Staff briefings

Employee awareness via short briefings provides your employees with a firm understanding of your company's drug and alcohol policy. Briefings should include the effects of drugs on the employee and fellow workers, types of testing required of them, testing procedures, prohibited uses of drugs and alcohol, consequences for violation of policy and treatment options. In summary, all employees should receive an overview of the Policy and what is expected of them. It also gives a great platform for sensible Q&A and allows the company's Drug and Alcohol Policy working group to gain excellent feedback from the "on-site" staff.

Example Employee Briefing Outline

  • Overview of the Drug & Alcohol Policy
  • Impact of substance abuse in the workplace
  • Ways that people use alcohol and other drugs
  • Signs and symptoms of substance abuse
  • Family and co-worker impact
  • Assistance
  • Confidentiality
  • Drugs of abuse and Medication
  • Reasons for testing and types of testing

Such education can be delivered in briefing sessions, toolbox talks, induction sessions, awareness road-shows (as part of an overall health awareness?) etc. ScreenSafe UK can provide posters, leaflets and company booklets dealing with many topics such as responsible drinking (know your units) etc. These go a long way to providing the ongoing message of the company's stance on substance misuse. Booklets and leaflets can be generic, bespoke to your company or even free from the Department of Health (see www.dh.gov.uk) in some cases.

Investing in your workforce is necessary to make sure that your staff are kept up to date with new ideas and ways of working.

The problems that drugs and alcohol cause are too important for drug education to be an "optional" subject for employers to provide to their employees. With the current epidemic of substance misuse, it may also be argued that the employer has a corporate responsibility and community responsibility to provide such education and awareness to all.

The more you LEARN, the more you EARN.

Have you ever noticed that the word LEARN contains the word EARN? Perhaps that is because the higher level of "education" you achieve, the higher level of "benefits" you are likely to command as well.

Most drug education programs have never been evaluated. Of those for which some evaluative information is available, the following generalizations can be made:

  • Instruction is most effective when it begins early in the process and is continuous;
  • One-shot programs are less successful than those that are part of a multigrade, comprehensive programme;
  • Full employee involvement enhances the program success;
  • The trainer plays a critical role, and specialist trainer knowledge is essential.

You would not expect to throw the keys of a JCB to an employee and expect them to be able to operate it effectively and efficiently. The same concept should apply to the Drug and Alcohol policy.

Training and education helps to eliminate employee drug-use in the workplace and it protects companies from potential claims of wrongful dismissal.

If you have any further questions or you wish to discuss your specific education or training needs then please contact our friendly and professional customer service team on 08450 505590 or via email (enquiries@screensafeuk.co.uk). All enquiries are strictly confidential.