SAMHSA Workplace Resource Center : 

http://workplace.samhsa.gov

Workplace Resource Helpline: 

1.800.workplace, 1.800.967.5752

Drug-Free Workplace Kit: 

http://workplace.samhsa.gov

GetFit: 

http://GetFit.SAMHSA.Gov

SAMHSA Workplace Resource Center : 

http://workplace.samhsa.gov

Workplace Resource Helpline: 

1.800.workplace, 1.800.967.5752

Drug-Free Workplace Kit: 

http://workplace.samhsa.gov

GetFit: 

http://GetFit.SAMHSA.Gov


How to Use This Workplace Kit 

Needs Assessment 

Policy Development

-Brochure: Conducting a Needs Assessment

- Brochure: Developing a Drug-Free Workplace Policy

Materials Checklist

 Components of a Drug-Free Workplace

Employee Education

- Brochure: Using Your Employee Assistance Program

- Implementation Guide: How to Build, Implement, and Sustain a Drug-Free Workplace

- Fact Sheet: How to Build Awareness of Your Drug-Free Workplace Program

- Fact Sheet: How to Inform Employees about Your Drug-Free Workplace Policy

- Fact Sheet: www.myworkplace.atgetfit.net: How to Build Your Own GetFit.SAMHSA.Gov Web Site

- Poster

- Poster

- Sticker: Welcome to a Drug-Free Workplace

 - Rolodex Card: SAMHSA Workplace Resource Center contact information

Marketing Tools and Implementation Guide

- Brochure: Components of a Drug-Free Workplace 

- Fact Sheet: Hallmarks of Successful Drug-Free Workplace Programs

- Fact Sheet: Why Should You Care About Having a Drug-Free Workplace?

1

3

2

4

5

- Fact Sheet: Workplace Substance Abuse Prevention Resources Reference List

- Fact Sheet: GetFit.SAMHSA.Gov: Online Workplace for Health, Wellness, and Safety

- Brochure: SAMHSA’s NREPP Model Programs for the Workplace

- Fact Sheet: National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information

Workplace Substance Abuse Prevention Resources

-Brochure: Training Your Supervisors

- Brochure: Informing and Educating Your Employees

- Fact Sheet: Effects of Alcohol and Other Drugs on Job Performance and Family

- Fact Sheet: Health Effects of Alcohol and Other Drugs on Your Body

- Fact Sheet: Workplace Substance Abuse Statistics

Employee Assistance Program

- Brochure: Drug Testing in the Workplace

- Fact Sheet: Drug Testing Facts and Statistics

Supervisory Training

Drug Testing

10

9

8

6

7



Drug-free workplace programs can help employers

create cost-effective, safe, and healthy

workplaces. Early studies have indicated that

successful drug-free workplace programs generally

have at least five key components:1

1. A written policy

2. Employee education

3. Supervisor training

4. An employee assistance program (EAP)

5. Drug testing

The demonstration program offered by the Small

Business Administration under the Drug-Free

Workplace Act of 1998 specified the following six

components:

1. A clear written policy

2. A minimum of 2 hours of training for all 

employees 

3. Additional training for working parents 

4. Drug testing by a certified institution 

5. Access to an EAP

6. A continuing drug and alcohol abuse 

prevention program

Notable are the minimum of 2 hours of training for

all employees (with additional training for working

parents) and the need for prevention programs.

There are other types of drug-free workplace

programs that include these components along

with others in their design. Variations consist of

using health and wellness programs (including

alcohol and prescription

drugs as a major

prevention and early

intervention

component) and

providing ongoing

interactive Web sites

(e.g., GetFit in the

online Drug-Free Workplace Kit) for employee,

supervisor, and provider education and training.

Another way employees can enhance these

general components is to adapt to changes in the

modern workplace. Such changes can include

more employees telecommuting, the increasingly

multigenerational nature of the workforce, and a

culturally and linguistically diverse workforce.

Successful drug-free workplace programs, in

addition to having the five key components listed

above, often provide access to diversified EAPs.

SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-based

Programs and Practices (NREPP) identifies many

well-researched drug-free workplace programs.

NREPP programs and

all components should

be assessed when

initiating or enhancing

a drug-free workplace

program. Drug-free

workplace programs

range from basic to

comprehensive. The size of the organization, the

nature of the workforce, and the resources

available all contribute to how the program is

tailored. Conducting a needs assessment first will

help employers determine which components are

the most feasible and beneficial.

