Why a Reasonable Suspicion Policy is Important- 27 Jan

Does your company have a reasonable suspicion provision in your Workplace Drug and Alcohol Policy? If not, you should consider it. Your company has the right to require all employees to come to work unimpaired. You can test employees if there is a reasonable suspicion they are impaired on the job.

If there is reason to suspect that an employee is under the influence, be sure to document everything thoroughly. You’ll need to take note of your direct observations. Be sure to include appearance, odor, behavior, and any work performance issues that support reasonable suspicion testing. Without the proper procedures and policies in place, your company could be at risk for legal and financial penalties.

It is common for employers to just report the requested test as a “random” test. If you go this route, you are opening the door for legal liabilities. While you can order random testing, it’s not the appropriate option for reasonable suspicion and can lead to legal issues.

The reasonable suspicion provision can be difficult to define and execute. Total Reporting provides employers and management teams in-depth reasonable suspicion training. Being able to recognize impairment and properly ordering reasonable suspicion tests is critical for your organization to avoid any legal issues.

Ordering random drug tests is a great way to get employees to follow the drug and alcohol policies you’ve set forth. These can be used as needed, make great company-wide sweeps.

Additional training is available to help you create a detailed Workplace Drug and Alcohol Policy that includes an in-depth reasonable suspicion provision. Reach out to get started today.