How to ... Control substance abuse at work
Human resources is key to controlling substance abuse at work
Companies cannot afford to ignore substance abuse, warns Rhys Evans, the MD at ALCO-Safe, which provides alcohol- and drug-detection equipment. Human resources is key to controlling substance abuse at work. "It starts with putting a policy in place governing substance abuse because, quite simply, no organisation can discipline or fire an employee for breaking a rule that doesn't exist," he says. Evans has the following advice: A substance abuse policy should be part of the employment contract; The business must understand the legal requirements and what failure to keep to them will mean; Stay up to date with new legislation; Make sure your company's procedures meet legal requirements and can withstand testing in the Labour Court; The person who does the testing must be suitably trained; and Breaking the rules (misconduct) is not the same as incapacity (due to substance abuse). Businesses should help those with dependencies, through rehabilitation, for example, although companies ar...
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