We all understand that drugs are here to stay, and that is why random drug testing in various workplaces is proof to improve employee productivity and reduce occupational health risks. When you are managing or running an organization, it is vital to ensure that you implement the perfect alcohol testing programs that will deliver the expected results in a timely manner. As an employer, when you require random drug testing in your company, there are some significant steps that you need to take into consideration.
It is crucial to understand that random drug testing or screening is arguably one of the strongest deterrents to drug use. Ideally, random drug testing is the right method that employers need to implement in their organizations. Apart from enhancing employee productivity, this method will help to ensure that you have healthy employees. The following are some of the practices that employers need to consider before implementing alcohol or drug testing programs.
1) Consider Random Selection
For you to conduct a genuinely random alcohol and drug screening test, employers are asked to use a statistically valid random generator. In other words, the DOT drug testing programs that you will use should have the same probability of being selected for each individual round of screening. A random selection is the best approach that will help you to know the level of drug in your employees. Also, even if someone has been chosen for the previous two or three rounds of drug testing, that person will still be tested for another round.
2) Understand Your Clinic’s Policy and Hours
Managers and employers who are responsible for alcohol and drug testing notifications should also be aware of the testing clinic’s policies and hours. When they understand these policies, it will be easy for them to know the right time to conduct random drug testing. By following these policies, most of the managers will save a lot in this process. Note that when you are not familiar with these policies, you may end up jeopardizing the testing results.
3) Limit Time Between Testing and Notification
When you want to implement these drug testing procedures or methods, it is vital to limit the time between testing and notification. It is among the best systems that will suit your budget and save you time. For instance, if an alcohol testing program runs on a predictable schedule, this will open up the possibility for most employees within the organization to take the possible measures to evade detection.
On the other hand, the only amount of time that is required to lapse between testing and notification should be the duration that the worker takes to get from the business to the testing clinic. However, in an incident where the worker fails to complete the testing process within the recommended period, then it should be considered as a refusal to test. You will then take the appropriate steps.
4) Tune Testing To Fit Your Business
Most of the organizations out there will realize that they need to have unique testing needs. For you to ensure that you receive the best results from a random alcohol and drug screening policy, make sure that you tailor your program to meet the required needs. For instance, a given company might not be in the position to enroll all of its workers in random alcohol and drug-testing programs. In this incident, they should look for other means that will ensure that you have healthy and professional employees.
5) Consider Federal and State Regulations
Even if your company is supposed to conduct a random alcohol and drug testing procedure, it is crucial to ensure that you follow federal and state requirements. Based on your home country, make sure that you try to do according to their needs. At the state level, note that there are some of the different laws that you need to know.
6) Document the Entire Process
Once you have all the requirements needed in this process, make sure that you document the entire process. When running an organization, you should know that maintaining documentation would protect your company in the event of an audit. When you are documenting this process, make sure that you use the quality sources that have easy access. Having a proper record of how most of your workers are selected for testing will help to testify to the statistical fairness and validity of the random drug-testing program. Therefore, as a manager, make sure that you follow the above-listed practices.
