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Q. What is a drug-free workplace program?
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A comprehensive program to reduce the effects of substance abuse in the workplace. It generally
consists of a written policy, employee drug education and awareness, supervisor training,
employee assistance program, and drug testing.
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Q. What is the purpose of drug and alcohol testing?
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The purpose of drug and alcohol testing is to deter drug and alcohol abuse, prevent the hiring
of individuals who illegally use drugs, and provide early identification and referral to
treatment of employees with drug or alcohol problems.
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Q. How reliable are the tests?
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Extremely. All testing should be conducted by laboratories certified by the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services (DHHS) and all collection, testing, and Medical Review Officers'
procedures should be in accordance with DHHS "mandatory guidelines" for federal workplace
programs. This provides the highest level of employee protections and safeguards with regard
to specimen collection, chain-of-custody, testing procedures, and use of a medical doctor
trained in substance abuse and testing procedures to verify "positive" test results.
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Q. Can companies obtain information about employees' medical conditions?
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No. When a company contracts wiht a DHHS-certified laboratory for drug testing, only drug
testing is performed. They do not test for pregnancy, AIDS, and/or other medical conditions.
The Medical Review Officer (MRO) reviews and accounts for any medical prescription usage which
could have caused a "positive" test result. The "MRO" reveals only illegal drug use to the
employer. When drug testing is done propery, these problems do not exist.
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Q. What about the Fourth Amendment (freedom from unreasonable search and seizure)?
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The Fourth Amendment does not apply to the private sector, only to searches (including drug
tests) conducted by the government. Moreover, even for public employees, drug testing has been
upheld in numerous court decisions as a reasonable search when conducted properly.
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Q. Why is job applicant testing important?
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Job applicant testing is very common to prevent the hiring of employees who are abusing drugs.
It is extremely cost-effective because it has a strong deterrent impact, and sends a strong
anti-drug abuse message to all employees at the very beginning of their employment. Job
applicant testing is very common -- for example, virtually every Fortune 200 company has a job
applicant drug-testing program.
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Q. What is an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)?
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EAPs bridge the gap between the workplace and community resources that can assist an employee
and his or her family in effectively addressing a whole range of personal problems, including
substance abuse, that affect job performance. An EAP's function is to provide professional
assessment, short-term counseling, and follow-up monitoring.
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Q. Aren't Employee Assistance Programs and drug testing programs expensive for small companies?
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No. Some business consortiums offer small businesses the same price paid by large companies.
Moreover, the real expense to employers can come from not addressing -- and preventing --
employee drug and alcohol abuse because of the potential legal liabilities, health care costs,
accidents, down time, employee theft, and other costs associated with employee substance abuse
problems.
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