Needs Assessment

Before considering the five components,

employers should examine the needs of their

organizations and take steps to ensure that the

programs they design will work well in their

workplaces. There are numerous reasons why

1
employers and unions establish drug-free

workplace programs. Among the leading 

reasons are

• To comply with laws or regulations

• To qualify for insurance discounts, rebates,

and other incentives

• To prevent associated problems (e.g., 

absenteeism, accidents, injuries, 

productivity loss)

• To respond to an incident or pattern of 

substance abuse

• To express support for the majority of 

employees who do not abuse alcohol or 

other drugs

• To invest in worker health, safety, 

and productivity

• To market drug-free workers and services

A needs assessment can determine whether

alcohol or other drugs are affecting the workplace,

can identify resources and strengths, can examine

appropriate policy and program options, and can

help illuminate cost-effective strategies for

achieving organizational goals. 

When beginning to assess the needs of the

workplace, some key things to consider are

• Does the workplace fall under specific 

legislation? 

• Are employees in safety-sensitive roles? 

For example, do they drive vehicles, 

operate machinery, handle chemicals, or 

work with the public—particularly with 

children?

• Are employees in jobs that are security 

sensitive? For example, are they 

responsible for confidential ideas, 

products, plans, or documents? Are they 

responsible for accounting, cash, 

inventory, or stock? Do employees work 

offsite, such as traveling salespersons, 

home workers, or home health care 

workers?

• Do certain employees perform key 

functions of the organization (such as 

accountants who handle large sums of 

money; salespersons who represent the 

company; employees who monitor 

computers, nuclear power dials, etc.; or 

supervisors who manage many 

employees)?

• What kinds of drug-free workplace 

resources are available within and outside 

the organization, and at what cost? That 

is, what are the costs and benefits of 

implementing different types of drug-free 

workplace programs?

Written Policy

A written policy is the cornerstone of a drug-free

workplace program. This Kit will assist you in

designing a policy specific to your workplace. At

the minimum, the policy should include the

following:

• Rationale (e.g., laws, regulations, 

organizational goals)

• Expectations for compliance (e.g., who, 

what, when, where)

• Options offered for assistance (e.g., an 

EAP, community resources)

• Consequences for violating the policy (e.g.,

discipline, referral for assistance, 

termination)

Employee Education

The entire organization should know about the

benefits of the drug-free workplace policy and

program. Owners, top management, supervisors,

and nonsupervisory employees at all levels should

be prepared for the implementation of the policy

and program. Everyone in the workplace needs

information about the problems associated with

2
the use and misuse of substances. They all can

benefit from education and training that reinforces

and deepens that awareness. And they can benefit

from activities that motivate them to adopt safer

and healthier attitudes and behaviors. It is

especially important that the entire workforce be

familiar with the benefits of the drug-free

workplace policy and program, particularly when

they are supported by other health and wellness

programs and activities.2

For the policy and program to effect positive

change, everyone must be on board. Research

shows that the best way to encourage positive

change is to involve everyone in understanding

and actively supporting the process.3

Supervisor Training

Customized supervisor training that takes into

account the particular characteristics of your

workplace is strongly suggested to maximize the

effectiveness of your drug-free workplace policy

and program.

Employee Assistance Programs

Employee assistance programs are programs,

sponsored by the organization or a union, that

help employees by identifying and addressing a

broad spectrum of health, economic, and social

issues, including substance abuse and mental

health. An EAP can enhance the work climate of

an organization and promote the health and wellbeing of everyone involved.

EAPs usually are multifaceted programs that are

designed to help employees with personal

problems that affect their job performance.

Though some EAPs concentrate primarily on

alcohol and other drug problems, most EAPs

address a wide range of employee problems:

stress, marital difficulties, financial trouble, and

legal problems. Most EAPs offer a range of

services: employee education (onsite or offsite),

individual and organizational assessment,

counseling, referrals to treatment. EAPs can also

train supervisors for your program. Contracting

with an EAP has been found to be a cost-effective

approach to providing assistance to employees.

There are also free and low-cost ways to provide

assistance. To cut costs, some employers use

SAMHSA’s helpline (1.800.WORKPLACE), partner

with other organizations, or rely on communitybased, drug-free coalitions. For help with finding

local initiatives and coalitions:

• Look in the phonebook, under your city’s 

name, for entries like “Drug-Free Business

Initiative” or “Coalition for Drug-Free 

Workplaces.”

• Call or write your State or county office for

alcohol and drug abuse services, and ask 

the office if it has a list of groups near 

your workplace.

• Call or write your local mayor’s office, the 

police department’s community relations 

office, or the office of economic 

development, and ask if the office has a 

list of coalitions.

