Christmas and New Year can be a nervous time for workplace owners and managers – and it’s not just the worry of getting the right presents for loved ones! That’s because at this time of the year, more than any other, issues relating to drugs and alcohol can rear their ugly head.
While it might be a bit late to do a lot this Festive Season – it is Christmas Day after all – there is a New Year’s resolution you should be making to help protect your business for future festive seasons. Plus, if you follow through on our tips you’ll enjoy the benefits all-year-round.
That resolution is to develop a drugs and alcohol policy for your business, and provide education for your employees on the dangers of drugs and alcohol.
Drugs and alcohol policy
Every business should have a drugs and alcohol policy, even more so when safety is a priority.
Your workplace drugs and alcohol policy should include aspects such as:
- The responsibilities of management and employees.
- Details on what type of drug and alcohol testing you will conduct and how often.
- The procedure for when an employee is suspected of being under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
- The procedure for positive tests.
- Disciplinary action for an employee who records a positive test.
- How employees are educated on their responsibilities.
- The support that is available for people who are struggling with drugs and/or alcohol.
Drugs and alcohol education for employees
While there can always be some people who are willing to take risks, by drinking alcohol or taking drugs and then going to work (or even consuming alcohol or doing drugs at work) most people want to do the right thing. While it can be difficult to steer those that willingly take risks in the right direction, providing education about drugs and alcohol is important for those who unwittingly take risks.
So, as well as providing education about your drugs and alcohol policy, information about topics such as how long drugs and alcohol can stay in the system, is a great idea. It’s also a good idea to regularly remind your employees that they, like you, have a duty of care when it comes to occupational health and safety. This includes taking reasonable care of the health and safety of others by coming to work in a safe condition.
Get help on drugs and alcohol
If you need help to develop your workplace drugs and alcohol policy, or to educate your employees, contact Integrity Sampling. We can help with all aspects of policy and procedure development, education of employees and management, and can conduct drug and alcohol testing at your workplace.
Give Integrity Sampling a call on 1300 SALIVA today to discuss your needs.
