By Tim Thoelecke
In yesterday’s Advisor we learned how the legalization of marijuana in many states has complex ramifications for your drug policy. Today, more on that topic, as well as some general tips.
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Marijuana is mainstream, or at least it’s trying to be. Indeed, many have made the assumption that marijuana is no longer the danger that we once thought it was. Oddly, it’s just the opposite: Marijuana use is becoming more pervasive. It’s stronger (10 times stronger) and its effects last longer (long after the high has gone) than ever before. Employers that want a safe, healthy, and secure workplace must be more diligent than ever.
Recent court cases have supported an employer’s right to a drug-free workplace, but only if it has a clear written policy. So, make sure your policy complies with state and federal law. A good policy sets the rules, establishes consequences for failure to follow the rules, and provides the employer with some discretion. A policy violation is easier to defend than a “legal vs. illegal” situation.
Know, too, that not all testing providers are the same. Look for one that meets your business needs.
- If you do random testing, you might consider a provider that performs them on-site.
- If you have employees who don’t live near your business, find a testing provider that has testing centers all over the country—or at least where you need them.
- If you need results quickly, make sure your provider can meet your expectations, either with software or even instant testing.
- If you need background checks, see if the provider offers that, too.
Some employers like to use their workers’ compensation management provider for drug testing. Others see advantages in a streamlined process, shorter wait times, and on-site testing by using a separate, dedicated drug tester.
Companies drug test for different reasons. For many, it’s all about safety. For others, it’s about productivity. Still others see it as one of a number of efforts to help employees stay healthy. No matter what the reason, protect your company today by implementing a drug-testing program that is right for you by utilizing the tips provided above.
Managing drug policies in the ever-changing world of HR can be very challenging. It helps if you have a go-to resource, and our editors recommend the “everything-HR-in-one” website, HR.BLR.com®. As an example of what you will find, here are some policy recommendations concerning e-mail, excerpted from a sample policy on the website:
- Privacy. The director of information services can override any individual password and, therefore, has access to all e-mail messages in order to ensure compliance with company policy. This means that employees do not have an expectation of privacy in their company e-mail or any other information stored or accessed on company computers.
- E-mail review. All e-mail is subject to review by management. Your use of the e-mail system grants consent to the review of any of the messages to or from you in the system in printed form or in any other medium.
- Solicitation. In line with our general policy, e-mail must not be used to solicit for outside business ventures, personal parties, social meetings, charities, membership in any organization, political causes, religious causes, or other matters not connected to the company’s business.
We should point out that this is just one of hundreds of sample policies on the site. (You’ll also find analyses of all the HR-related laws and the current critical issues, plus downloadable job descriptions, and complete training materials for hundreds of HR topics.)
You can examine the entire HR.BLR.com program free of any cost or commitment. It’s quite remarkable—30 years of accumulated HR knowledge, tools, and skills gathered in one place and accessible at the click of a mouse.
What’s more, we’ll supply a free, downloadable copy of our special report, Critical HR Recordkeeping—From Hiring to Termination, just for looking at HR.BLR.com. If you’d like to try it at absolutely no cost or obligation to continue (and get the special report, no matter what you decide), go here.