Substance abuse testing of potential employees has now become an integral part of the hiring process for many employers nationwide. The pre-employment test ensures that a new employee is substance free at the time of hire. But how are you ensuring that your employees are maintaining that same status after the new-job honeymoon is over? Substance abusers may commonly “go clean” for a period of time while interviewing for jobs, only to resume their habit once they have successfully passed the pre-employment test and secured the job, placing your employees, workplace, and business assets at untold risk.

Many employers have incorporated the use of an ongoing random-selection substance abuse screening program to ensure a substance free workplace over time. A random substance abuse screening program is required by the federal government for select industries and occupations, most commonly regulated by the Department of Transportation (DOT). However, any non-regulated employer may establish its own policy to achieve the same result.

By law, a company must inform its employees that they could be subjected to a drug test – initially and/or randomly. Awareness of a random substance abuse screening program will make most employees less likely to use illegal substances while employed. Likewise, substance using applicants may also be deterred from even applying to a company that conducts random drug screens after the initial hire.

Getting set up to administer a random substance abuse screening program is quite easy. All that is required by you (the employer) is a list of the employees that will be subject to the random screening program (specifying which are DOT and/or which are Non-DOT regulated), and their social security numbers as a method of identification. From there, Background Information Services, Inc. employs the use of a Medical Review Officer (MRO) that inputs the information into a database that will randomly pick which employees must go for testing. It is imperative that the employer keep this database current, and notify the MRO whenever employees join or leave the company to maintain the integrity of the random selection program.

For a Non-DOT random substance abuse screening program, the guidelines regarding how often the “pools” of candidates are selected and how many are to be sent for testing is per the employer’s company policy. You can screen one employee per month, five every three months, or 1,000 employees per year. Whatever specification you put forth is how the program will be followed by the MRO. The program specs should also dictate the time frame within which selected employees must provide the testing sample. It is important that once the program’s designations are put in place, the employer remain consistent with the practice. Consistency (number of “pools”, how often employees are sent for testing) is important so as not to venture into any perception of discriminatory screening.

A DOT-regulated program is more stringent than a Non-DOT program. Guidelines set by DOT range from what percent of a company’s employees must be tested randomly on an annual basis to procedures on how the tests are to be conducted. Under DOT programs the employer does not know when the next round of testing is coming so it is important to expedite each round as quickly as possible. Employees must proceed directly to the testing site upon notification they have been selected.

Few would argue the well-known advantages of a random substance abuse screening program to include decreased instances of theft, damage, and workplace injury. Did you know there may also be direct financial advantages to a company that conducts substance abuse screening? For example, the State of Florida offers workers’ compensation discounts to companies that maintain a drug free workplace. Other states may have similar programs so consult your company’s insurance agent for more information.

If it is important to your company to maintain a drug-free workplace, perhaps the best way to manage this is through a random substance abuse screening program. Wouldn’t you prefer a proactive stance in managing this risk to reactively waiting for Murphy’s Law to enforce itself at your expense?

For more information on random drug testing programs for your company, please contact Natalie Beck, Client Relations Manager, at 1-800-235-3954 x.459 or Natalie Beck.