Obviously, illegal drugs on your property is cause for immediate firing, especially when you consider the legal trouble your business could be in and the negative impact it would likely have on your company’s image. However, most employees who do drugs won’t bring them to the office — or, if they’re abusing prescription drugs, the drugs might seem benign enough to not cause an issue. However, you absolutely do have the authority and cause to require your employees remain drug-free, even if they never take drugs at work.
Arrange Surprise On-Site Testing
Arrange reasonable suspicion drug and alcohol testing with OCCWELL, which takes its mobile lab to your company so there’s minimal disruption to your work day. Since having advanced notice or requiring off-site testing might give drug users ample time to flush it from their system temporarily to pass the test, it’s better to alert employees there will be random testing (to discourage them from using in general) and not provide any more details.
Encourage Overall Wellness
In addition to drug testing, we provide on-site employee physicals and can discuss company-wide health initiatives that will encourage healthier living among your employees overall. Overall wellness will lower health care costs among your employees, which will help you keep your company’s premium and health savings account contributions manageable.
The Bottom Line
Even if employees don’t abuse drugs on-site, it doesn’t leave their systems when they’re working for you. Addicts are more likely to be tardy or absent from work entirely and are less focused and less efficient throughout the day. As their employer, you absolutely have cause to ascertain if an employee behaving erratically or becoming more withdrawn is abusing drugs.
OCCWELL can help you navigate the murky waters of suspecting substance abuse and learning how to deal with it with your employees. A drug test is all the legal proof you need to terminate an employee’s contract and hire a replacement more likely to perform the job efficiently.
