Alcohol and Drug Free Workplace Policy
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Word
This customizable drug and alcohol policy helps employers to ensure safety requirements at the workplace, reduce risks of injuries and accidents, and establish clear rules and expectations from employees at the workplace.
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What is a drug free workplace policy?
A drug free workplace policy is a formal corporate document that outlines an employer’s rules, expectations, and procedures regarding the use, possession, and influence of drugs and alcohol by their employees and workers in the workplace. This template defines strict rules regarding the prohibition of substances, explains testing protocols, and establishes the standards employees must follow while performing their duties.
The main reason why many businesses and organizations across the U.S. use this policy is to promote a safe, healthy, and professional environment. Having a well-drafted drug free workplace policy template:
- promotes integrity of the company’s culture and values;
- reduces the risk of accidents at the workplace;
- ensures compliance with federal and local laws;
- sets clear expectations for conduct during work hours; and
- enforces its consistent application by HR teams.
Who should use this drug-free workplace policy template?
This drug free workplace policy could be used by:
- HR professionals who need a solid policy template to use in daily work;
- Small business owners who wish to make their business compliant;
- Startups and tech companies that hire lots of employees and need a strong legal framework to manage employees’ behavior;
- Healthcare, manufacturing, and construction businesses for which a strong drug free workplace policy is priority No. 1.
What to include in drug free workplace policies?
Drafting a solid drug free workplace policy requires attention to details and clarity of the wording. Since this policy applies directly to employees’ behavior, make sure the wording you apply in the document is clear and precise. To create a drug free workplace policy for OSHA compliance, follow our practice and legal tips given below.
Scope of Application
Every drug testing and reasonable suspicion policy template must define to whom it applies. It is not enough to just say “to all employees working in the company.” There are some nuances you have to consider further:
- interns and volunteers. If your business or organization engages interns or volunteers, it is wise to consider including them in a drug free workplace policy. Since in most of the cases they have direct access to the workplace and communicate with other employees, following the policy by everyone ensures integrity between the staff.
- probation period. If you have employees on a probation period, it might be reasonable to include them in the scope of your application policy as well. Even though they are not officially a part of the company, it could be a good idea to make them eligible for the policy’s application.
- contractors and providers. A person who is not employed within your business but interacts on a daily basis with your employee and staff could also be covered by this drug and alcohol free workplace policy.
Alcohol Usage
In most of the cases a standard drug and alcohol policy should strictly prohibit consumption of any alcohol at the workplace and/or during working hours. Indeed, for example, a drug and alcohol policy for manufacturing companies requires all employees to be sober not only on duty but also a certain time before it. This is because the work performed is quite dangerous, and any mistake could cost you your health or even your life.
However, this is not similar for all businesses, especially when it comes to corporate jobs. When creating drug free workplace policies for corporate jobs, consumption of alcohol at the workplace may have certain exceptions. For example, an employee could be allowed to drink with potential or existing clients and customers during work events, meetings, or parties. Usually, the list of those exceptions should be worded carefully to avoid any ambiguity.
Drug Usage
To make an employee drug and alcohol policy compliant with state laws, the relevant local legislation should be analyzed first.
While some states across the U.S. fully legalize the application of certain substances, state legislation does not require businesses and organizations to allow the same in the workplace. In other words, an employee may have a right to use legalized substances outside the workplace and working hours, but not during the working day.
Apart from that, despite the legalized status of certain substances on a state level, their usage even outside of the workplace could still be penalized by employers. For instance, in the case of the U.S. drug-free workplace policy for federal contractors, employees involved in federal contraction projects should have negative alcohol and substance tests at all times.
Disciplinary Measures
A well-drafted drug and alcohol free workplace policy shall define the list of applicable penalties employer could use in case of a policy violation. The employer may choose either of the following options from the list below:
- written warning to an employee;
- refusal of promotion;
- refusal of annual bonus payment;
- suspension from work for a defined period of time; or
- termination of employment contract.
Policy Amendment
Every business or organization may need time from time to amend or update existing policies to comply with federal or applicable state laws. Once amendments are made, staff should be informed immediately regarding the upcoming changes. Thus, it is important to think in advance about how to notify your employees about the changes. There are few options available:
- to send a personal notification to each employee’s work email;
- to publish a notice on the company’s internal portal or backoffice;
- to deliver a printed version of the updated policy to each employee, etc.
Contact Person
It is a good business practice to appoint a contact person who should be in charge of answering any questions related to the application of this policy. Usually this person could be someone from the HR or compliance department of an organization.
How to customize a policy template at FasterDraft?
To make an employee drug and alcohol policy compliant with state laws, follow a few easy steps below:
- Click the “Create Document” button.
- Answer simple questions in the form.
- Select a template’s format – drug free workplace policy PDF or Word.
- Make a payment.
- Download and implement instantly customized templates.
Table of content
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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1. Is a drug-free workplace policy required by law in the U.S.?
Yes, the workplace substance abuse policy template USA is a necessary internal legal tool that ensures compliance of an employer’s workplace regulation with the standards provided by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act.
While federal law does not provide any specific requirements regarding the document’s content, employers may choose to address combatting usage of drugs and alcohol at the workplace in their own way.
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2. Can I customize this policy for my state’s marijuana laws?
No. While local legislation of some states, including Alaska, Arizona, and Colorado, fully decriminalizes and allows usage of marijuana, the law does not require employers to allow its usage at the workplace. Therefore, most employers keep to prohibiting usage of legalized drugs during working hours and at the workplace.
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3. Does this template cover alcohol use in the workplace?
Yes, this drug free workplace policy covers not only the prohibition of using drugs at the workplace but also alcohol.
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4. Can remote employees be included in a drug-free workplace policy?
Yes, most employers tend to spread the legal effect of alcohol and drug policy for remote workers as well. The decision to cover remote employees by the present policy is an employer’s choice and discretion.
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