• Call or write your chamber of commerce or

business or trade association, and ask if it 

has services to help employers start a 

drug-free workplace program.

1. Know the policy and program.

2. Be aware of legally sensitive areas.

3. Recognize potential problems.

4. Document in a systematic and fair manner.

5. Act in a confidential way.

6. Refer to appropriate services.

7. Reintegrate into the workplace.

Seven General Guidelines Found to be 

Useful for Many Employers, Supervisors, 

and Human Resources Staff

3
• Call SAMHSA’s Workplace Helpline at 1.800.

WORKPLACE (1.800.967.5752).

How Can You Find a Qualified EAP Provider?

The first step in implementing an EAP is to find a

qualified service provider. EAPs can either be

separate from or combined with insurance/health

care plans.

Currently there are no national licensure programs

for EAP providers. However, several States are

considering such programs. Two professional

associations—the Employee Assistance

Professionals Association (EAPA) and the Employee

Assistance Society of North America (EASNA)—

have developed certification procedures for EAP

providers. The Certified Employee Assistance

Professional credential indicates satisfactory

knowledge about addictions, intervention, and

related skills. For a fee, EAPA or EASNA can also

provide directories of EAP providers by area or

region. Call EASNA at 763.765.2385 between 8:30

a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, Central

Standard or Daylight Time. Call EAPA at

703.387.1000 between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.,

Monday through Friday, Eastern Standard or

Daylight Time.

Drug Testing

An increasing number of businesses across the

country are instituting drug-free workplace policies

that include workplace drug testing programs, for

a host of reasons. Some do it to comply with

Federal regulations, customer or contract

requirements, or insurance carrier requirements.

Others wish to improve safety, minimize the

chance of hiring employees who may be users or

abusers, deter “recreational” drug use that could

lead to addiction, identify current users and

abusers and refer them for assistance, or reduce

the costs of alcohol and other drug abuse in the

workplace. Drug testing

is one way to protect

your workplace from

the negative effects of

alcohol and other drug

abuse. A drug testing

program can deter

employees from coming to work unfit for duty. It

can also discourage alcohol and other drug

abusers from joining your organization in the first

place.

References

1 Donna M. Bush and J.H. Autry III. 2002. 

“Substance Abuse in the Workplace: 

Epidemiology, Effects, and Industry.” 

Occupational Medicine: State of the Art 

Reviews 17:13–25.

2 Royer F. Cook and William E. Schlenger. 2002. 

“Prevention of Substance Abuse in the 

Workplace: Review of Research on the 

Delivery of Services.” Journal of Primary 

Prevention 23:115–42.

3 Laura Ferrer–Wreder, Hakan Stattin, Carolyn 

Cass Lorente, Jonathan G. Tubman, and 

Lena Adamson. 2003. Prevention and 

Youth Development Programs: Across 

Borders. New York, New York: 

Kluwer/Plenum Academic Publishers.

Different Types of EAPs 

Internal/in house

Fixed-fee contract

Fee-for-service contracts

Consortia

Management-sponsored programs

Peer-based programs

Member assistance programs

4


Because Substance Abuse in the Workplace Is a Widespread Problem

Alcohol and other drug abuse is widespread in our society. It affects us all in many ways. Although 

national, State, and local efforts have begun to show encouraging results, the problem of alcohol 

and other drug abuse remains a serious problem. No workplace is immune. According to the 2006 

National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 74.9 percent of all adult illicit drug users are employed 

full or part time.1

 Most binge and heavy alcohol users are also employed full or part time.2

Because Substance Abuse in the Workplace Can Have Serious Consequences

Substance abusing employees often do not make good employees. Studies show that, compared 

with non–substance abusers, they are more likely3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

To change jobs frequently

To be late to or absent from work

To be less productive employees

To be involved in a workplace accident

To file a workers’ compensation claim

Workplace substance abuse can also have a serious effect on people other than the abuser. For 

example, some studies suggest that working alongside a substance abuser can reduce nonabusers’ 

morale and productivity.9 It also is quite common for substance abusing workers who are involved 

in workplace accidents to injure other people (rather than themselves), especially if they work in 

safety-sensitive industries, such as the transportation or construction industry.10

Because, in Some Cases, It’s the Law

In 1986 the President signed an Executive order mandating that all Federal agencies be drug-free. 

In 1988, Congress passed the Drug-Free Workplace Act,11 which requires Federal grantees and 

recipients of Federal contracts of $100,000 or more to comply with the following:

The employer must have a written policy that explains what is prohibited and the 

consequences of violating the policy.

