Imagine if you were the coach of a sporting club and your star player violated a team policy. Would you give them another chance, trade them at the end of the season or sack them on the spot? Whatever you do decide, would you make the same decision if the player was less crucial?
It’s an interesting dilemma and one that workplace owners and managers may also face, when it comes to drug and alcohol testing. Instead of a star sporting player breaking a policy, they may be faced with a valuable employee who provides a positive drug testing result.
What should the workplace do? This is an employee that is vital for the business. They know the operation inside out, their experience and expertise are invaluable, and they’ve likely helped to save the business more than once.
But now they’ve failed random drug testing. What are you going to do?
What’s your drug and alcohol policy say?
While this may seem like a complex issue with no easy answer, there actually is one: follow your workplace’s drug and alcohol management policy to the letter.
If your policy requires that anyone who fails a drug test undergoes counselling and education, then that’s what you do. If it mandates a two-week suspension followed by counselling, education and support, then that’s the course of action. If your workplace has a zero-tolerance policy and dismissal is the prescribed consequence, then that, as difficult as it may be, is what you must enforce.
It shouldn’t matter whether it is your most trusted employee or someone who you’d like to see the back of, if you bend the rules and follow your policy only when it suits you, you’re heading down a slippery slope.
Drug and alcohol management vital
This situation underscores the critical importance of having a clear, comprehensive drug and alcohol management policy. A policy that includes the consequences for failing or refusing testing. Without it you risk making inconsistent, emotionally driven decisions that could lead to disaster and legal trouble.
In our example, if you treat your valuable employee differently than you would anyone else, what are the likely repercussions?
- Workplace culture: Inconsistent enforcement of policies can erode workplace culture and morale. Employees may feel there are different rules for different people.
- Weakened policy: If employees see that one person can get away with breaking the rules and not facing consequences, they may not take the drug and alcohol policy seriously. This can lead to significant safety risks.
- Legal and ethical issues: If you don’t consistently follow your policy and consequences, employees who are punished can potentially make claims of unfair treatment or discrimination.
Key lessons for workplaces
- Have a clear, comprehensive drug and alcohol management policy.
- Ensure the consequences for failing drug or alcohol testing are also detailed and clear.
- Make your consequences reasonable. For some industries (e.g. aviation and transportation) a zero tolerance approach may be warranted. In most industries however, a more lenient and supportive approach is more appropriate.
- Educate your employees about your drug and alcohol management policy.
- Provide support and counselling for employees who are having issues with alcohol and/or drugs. You may provide this support in-house or externally.
- Enforce the consequences fairly every single time, no matter who the employee is.
- Review your drug and alcohol management policy regularly.
FEATURED IMAGE CAPTION:
If you’re the owner or manager of a workplace, what would you do if a valuable employee failed drug testing? Credit Ahsanization https://unsplash.com/photos/man-wearing-yellow-hard-hat-holding-angle-grinder-mJi2I9KJPQ8
