What should be in your workplace drug testing policy?
Your workplace Drug Testing policy is a key document in you company health and safety portfolio.
An effectively written policy is clear, concise, easy to understand and protects both the person being tested, the person administering the test and the company as a whole.
But what should it contain?
I will start this by stating that the policy needs to be bespoke and accurate for the business and its needs. DO NOT USE A GENERIC TEMPLATE YOU MAY FIND ONLINE! Quite often, these are not suitable for purpose.
A good workplace drug and alcohol testing policy should contain the following,
· A commitment from the company to adhere to the contents of the policy
· The purpose of the policy and what it covers (what are the intentions of it)
· How it will be administered
· Any disciplinary action that may arise
· The appeals procedure
· How to report an incident (confidentially)
· How the company will support any persons coming forward with a drug and alcohol illness or addiction.
Now, the disciplinary steps are for the business to decide. Some businesses will put their employee on an awareness and rehabilitation program in the first instance. This is the course of action we recommend as the benefits far outweigh the negative implications to your business. It is also something we can advise on.
Some have an instant termination of a contract upon confirmation of a failure (a non-negative).
The policy needs to be in place PRIOR to any workplace drug testing being conducted and monitored regularly to ensure that it remains fit for purpose.
Comments