Controlled substances, misused prescriptions, and alcohol all affect behavior and judgment. When substance abuse occurs at work, the effects extend beyond the individual to colleagues, customers, and more. A comprehensive employee drug testing program can help protect your company’s workers, avoid excessive costs, and shield your reputation – and ensure workers coping with addiction get the help they need. If your business has questions about designing an effective employee drug testing program, TOPLAB® takes a closer look at how to make your efforts successful.
Why Do You Need an Employee Drug Testing Program?
Creating an employee drug testing program requires time and resources, and you may not be sure where to start. However, failing to establish a program for drug testing can have dangerous consequences and may even violate laws and safety standards. Companies most often create drug testing programs due to:
- Local, state, and federal regulations
- Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements
- Insurance carrier rules
- Legal cover should an employee be disciplined or dismissed for substance abuse
- The high costs associated with workplace accidents, related workers’ compensation claims, and lawsuits
- Contract stipulations with customers, third-party service providers, and others
However, an employee drug testing program is also a great way to show your organization values a drug-free workplace and employee wellbeing. These programs can help workers get the support they need to recover and return to work when rolled out with an employee assistance program (EAP).
Develop a Clear Policy
It’s not enough to simply purchase employee drug tests and administer them. Your company needs a well-defined policy that should be part of all employees’ training. This policy should answer questions such as:
- Which drugs will be tested for?
- How often will testing occur?
- In addition to random testing, will you administer tests after accidents, suspicious behavior, or other for-cause incidents?
- Who does the policy cover? Are special guidelines required for drivers, forklift operators, users of heavy equipment, and others?
- How is substance abuse defined by your company?
- What are the problems associated with substance abuse and why is this policy important?
- Why do you value a drug-free workplace?
- When are certain substances prohibited – during work hours, on-site, for specified periods before work, during company events, at all times?
Your policy should also explain the consequences of violations, whether this includes workplace counseling, ongoing random drug testing, dismissal, or other outcomes. Finally, any resources available to employees struggling with drug or alcohol addiction should be made clear.
Conducting Employee Drug Testing
Businesses have several options for conducting employee drug testing. Sending employees off-site eliminates the need for oversight but requires added downtime whenever testing is conducted. For many companies, on-site testing offers a great alternative that is easy to administer and highly accurate.
TOPLAB® offers simple urine and oral fluid drug screening kits that can be administered at your facility with little risk of tampering and minimal downtime. Employees complete screening under your supervision in just minutes to help ensure the integrity of collected samples. Once returned to our New Jersey facility, our team uses advanced equipment to test for all of the following:
- Alcohol
- Amphetamines
- Barbiturates
- Benzodiazepines
- Cocaine
- Marijuana
- Methadone
- Methamphetamine
- Opioids
- Other narcotics
- PCP
- Prescription drugs
- And more
Once testing is complete, you can access results via our secure online portal or mail to get the information required to enforce your drug-free workplace policy.
Learn More about Employee Drug Testing
Preventing substance abuse is one of the best ways to protect your workforce, profits, and reputation. If your company requires highly accurate employee drug testing with fast turnaround times, contact TOPLAB® today. Our clinical reference lab serves employers here in NJ and across the United States to maintain safer workplaces and ensure legal compliance.