The Questions Employers Are Asking Today Are Not the Questions They Asked Five Years Ago

Something Has Changed

I've worked in workplace drug and alcohol testing for a long time now and one thing has become very clear to me. The conversations I am having with employers today are completely different to the conversations I was having five years ago.

Back then, most of the questions were fairly straightforward.

How do we introduce workplace drug testing? What happens if someone fails a test? What should be in our policy? How often should we conduct testing?

Those questions still exist, but they are no longer the questions that keep employers awake at night. Today, the questions are far more complicated.

They are also far more human.

Employers Are Dealing With New Challenges

In the last few years, I have noticed a significant shift in what businesses are asking for help with. The questions being asked are often variants on "What do we do if an employee is prescribed medical cannabis?" or "How do we manage prescription medication in safety-critical roles?" or "What if somebody appears impaired but passes a drug test?" and sometimes "How do we support somebody who is struggling without putting the business at risk?"

These are not simple questions. and there is rarely a one-size-fits-all answer. What these questions do tell me, however, is that workplaces are changing and the way you manage substance misuse in the workplace needs to change with them.

Your Old Approach Will Struggle

Historically, many workplace drug and alcohol programmes were built around the simple principle of find the problem and remove it and whilst that approach may have appeared effective on paper, real life is rarely that simple.

Today we are seeing more employees using prescribed medication, more awareness around mental health, more understanding of addiction and dependency, more legal protections and more complexity. 

That means employers such as yourself need more than just a workplace drug testing policy. You need confidence, knowledge and support. But, most importantly, you need managers who understand how to deal with difficult situations fairly and consistently.

The Question Behind The Question

Over the years that I have been doing this, one thing I have learned is that employers are rarely asking the question they actually want answered.

For example, somebody may ask "Can we test this employee?" but what they are really asking is "Can we keep our workplace safe?"

Another example, somebody else might ask "What happens if they fail a drug test?" but what they are really asking is "How do we deal with this situation without creating a bigger problem?"

What I see is that most employers are trying to balance three things:

• Safety.

• Fairness.

• Business protection.

That balancing act is becoming harder. Not because employers are doing anything wrong, simply because the workplace itself is changing.

Why Impairment Is Becoming More Important

One of the biggest shifts I have seen is the growing discussion around impairment. For years, workplace drug testing focused heavily on detection. Now though, more employers are beginning to understand that detecting a substance and proving somebody is impaired are two very different things and that distinction matters. Especially when we are dealing with prescribed medication, medical cannabis and legitimate medical conditions.

As technology develops and understanding improves, I believe impairment management will become one of the most important conversations in workplace safety.

Support Is No Longer A Soft Option

Another change I have seen is around support. There once was a time when support was often viewed as being too lenient. Thankfully, that attitude is starting to change with more employers now recognise that supporting somebody does not mean ignoring risk. In fact, the best organisations understand that support and safety often work together.

Helping somebody access support early is quite often better for both them and your business. How? It can prevent accidents, reduce absence, improve productivity and protect the business at the same time.

That is one of the reasons I created the Better Testing approach.

Because I believe workplace drug and alcohol programmes should not just identify problems. They should help solve them.

Looking Ahead

I genuinely believe the next ten years will reshape how employers think about workplace substance misuse. Medical cannabis will continue to grow, prescription medication will become a bigger discussion, impairment will become more important, technology and artificial intelligence will play a larger role and training and education will become even more valuable.

The organisations that adapt early will be in the strongest position. The organisations that continue relying on approaches designed for a different workplace may find themselves struggling.

My Question To You

This is something I am actively researching at the moment.

What is the biggest challenge your organisation faces when it comes to managing drugs, alcohol, prescribed medication or impairment in the workplace?

I would genuinely be interested to hear your thoughts.

The more conversations I have, the clearer it becomes that employers are looking for answers. The question is whether our industry is evolving quickly enough to provide them.

David Bainbridge

Founder of First Cohort Incorporated Ltd

Creator of the Better Testing Approach