Instituting Sensible and Affordable Drug Policies and Practices in the Workplace

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has estimated that substance abuse is a factor in as many as 65 percent of all work-related accidents in the United States. A recent Substance and Mental Health Services Administration study found that 80 percent of internal embezzlement, fraud, and theft in the workplace was found to be drug-related. The study also revealed that employees using drugs have 250 percent more absences, use 300 percent more sick benefits, and are 500 percent more likely to file a workers’ compensation claim than employees who are drug-free. The question then becomes, what do you, the employer, do about it? Should you establish and enforce a drug-free workplace policy?

This course discusses types of drug programs, warning signs of possible drug use, and effective policy guidelines that can be implemented in the workplace.

TARGET AUDIENCE
Managers and Supervisors

PROGRAM EVEL
Basic

PROGRAM PREREQUISITES
None

ADVANCED PREPARATION
Not required

DELIVERY METHOD
Self-Study

TIME TO COMPLETE
105-120 minutes

PURPOSE
To teach managers about the issues and laws related to workplace drug abuse and to provide information on policies and programs that reduce risk.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After completing this course, the learner will be able to:

• discuss the Drug-Free Workplace Act and the requirements necessary to certify a company as "drug-free";
• identify the circumstances in which employers covered by the Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act of 1991 must test for drugs;
• delineate the proper manner in which to establish a substance abuse policy, including determining what to include in the policy and how best to implement it;
• specify the components of a manager training program aimed at detecting drug abuse in the workplace;
• recognize symptoms and situations that provide a manager with justification to have an employee take a drug test;
• explain the proper course of action for arranging and conducting a meeting with an employee suspected of alcohol or drug abuse;
• differentiate between the three processes of obtaining information that have the least chance of invading an employee's privacy; and
• depict how employees are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act

TOPICS COVERED

1. Government Regulations
2. Drug Abuse Policy
   • Purpose
   • Disciplinary Actions
   • Drugs to Test For
3. Supervisor Training
   • Signs of Drug Use
   • Documentation Procedures
   • Steps to Take When Employee Drug Use is Suspected
4. Americans With Disabilities Act

FORMS INCLUDED

• Drug-Free Workplace Program Policies and Procedures
• Educational Material on Substance Abuse
• General Notice to All Employees of the Implementation of a Drug-Free Workplace Program
• Employee Acknowledgement of the Implementation of an Alcohol Abuse and Drug Use Policy
• Employee Acknowledgement of and Consent to a Drug and Alcohol Abuse Policy

ACCREDITATION
HR Certification Institute
This program has been approved for 2.0 recertification credit hours toward PHR, SPHR, and GPHR recertification through the HR Certification Institute. For more information about certification or recertification, visit the HR Certification Institute homepage at www.hrci.org.

(The use of this seal is not an endorsement by the HR Certification Institute of the quality of this program. It means that this program has met the HR Certification Institute's criteria to be pre-approved for recertification credit.)

THE STATE BAR OF GEORGIA
The State Bar of Georgia has accredited this course for 1.50 hours of Regular CLE credits. For more information about CLE credits, visit The State Bar of Georgia homepage at www.gabar.org..

NASBA
This program provides 2.0 credit hours toward Continuing Professional Education (CPE) recertification.

OFFICIAL QAS STATEMENT
The Human Equation is registered with the State Boards of Accountancy as a Quality Assurance Service (QAS) sponsor of continuing professional education. Participating state boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding QAS program sponsors may be addressed to NASBA, 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 700, Nashville, TN 37219-2417. Web site: www.nasba.org.