Employees must read and consent to the policy as a condition of employment on the 

project.

The employer must have an awareness program to educate employees about alcohol and 

other drugs of abuse and addiction, the employer’s policy, and available help, including 

counseling and other assistance.

Employees must disclose any conviction for a drug-related offense in the workplace to 

the employer within 5 days after such conviction.

Employers must disclose any conviction for a drug-related offense in the workplace to 

the Federal agency with which the employer has a grant or contract, within 10 days after 

receiving notice from the employee or others.

Substance abusing 

employees often do

not make good 

employees.

Substance abusing 

employees often do

not make good 

employees.

FACT SHEET

Many people who use or abuse alcohol or other

drugs also hold jobs. According to the 2006

National Survey on Drug Use and Health, about 75

percent of the estimated 17.9 million illicit-drug

users ages 18 and older were holding full- or parttime jobs.1

The same survey found that most

binge drinkers and heavy drinkers were

employed.2

From multiple studies, we also know that

substance use and abuse lead to high costs to the

economy, society, and the health of the Nation.

For example, the Office of National Drug Control

Policy estimates that, in 2002, drug abuse cost

the United States $180.9 billion3 (see chart).

These costs reflect lost productivity, increased

injuries, accidents, health care costs, bullying,

harassment, theft, white-collar crime, and disease

(including tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS and other

sexually transmitted diseases).4

To prevent or reduce alcohol- and other drugrelated problems in workplaces, many employers

have instituted drug-free workplace programs or

components. Others have employed health and

wellness programs with overlapping drug-free

workplace program components, and with drug

screening as a commonly implemented

component. The American Management

Association conducted a survey in 2004 that found

that about 62 percent of employers conducted

tests for illegal or

controlled substances.5

The employers

surveyed by the

association conducted

workplace drug testing

to screen applicants for

jobs and to test

employees for fitness for duty and for

reassignment. Meanwhile, other employers have

begun to emphasize prevention efforts, such as

workplace health and wellness programs, including

health and risk assessments.6, 7, 8, 9

But how can a workplace determine what it

specifically needs? A needs assessment for a drugfree workplace program can systematically analyze

“how things are” and how the program can

improve the organization and help meet

employees’ needs. Much information is now

available to help employers select programs and

program components that can be the most useful

for their workplaces. However, because these

programs and components can be costly, it makes

sense to complete a needs assessment first.

What Does a Needs Assessment Do and How Can

Workplaces Go About Doing One?

In brief, a needs assessment can gauge the extent

of costs related to substance abuse. These costs

may arise from accidents, injuries, and high

turnover rates. A needs assessment can also

address workplace legal mandates, executive

mandates, mission, goals, culture, internal and

external constraints, facilities, resources, and the

knowledge base. And it can use a variety of

techniques to measure the extent of the needs

and to identify program components that are likely

1
to be the most useful in

addressing those needs.

Components might include

focus group meetings,

consultations with key

personnel, examination of

work products, analysis of

workplace administrative data, and employee,

management, and union surveys.

Needs Assessment Map

Decide Who Conducts the Needs Assessment

Some employers hire consultants to conduct needs

assessments and evaluations.10 However, hiring

outside help may not be an option for

organizations with limited resources. Just as a

policy and program doesn’t have to be complex

and costly to be effective, a needs assessment

doesn't have to be complicated. Anyone—from a

business owner or organization head to an HR

representative to an outside consultant—can

conduct a basic needs assessment within an

organization, appropriate to the organization size.

The needs assessment can be tailored to the

amount of resources a company has to address

this issue.

Involve Others

One key to the success of any drug-free workplace

policy and program is to involve employees and

union officials from the very beginning of the

needs assessment process. Employers whose

workplaces are unionized

may need to bargain with

the unions about the drugfree policy and program.

They certainly will want to

enlist their cooperation and

support in the early stages

of assessing needs. Employers will probably also

want to include both supervisory and

nonsupervisory employees in this process.

Articulate the Mission and Goals

Success can mean different things to different

people. Some employers, for example, may want

primarily to meet the legislative requirements.

Other employers may want to improve productivity

and the return on their investment. Still others

may want to change the lives of their workers and

their workers’ families.

When starting to assess workplace needs, it is

helpful to ask some key questions. For example:

• What legislative or regulatory 

requirements must the organization meet 

with respect to substance use and abuse?

• Are there employees in safety-sensitive 

roles? For example, are there employees 

who administer health advice, medicine, or 

services, or employees who drive vehicles, 

operate machinery, handle chemicals, or 

work with the public—particularly 

with children?

