Supervisors may make observations at work which lead them to believe an employee may be under the influence of mood altering chemicals. You must take action!
Evidence of chemical use, odors, or impaired motor movements may be observed. Since impaired employees always present a safety risk, the employee should be removed from any environment in which they could hurt others or themselves. If your work place has a drug/alcohol testing policy, the work place can usually initiate an observation driven drug test. Be sure to follow your organization’s written policy explicitly!
Observation driven screens are also called “reasonable suspicion,” “for cause,” “post accident” and a variety of other terms. Managers and Supervisors must:
Approach the employee, state you are concerned about a potential safety risk, and share with him/her your specific observations.
Document your observations. A sample Observation Driven Drug Testing and Documentation Form can be downloaded.
Always assure the employee in question that you need to “rule out” mood alternating chemicals as the source of the impairments you have observed.
Remind them that company safety policy leaves you no choice but to send them in for a chemical screen.
Be sure to follow your company’s policies about transporting an impaired employee away from the work site as well as the return to work before the results of the chemical screen are known. When the results of a drug test are positive your written employer policy will guide you to disciplinary action or EAP referral, or both.