up evaluation with the SAP. Finally, the SAP determines whether the employee will be cleared to undergo a return-to-duty test.
Make the Process Faster and Easier: Partner With SAP Referral Services
At SAP Referral Services we provide guidance for employers and employees. We offer psychological evaluations, fitness for duty evaluations, critical incident stress management and supervisory training. Our DOT providers are licensed and have undergone regulatory training and testing.
Partner with SAP Referral Services and let us shoulder some of the burden. Our list of over 3,000 qualified providers means we connect employees with qualified SAPs in their area. For more information, contact us today.
SAP Referral Services (SRS) is the leading facilitator for mandated substance abuse evaluations. SRS maintains an extensive network of qualified providers in more than 3,000 locations nationwide for testing violations that originate from any of the DOT’s modes including FMCSA, FAA, FRA, FTA, USCG and PHMSA, or a company’s internal drug and alcohol testing policy.