What happens if you fail a drug screen?
If one of your employees fails a drug screen and they are in a safety-sensitive position, they must be removed from duty immediately. If the employee is not in a safety-sensitive position, then disciplinary actions can vary based on company policy. Some employers offer Return-to-Duty testing which is given after an employee has violated a company’s drug and alcohol policy and gives the employee an opportunity to get healthy and return to work. Before returning to the company drug testing program, the employee must follow through with the Return-to-Duty process, which can vary by company and industry specifications. Some programs include an evaluation by a Substance Abuse Professional (SAP), education and treatment programs, Follow-Up testing, and more. Contact your HR Representative for more information. Employees in a DISA mandated drug and alcohol testing program that are interested in going through DISA's 'return-to-duty' process can visit our Return To Duty (RTD) Drug Testing page.
What is a drug and alcohol screening?
Drug and alcohol testing helps identify alcohol and both prescription and illegal drugs in an individual’s body. Drug and alcohol testing is a common practice for employers for pre-employment, as well as random, reasonable suspicion, post-accident, return-to-duty, follow-up drug testing, etc. Drug and alcohol testing can be conducted through a variety of testing methodologies, including oral-fluid, urinalysis, and hair, each offering a different window of detection which is especially beneficial when combined with two or more testing methodologies.
Do different testing policies for different clients have different saturation levels as a threshold for positive vs. negative tests?
YES - All drug testing policies have a testing “panel.” Testing panels consist of substances and level thresholds (limit of detection). DISA offers policies with customized panels, in addition to policies that require standard/regulated panels. (Please note, all DOT and some safety-sensitive, non-DOT drug testing programs have mandatory testing panels)
Does Oklahoma’s medical marijuana law have a safety-sensitive carve-out?
Oklahoma’s medical marijuana law prohibits an employer from refusing to hire, discipline, or penalize an applicant or employee based solely on a marijuana-positive drug test. Recently they passed legislation that creates an exception for positions involving safety-sensitive duties. This includes positions that involve duties that an employer reasonably believes could impact the health and safety of the employee or others. Examples of safety-sensitive positions include, but aren’t limited to, operating motor vehicles, equipment, machinery, or power tools, dispensing pharmaceuticals, direct patient or child care, or handling, packaging, processing, storing, disposing, or transporting hazardous materials, etc. Employers should establish which positions are safety-sensitive within their company and provide a clear and concise written drug testing policy abiding by Oklahoma medical marijuana laws. Once that’s complete and you share it with your employees, you should be in good shape!