• Are there employees in jobs that are 

security sensitive? For example, are there 

employees who are responsible for 

confidential ideas, products, plans, or 

documents; employees who are 

responsible for accounting, cash, 

inventory, or stock; or employees who 

work offsite, such as traveling 

salespersons, home workers, or home 

health care workers?

• Do certain employees perform functions 

that are of extreme importance to the 

organization? For example, are there 

accountants who handle large sums of 

money, sales persons who represent the 

company to key buyers, employees who 

monitor nuclear power dials, or supervisors 

who manage many employees?

Link Each Goal to Something Measurable

If one of the goals is to “have an employee who is

drug-free,” determine exactly what this means and

how this will be measured. Such broad goals are

2
often measured by defining more concrete, 

strategic objectives, such as “increased volunteer

use of the EAP.”

Get a Baseline

Document what the workplace is like before the

drug-free workplace policy and program are

implemented. This pretest, or baseline,

information gives something to compare with after

the policy and program have been developed and

implemented. To develop a useful baseline for a

drug-free workplace policy and program, a

workplace can do the following:

1. Collect and Analyze Data on the 

Current Situation

Qualitative Data. For example, what do

supervisory and nonsupervisory employees say

about the safety, health, and productivity of the

workplace before the program is implemented?

What is the morale of the company before the

program? What are other organizations in the

industry and in the area doing to promote health,

safety, and productivity? What are the

characteristics of the organization (e.g., small

business; employees who are home workers)?

How does management work with unions? What is

the corporate culture toward alcohol and other

drugs? Is alcohol served at company functions?

What is the corporate perspective on health and

wellness of employees? How supportive are

supervisors and managers toward employees’

work-life family needs? Are employees fearful of

colleagues who are abusing drugs?

Quantitative Data. For example, what are the

numbers on turnover, absenteeism, tardiness, use

of health care benefits, and workers’ compensation

claims? What is the percentage of loss, including

theft, accidents, and poor-quality goods?

2. Understand Legal and Other Requirements

Review national, State, and local industry

requirements for safety. Determine whether there

are any statutes offering financial benefits for

having a drug-free workplace policy and program.

Some of these benefits include garnering

preference in contract bids and getting workers'

compensation premium discounts or other

reductions.

3. Identify Future Needs and Goals

What is the business development plan? How will

the policy and program affect this?

4. Identify Resources

Look at internal and external resources for

implementing a policy and program.

Estimate the Costs and Benefits

Rising health care costs have increased pressure

on employers to monitor costs, cost effectiveness,

and cost-benefit ratios for all health care services,

including substance abuse–related services.11

Even though the exact economic costs and

benefits of a drug-free

workplace policy and

program can be difficult

to measure, reasonable

estimates can be

calculated. Returns on

investment (ROIs) have

varied across industries

and geographical locations, but some have been

dramatic. One study, for example, found a $27 to

$1 ROI in a major transportation company, and

this was considered a conservative estimate.12 The

costs that programs have addressed include injury,

lost productivity, employee turnover, health care,

workers’ compensation, job dissatisfaction,

litigation, and crime.

A drug-free workplace policy and program can

help achieve multiple goals and outcomes, some

of which are easier to measure than others. The

main goal and outcome, which is most obvious, is

to reduce or eliminate workplace drug use.

Another may be to increase the safety of one's

employees and the public. Others may be less

obvious, but also important, such as promoting

3
healthy behaviors at work, encouraging workers to

develop a team focus, and creating a supportive

work environment. Try to measure progress in

many, if not all, of these goal and outcome areas

when evaluating the program’s success.

Most of all, remember this: although it may take a

while before some cost savings become visible,

improvements in employee morale may be evident

right away.

Describe the Process

Document the steps taken to develop and

implement the policy and program. Recording this

information can help an employer improve the

process later on. Some steps that might be taken

and that should be documented include developing

consensus by building a team, revising the policy

to incorporate feedback from others, addressing

legal requirements, and assessing employees’

strengths and their areas in need of improvement.

Find a Way to Compare

It can be helpful to compare what the workplace

looked like both before and after implementing the

policy and program, as a way to show savings and

costs.

Another powerful way to show change is to

compare the organization’s efforts with the efforts

of another organization. Some professional groups

encourage this kind of comparison. Another way is

to compare one of the organization’s worksites

(for example, one that has an extensive drug-free

workplace program) with another of the worksites

(for example, one that has only very basic drugfree workplace training).

Evaluation should be ongoing. Don’t be

discouraged if results aren’t apparent right away.

