October 12 Tip of the Week

What if one of your employees shows up for work one morning with bloodshot, watery eyes and seems clumsy and disoriented?  You think that the employee might be drunk, but you aren’t sure and don’t know how to handle it.  This is where reasonable suspicion drug and alcohol testing comes in.  If an employee or manager observes and complains that an employee may be intoxicated, have two members of the management or HR team observe the employee and look for objective indicia of intoxication.  Examples of indicia of intoxication include: odors, unsteady or dizzy movements, dilated eyes, flushed face, looking confused or blank, slurred or slow speech, among many others.  The presenting indicia should be documented and HR or a member of management should have a discussion with the employee about the observations.  Be sure that if you send an employee for testing, you arrange for either a cab, Uber or Lyft or have a member of management drive the employee to the testing cite.  As always, comply with your company’s policy and state laws regarding reasonable suspicion drug testing.  Let our attorneys know if you have any questions about this process or if you need a multi-state, legally compliant drug testing policy.