A ‘Day with DISA’ was DISA Global Solution’s first marijuana symposium, which educated employers on the importance of implementing a drug testing program that’s custom to their companies’ needs. For the event, DISA invited a number of select industry experts to present sessions to further help employers with valuable drug testing insights.
If you didn’t get the opportunity to attend the Day with DISA conference, or if you would like to review this presentation again, you can download or watch it using the link below.
Nina French, managing partner at Current Consulting, and DISA’s very own Frank Bernard, Vice President of Ethics and Compliance, teamed up to present: Designing a Program that Works with your Marijuana Laws. This session helped employers get a better grasp on what’s necessary to create a drug testing program that follows industry best practices for medical marijuana policies, how to design that program to include the right testing methodologies, and why regular review is important to ensuring the best program possible.
Frank commented, “As the landscape continues to change when it comes to marijuana use, safety, prescription drugs, and of course, abuse, it is critical now, more than ever for employers to address their policy issues.”
Here are a few key factors to take away from the presentation that emphasize the importance of building and implementing a drug testing program that pertains to your marijuana laws:
According to the 2017 National Safety Council, 81% of policies are incomplete with 67% of employers’ policies not adequately addressing employee prescription drug use and abuse.
Five basic elements your drug testing program should include:
- A clearly written policy
- Employee education
- Supervisor training
- An employee assistance program
- Drug testing
Substance abusers cause 38-50% of all workers’ compensation claims and are 5 times more likely to submit a claim than their non-substance abusing co-workers. – National Council on Compensation Insurance
When designing a program, employers need to understand why their company drug tests, the legal requirements, budget, timing, and procedures to efficiently create something that will continue to protect their company and employees as marijuana laws progress and change over time.
Nina adds, “There are costs and work to be done as you are designing your program and developing your program, but it is stuff that you have to do to stay healthy and fit as an organization.”
Nina and Frank emphasized the importance of creating a custom program that is suitable to meet the needs of safety-sensitive positions, as well as the overall workplace, while maintaining compliance standards within your industry. When following best practices and taking the time to develop a custom testing program, you’ll better protect your company moving forward, and can easily adapt to changes in marijuana laws when and/or if they arise.
Read about other presentations from Day with DISA:
2019 Owner Survey: Employee Screening Trends & Best Practices
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About DISA Global Solutions
Founded in 1986, DISA is the industry-leading provider of employee screening and compliance services. Headquartered in Houston, with more than 35 offices throughout the U.S. and Canada, DISA’s comprehensive scope of services includes drug and alcohol testing, background check, occupational health, and transportation compliance. DISA assists employers in making informed staffing decisions while building a culture of safety in their workplace.