The cycle of evaluation encourages ongoing

reassessment of the goals, objectives, means for

achieving those objectives, and ways of measuring

processes and outcomes. The evaluation results

will contribute to informed decisions about

whether, and in what ways, the policy and

program can be improved.

References

1

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and 

Mental Health Services Administration, Office of Applied Studies. 2007. 

Results From the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and 

Health: National Findings. Rockville, Maryland, 27. 2

Ibid, 37. 3 Executive Office of the President of the United States, Office of National 

Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). 2006. The Economic Costs of Drug 

Abuse in the United States 1992–2002. Available at 

http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/economic_costs/ 

e_summary.pdf/. 4 It should be noted that these estimates are an update of the detailed 

cost study for 1992 (H.J. Harwood, D. Fountain, G. Livermore, and 

others; 1998; “The Economic Costs of Alcohol and Drug Abuse in the 

United States”; Rockville, Maryland: National Institute on Drug Abuse 

and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism). They 

have been updated with the most current data available (ONDCP, 2006). 5

American Management Association. 2004. “Workplace Testing Survey: 

Medical Testing.” Available at http://www.amanet.org/research/pdfs/ 

Medical_testing_04.pdf/. 6

Royer F. Cook and William E. Schlenger. 2002. “Prevention of Substance 

Abuse in the Workplace: Review of Research on the Delivery of 

Services.” Journal of Primary Prevention 23(1):115–42. 7 Max Heirich. 2001. “Worksite Health Promotion: What Works?” 

Presentation at Workplace Substance Abuse Prevention: 

Visualizing the Future-Research, Practice, and Policy. Sponsored 

by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Washington,D.C. 8 Max Heirich. 2000. “Findings From a Study on the Effectiveness of a 

Proactive Outreach Program in the Worksite.” Available at 

http://www.workplace.samhsa.gov/Prevention/Pages/Synopsis_ 

Overview/EBriefings_Max_Heirich.aspx/. 9 Max Heirich and Cynthia J. Sieck. 2003. “Helping At-Risk Drinkers Reduce

Their Drinking: Cardiovascular Wellness Outreach at Work.” In 

Joel B. Bennett and Wayne E.K. Lehman (eds.). Preventing 

Workplace Substance Abuse: Beyond Drug Testing to Wellness. 

Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association, 135-64. 10 Paul Connolly and Kathleen Groll Connolly. 2006. Employee Surveys: 

Practical and Proven Methods, Samples, Examples, Second 

Edition. Old Saybrook, Connecticut: Performance Programs, Inc. 11

Jeremy Bray and Gary A. Zarkin. N.d. Economic Evaluation of Alcoholism 

Treatment. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. 

Available at http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh291/27-33.htm/. 12 Ted R. Miller, Eduard Zaloshnja, and Rebecca S. Spicer. 2006. 

“Effectiveness and Benefit-Cost of Peer-Based Workplace 

Substance Abuse Prevention Coupled With Random Testing.” 

Accident Analysis and Prevention 39(3):565–73.

4
Deciding What to Put Into a Policy

This section of the Kit describes the key elements

of an effective drug-free workplace policy. When

developing a policy, organizations need to take

into account factors such as drug-free workplace

laws and regulations that may apply to them,

characteristics of their workplace and employees,

and the organization leaders’ values and priorities.

When it comes to drug-free workplace policies and

programs, one size does not fit all—different

organizations in the same industries and in

different industries may address workplace drug

use and abuse in a variety of ways. There are

many options. It is vital that organizations go

through the steps needed to ensure that the drugfree workplace policy is right for their workplace

and their workers. Every business owner and

every department director will want to talk with

their employees and with colleagues in other

organizations and gather accurate information

about the challenges, problems, and strengths

unique to their workplaces.

When Drug-Free Workplace Laws and

Regulations Apply

Businesses and other organizations covered by

drug-free workplace laws and regulations must

ensure that their drug-free workplace policies and

programs fully comply with those laws and

regulations. This compliance will help reduce drugrelated problems in the workplace.

In addition, organizations may want to go beyond

meeting the minimum requirements.

For example, they may want their policies and

programs to address legal substances (such as

alcohol and tobacco) as well as illegal substances

(such as marijuana and cocaine) and workplace

behaviors and outcomes that can be related to

drug use (such as repeated sickness and 

absenteeism directly before or after holidays 

or weekends).

When Drug-Free Workplace Laws 

and Regulations Do Not Apply

Organizations may want to establish drug-free

policies and programs even if there are no drugfree workplace laws or regulations that apply to

them. Such policies can be relatively narrow (with

a concentration on illegal drugs) or broader (with

attention paid to legal substances, prescription

drugs, and behaviors that can be drug related). 

