{"id":50848,"date":"2014-03-23T15:34:37","date_gmt":"2014-03-23T15:34:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nationaldrugscreening.com\/?p=50848"},"modified":"2023-09-06T10:16:18","modified_gmt":"2023-09-06T15:16:18","slug":"mistakes-people-make-employer-drug-testing-programs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nationaldrugscreening.com\/blogs\/mistakes-people-make-employer-drug-testing-programs\/","title":{"rendered":"Employer Mistakes in Drug Testing Programs"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Mistakes People Make 2 – Employer Drug Testing Programs<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This series of articles continues to highlight actual mistakes that occur during the process of workplace drug & alcohol testing.\u00a0 The intent of these articles is to alert folks as to the importance of taking the time to manage and perform drug and alcohol testing programs correctly and without flaws.\u00a0 In the last issue of DATIA Focus the article highlighted mistakes made at the point of collection, the collector and the collection process; generally considered the \u201cweakest links\u201d in the process.\u00a0 This article will focus on mistakes made by the employer or Designated Employer Representative (DER).\u00a0\u00a0 Many DER\u2019s and employers do a great job with their drug and alcohol testing programs, but some don\u2019t.\u00a0 Make sure you or your organization are not doing what you will be reading about in these articles.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Employers who do drug testing<\/strong><\/a> must be careful to do it properly.\u00a0 Let\u2019s talk about mistakes employers make in the overall drug testing process including DOT regulated drug testing and non-regulated drug testing.\u00a0 Remember in DOT-regulated drug testing programs the person in charge of the drug testing program is typically referred to as the Designated Employer Representative (DER); so we will use the DER term as any employer representative running any drug testing program.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u00a0One big issue with many employers is the lack of a drug testing policy; a crucial mistake. Employers who take the position that drug testing is an invasion of the employee’s privacy pay for their political correctness. \u00a0A pre-hire drug testing policy, combined with random drug testing and drug testing of all employees who are injured on the job, will reduce the number of injuries and identify the employees whose injuries are the result of their drug use.\u00a0 In addition, the policy is critical to the success of an employer attempting to deny an unemployment or workers comp claim.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Training is a key issue for DER\u2019s and employers who do drug testing, there is a lack of information and training and at times some employers will make up their rules and policies as they go.\u00a0 Listed below are some of the common things I hear about out in the workplace which are mistakes that could be avoided with proper training.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n