Content Attributes
Introduction:
Covid-19 has not only affected the lives of salaried employees and daily wagers, but it has also affected the way most of the non-essential product or service-related businesses work now. The lockdown and the social distancing guidelines have made people shift from working at their offices to what is now known as “work from home”.
Managing and maintaining the drug testing policy for most companies is a huge challenge during these times owing to the circumstances. But there is a huge surge in alcohol and drug abuse during the pandemic. And that is an obvious reason for employers to be concerned about the sobriety of their workers.
How COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we can approach drug testing?
The fact that one has to visit a laboratory or the site of testing to give samples for their regular drug test has become a matter of concern. Employees might not be willing to break social distancing rules to get the drug test. Screening for them is a protocol that used to be in place when your business was functioning from a workplace.
Switching to remote work mode always has its drawbacks but the pandemic has just added to it and there are a few tips everyone needs to be aware of while getting a drug or alcohol screening done.
- Inform your employees about the guidelines they need to follow. Add the consequences of non-compliance along with that.
- Employers should know and implement the guidelines regarding the refusal or delay of drug screening during these times.
- Special guidelines need to be followed for people suffering from chronic diseases. This is because they might not be willing to risk their lives for a regular drug screening.
Is it necessary for the laid-off staff to get the drug test done?
Employers should make these employees go through a pre-employment drug screening if and when they join back. If not, it will be the responsibility of the next organization that hires them during or after the pandemic to screen the candidate for drugs and alcohol.
Does the same set of rules apply to furloughed employees?
Employees who are on unpaid leave from the company but have not terminated their contract are said to be furloughed. The best way to deal with this situation is to screen these employees according to the company policy for pre-employment drug screening to avoid any issues related to safety in your workplace.
Can we still do drug screening for employees despite the strict COVID regulations?
The answer is yes! We can conduct drug testing exactly according to the protocol for employees that are still working with your company. There is an obvious risk of increased alcohol intake or drug abuse as the world has shifted to remote working mode.
It is very important for organizations to continue their screening protocols so that their employees stay safe from stress-induced substance abuse.
It is likely that employees might resist going through the screening due to multiple reasons. But the organizations should make it clear by making amendments to their drug screening policies to monitor the drug use by their employees.
The screening policy should be such that it remains applicable during the remote working period as well. On-site testing is one of the best ways to conduct drug screening. According to DOT, employers can opt for mobile sample collection services for required drug screening if fixed-site collection facilities are not available.
24/7 onsite drug testing services:
At 24/7 On-site drug testing, we help you carry out a remote sample collection and test the samples for drugs and alcohol. We offer our services for drug testing at Corpus Christi and our response time is as less as two hours.
Conclusion:
The pandemic has changed the ways of our life and each aspect of our life has experienced a drastic change. Workplaces have become virtual and are going to be so till the pandemic is over. But a virtual workplace still needs to be a safe workplace. On-site drug testing is one of the best ways to ensure this safety and make workplaces drug-free.
So in case, you are planning to postpone your employee’s drug testing program, think again.