Whether or Not Drug-Free Workplace Laws

Apply, a Lawyer or Other Legal Expert Must

Review the Policy

Every organization should ask a lawyer or other

legal expert—with specific knowledge about drugfree workplace policies, programs, and case law—

to review the draft policy, whether or not the

businesses are covered by drug-free workplace

laws or regulations. (Some organizations may ask

a lawyer to do more than review the draft policy;

they may want a lawyer to help them put it

together from the beginning.)

The steps taken to prevent or reduce drug abuse

can affect the employment, and future

employability, of the

workers. As a result,

there are legal, health,

safety, and productivity

issues that can lead to

legal appeals and

lawsuits. Every

organization needs to

ensure that all legal obligations are fully met and

that both the employer’s and the employees’ legal

rights are properly protected.

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A Written Policy Helps Each Organization

There are many reasons to put the drug-free

workplace policy in writing:

• A written policy may be required by a law or 

by the organization’s insurance carriers.

• It makes legal review possible.

• It provides a record of the organization’s 

efforts and a reference if the policy is 

challenged. It may protect the employer from 

certain kinds of claims by employees.

• A written policy is easier to explain to 

employees, supervisors, and others.

• Putting the policy in writing also helps 

employers and employees concentrate on 

important policy information.

Basic Elements of an Effective Policy 

An effective drug-free workplace policy covers the

following elements:

Statement of Purpose

Background

• How was the policy developed? (For example, 

was it developed in meetings with union 

representatives or employees representing 

different segments of the workforce, after 

consultation with other businesses in the same

industry, in collaboration with the 

organization’s legal counsel?)

Goals

• What are the drug-free workplace laws and 

regulations (Federal, State, or local) with 

which the organization must comply 

(if applicable)?

• What other goals does the organization expect

to achieve? (For example, does it hope to

reduce or eliminate drug-related workplace

accidents, illnesses, and absenteeism?)

• Does the organization want to address the 

issue of preventing and treating workplace 

drug use in the context of accomplishing a 

broader goal of promoting worker health, 

safety, and productivity? Many successful 

policies have taken this approach.

Definitions, Expectations, and Prohibitions

• How does the organization define 

substance abuse?

• What employee behaviors are expected?

• Exactly what substances and behaviors 

are prohibited?

• Who is covered by the policy?

• When will the policy apply? (For example, will 

it apply during work hours only, or also during 

organization-sponsored events after hours?)

• Where will the policy apply? (For example, will

it apply in the workplace, outside the 

workplace while workers are on duty, in 

organization-owned vehicles while workers are

off duty?)

• Who is responsible for carrying out and 

enforcing the policy?

• Will the policy include any form of testing for 

alcohol or other drugs?

• Are any employees covered by the terms of a 

collective bargaining agreement, and, if so, 

how do the terms affect the way the policy will

be carried out and enforced for 

those employees?

Implementation Approaches

Benefits and Assurances

• How will the organization help employees 

comply with the policy?

• How will the organization protect 

employees’ confidentiality?

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• How will the organization help employees who 

seek help for drug or related problems?

• How will the organization help employees who 

are in treatment or recovery?

• How will the organization ensure that all 

aspects of the policy are implemented fairly 

and consistently for all employees?

Consequences and Appeals

• What are the consequences of violating 

the policy?

• What are the procedures for determining 

whether an employee has violated the policy?

• What are the procedures for appealing a 

determination that an employee may have 

violated the policy?

Dissemination Strategies

How will the organization educate employees

about the policy? (For example, the organization

can train supervisors,

discuss the policy during

orientation sessions for

new employees, and

inform all employees about

the policy using a variety

of formats—such as a section in the employee

handbook, posters in gathering places at work

sites, information on the organization intranet.) 

Resources for Developing a Written Policy

The most important task for every organization is

to ensure that the policy meets the needs of its

employees and workplace. Whether or not laws

and regulations apply, the policy should address

the key topics outlined above. Organizations can

write (or adapt) and organize content on the key

topics using whatever language and structure will

best communicate the information to their

workers. Organizations do not need to start from

scratch. They can borrow and adapt information

from drug-free workplace policies put together by

other organizations in their industry. Since the

Drug-Free Workplace Act was passed, many

national, regional, and local programs have been

set up to help employers create effective policies.

