EMPLOYEE & SUPERVISOR TRAINING

If a company is required to have an alcoholand/or drug testing program, such as the program required by the Department of Transportation (49 CFR Part 40), then the company must provide an "employee awareness program". Also, each employer shall ensure that supervisors, who are designated to determine whether an employee should be tested under "reasonable suspicion", (382.307), receive at least 60 minutes of training on alcohol misuse and receive at least an additional 60 minutes of training on controlled substances use. The training shall cover the physical, behavioral, speech, and performance indicators of probable alcohol misuse and use of controlled substances. (Federal Register Vol. 59, No. 31 382.603)As with all aspects of a company's policy, this should be reviewed and approved by the company's attorney.

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Employee Awareness Program

In order to deal effectively with workplace drug and alcohol abuse, "top management" must become knowledgeable about alcohol and other drugs. Education and awareness programs vary widely from one workplace to another. As a minimum, the program should include the following:

To be effective an employee awareness program must be an ongoing program rather than a one-time effort.

Supervisor Training

Supervisors are the key players in implementing a substance abuse policy. "Top management" must be sure that supervisors understand the policy, are able to explain it to the employees and can take action when necessary. Supervisors have a legitimate right to initiate corrective actions when a worker's performance begins to decline. If it appears that personal problems-including the possibility of substance abuse-may be impacting performance, the use of constructive confrontation is one of the most effective ways known to get an employee to seek help. The supervisor's responsibility does not extend to diagnosing and resolving the personal problem of the employee. As a result of training the supervisors will be able do the following:

Supervisor training must include the following: Supervisor training can be conducted by management or an outside consultant and must be offered to all supervisors. Supervisor's participation in this training must be documented. Supervisor training may include seminars, films, videotapes, lectures, or printed materials.

  1. Develop and communicate job performance standards so that deteriorating performance can be documented.
  2. Observe and document incidents and examples of unsatisfactory work performance or behavior.
  3. Talk with employees about work problems, understand whether inadequate equipment or training are causing or contributing to the problems, and explain what needs to be done to correct the problem.
  4. Set appropriate time limits for improvement and emphasize that lack of improvement in job performance or behavior could lead to corrective action that may result in termination.
  5. Inform the employee of the availability of assistance for personal problems and encourage the use of these resources, making clear to the worker that if the problem is personal, it is the employee's responsibility to take care of it.
  6. Initiate procedures to have employees tested if your company has a drug and alcohol testing program.
  7. Help workers reenter the workplace after treatment for an alcohol or drug problem.

  1. Information on how alcohol and drugs actually affect the companies productivity, product quality, absenteeism, health care cost, or accident rates.
  2. The workplace substance abuse policy and consequences of using alcohol and other drugs on or off the job. The employee must be given a copy of the company's policy concerning drugs and alcohol.
  3. Information on the health effects of alcohol and other drugs-both illegal and prescription.
  4. Information concerning how to obtain help with alcohol and other drug problems, including a description of services available to help employees.
  5. A thorough explanation of testing procedures-if employee testing is part of the program-with special attention to the consequences of testing positive and procedures for ensuring accuracy and confidentiality.

  1. Prevention and education strategies.
  2. Background on alcohol and drug testing issues and how the testing program is separate from and does not adversely affect the confidentiality of an employee assistance program.
  3. Information on specific drugs including alcohol.
  4. Physiological and psychological aspects of alcohol and drug addiction.
  5. Methods of detecting alcohol and drug use.

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