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Drug-Free Workplace Services

Establishing a Drug Free Workplace Program

To protect against the negative impact of workplace drug and alcohol abuse, many businesses implement drug-free workplace programs. A comprehensive program generally includes five components:

Although employers may not include all five components it is recommended that all be explored and considered when developing a drug-free workplace program. Research does show that a positive relationship exists between the number of components included and a program’s overall effectiveness. However, it should be noted that drug testing is only one part of a comprehensive drug-free workplace program and is not a required component in many work sites.

Below is a brief summary of what each of the five components entails.

1. Writing a Drug-Free Workplace Policy

    A written drug-free workplace policy is the foundation of an organization's drug-free workplace program. Franey Medical Lab works with our clients to make sure your policy is tailored to the specific needs of your organization. However, all effective policies have a few aspects in common including:

  • Clear indication of why the policy has been initiated
  • Clear description of prohibited behaviors
  • Thorough explanation of consequences

Sharing your policy with all company employees is an essential part of a drug-free workplace program. Many companies find it helpful to ask for feedback from employees during the initial policy development stage. Franey Medical Labs will work closely with your company to insure the implementation of a policy that is fair and effective.

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2. Supervisor Training

    Supervisor training is an integral part of every drug-free workplace program. Franey Medical Lab assists companies in the effective training of supervisors to help insure consistent application of your policies. At minimum, training should include a review of:

  • The organization's policy
  • Supervisor's specific responsibilities in implementing the policy
  • Ways to recognize and deal with employees who have job performance problems that may be related to alcohol and other drugs.

    • If supervisors are responsible for making referrals for testing based on reasonable suspicion, they must also be thoroughly trained on how to make that determination. However, supervisors should not be expected to diagnose alcohol and drug related problems or provide counseling to employees who have them. Rather, training should focus on ensuring that supervisors:

  • Understand the company's drug-free workplace policy
  • Can identify and attempt to resolve employee performance problems
  • Know how to refer employees to available assistance

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3. Providing Employee Education

A drug and alcohol education program is a systematic approach to provide employees with the information they need to fully understand, cooperate with and benefit from their organization's drug-free workplace program. Effective employee education programs provide company specific information as well as more generalized information about the nature of alcohol and drug abuse; its impact on work performance, health and personal and family life; and what types of help are available for individuals with alcohol and drug related problems.

All company employees should be required to participate in the drug and alcohol education program. The message should be delivered on an ongoing basis through a variety of means, not as a one-time effort. Franey Medical Lab can help you tailor and deliver your message in an effective manner as well as provide recommendations for continual application of the message and employee education.

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4. Providing Employee Assistance

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are an extremely effective vehicles for ad dressing and resolving poor workplace performance that may stem from an employee's personal problems, including alcohol and drug abuse.

Businesses with financial constraints may be able to join a consortium to offer their workers EAP services or, at a minimum, should provide a resource file from which employees can access information about treatment programs and helplines.

Franey Medical Lab helps companies establish an effective framework for providing employee assistance.

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5. Alcohol and Drug Testing

    Despite their controversial nature, alcohol and drug tests are increasingly standard components of many drug-free workplace programs. However, before deciding whether or not to include testing as part of an organizations program, Franey Medical Lab helps employers to consider a number of factors including:

  • Who will be tested?
  • When will tests be conducted?
  • Which drugs will be tested for?
  • How will tests be conducted?
  • State and Federal laws

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Learn more about our Drug Testing Services, , View our printable brochure