What Prudent Steps Can I Take to Create a Drug-Free Workplace?
Maintaining an efficient work environment is one of the more difficult responsibilities that entrepreneurs have. This is especially true if you need to develop guidelines on your own to keep everything in order.
While it’s normal practice to have rules against being under the influence of drugs and alcohol while at work, it’s not always obvious how to implement a drug-free workplace.
Not sure where to start? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
Let’s take a look at everything you need to know.
Properly Train Employees
In order for a drug-free policy to be effective, you’re going to need to educate your employees on why it’s so important.
Oftentimes, employees may not fully understand the loss of productivity that comes from being under the influence of a substance while at work. This is especially true for those who are habitual users.
Your training should include the following concepts:
- The dangers of drugs in the workplace (loss in productivity, risk of an accident, etc.)
- How to adopt a healthy lifestyle that doesn’t include the use of drugs
- The steps they can take to get help if they suffer from substance abuse
It’s important to be understanding during your training, but you should also convey the consequences of violating your company’s regulations.
Develop a Clear, Written Policy
Ambiguity can sometimes lead to employees breaking your business’s rules, whether it be intentional or unintentional. Having an accessible, written policy for your staff will ensure that there’s no confusion when it comes to the guidelines you set in place.
This policy should clearly detail what isn’t allowed, the respective punishments for different scenarios, and information on federal and state laws regarding substance abuse and possession.
This policy should be sent to every employee and should also be accessible by anyone who works for your company. This will eliminate any chance of your message not being heard loud and clear.
Test Your Employees
Unless you witness an employee taking drugs or have video proof of it, it’s often difficult to definitively establish that a staff member is violating workplace policies. Without sufficient evidence, you’re left with having to rely on their own admission.
Drug testing provides a way for employers to either confirm their suspicions or otherwise catch an employee who’s under the influence of drugs.
It can be difficult to know, though, when testing should be administered. In general, you have a few options to choose from:
- Test your employees are given intervals (three months, six months, etc.)
- Test your employees randomly a certain number of times per year
- Test specific employees who exhibit a drop in performance of questionable behavior
There’s a handful of ways you can conduct tests, and some may be more appropriate for your business than others. After you’ve decided how and when to test, you’ll have a complete drug use policy for your workplace.
Creating an Efficient Drug-Free Workplace Can Seem Difficult
But it doesn’t have to be.
With the above information about drug-free workplaces in mind, you’ll be well on your way to ensuring your workplace is as efficient as possible.
Want to learn more about how we can help? Feel free to get in touch with us today to see what we can do.