The programs provide free or low-cost

information, technical assistance, or model policies

that organizations can customize to meet their

particular needs. To learn more about these and

other resources, organizations can call SAMHSA’s

Workplace Helpline at 1.800.Workplace.

Following are general guidelines for developing or

adapting a written drug-free workplace policy.

Statement of Purpose

The statement of purpose should contain the

organization's goals for the workplace policy, the

organization's definition of substance abuse, other

information outlined under “Definitions,

Expectations, and Prohibitions,” and a description

of how the policy was developed. Some

organizations may want the policy to have a very

narrow goal, such as meeting the minimum

requirements of a law. Other organizations may

prefer broader goals that go beyond minimum

requirements.

If Laws and Regulations Apply

Organizations covered by drug-free workplace laws

and regulations may choose to use or adapt one of

the following sample statements of purpose:

1. Meeting the Legal Requirements 

The purpose of this policy is to meet the

requirements of applicable laws and regulations to

ensure that the workplace is free of illegal drugs.

2. Addressing Other Substances as Well

The purpose of this policy is twofold: a) to meet

the requirements of applicable laws and

regulations to ensure that the workplace is free of

illegal drugs and b) to establish restrictions on the

workplace-related use of legal substances, such as

alcohol, cigarettes, and prescription drugs.

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3. Addressing Other Problems,

Which Can Be Related to Drug Use

The purpose of this policy is fourfold: a) to meet

the requirements of applicable laws and

regulations to ensure that the workplace is free of

illegal drugs; b) to establish restrictions on the

workplace-related use of legal substances, such as

alcohol, cigarettes, and prescription drugs; c) to

address other behaviors (such as repeatedly

calling in sick or being absent directly before and

after holidays and weekends, repeatedly damaging

inventory or failing to meet reasonable production

schedules, being involved in

frequent accidents, and the

like) that can be related to

the abuse of alcohol and

other drugs; and d) to

explain the steps that will be

taken to prepare employees, identify problems,

and provide assistance.

If No Laws or Regulations Apply

Even if drug-free workplace laws and regulations

do not apply, organizations may want to develop a

drug-free workplace policy and program. If so,

they still can adapt one of the sample statements

of purpose above, simply omitting the words “to

meet the requirements of applicable laws and

regulations.”

Policy Options 

Option 1. Meeting the Requirements of 

The Law

When laws or regulations apply, organizations

must ensure that they know exactly what the laws

or regulations require. For this reason, it is

essential to seek the advice of an experienced

lawyer or other appropriate legal expert.

In addition, it is good practice for organization

executives to be familiar with three types of

Federal laws and regulations that cover many

businesses. Summarized below are requirements,

including rules and regulations, for 1) Federal

grantees and contractors, 2) safety-sensitive

industries, and 3) Department of Defense (DOD)

contractors. Organizations not covered by these

requirements still may want to adopt some of the

same language for use in their drug-free

workplace policy.

Requirements of Federal Contractors

and Grantees in General

The most important piece of legislation regulating

Federal contractors/grantees is the Drug-Free

Workplace Act of 1988.1 This Act requires any

organization that receives a Federal contract worth

at least $100,000 to establish a drug-free

workplace policy. It also requires that all

organizations receiving Federal grants of any size

establish and maintain such a policy.

At a minimum, the organization must

1. Prepare and distribute a formal drug-free

workplace policy statement. This statement should

clearly prohibit the manufacture, use, and

distribution of controlled substances in the

workplace and spell out the specific consequences

of violating this policy.

2. Establish a drug-free awareness program. The

program should inform employees of the dangers

of workplace substance abuse; review the

requirements of the organization's drug-free

workplace policy; and offer information about any

counseling, rehabilitation, or employee assistance

programs that may be available.

3. Ensure that all employees working on the

Federal contract understand their personal

reporting obligations. Under the terms of the Act,

an employee must notify the employer within 5

calendar days if he or she is convicted of a

criminal drug violation in the workplace. 

4. Notify the Federal contracting agency of any

covered violation. Under the terms of the Act, the

employer has 10 days to report that a covered

employee has been convicted of a criminal drug

violation in the workplace. 

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5. Take direct action against an employee

convicted of workplace drug violation. This action

may involve imposing a penalty of some kind or

requiring that the employee participate in an

appropriate rehabilitation or counseling program. 

6. Maintain an ongoing good faith effort to meet

all the requirements of the Act throughout the life

of the contract.

Covered organizations that fail to comply with

terms of the Drug-Free Workplace Act may be

subject to a variety of penalties, including

suspension or termination of their Federal

grants/contracts and prohibition from applying for

Federal Government funds in the future. 

Requirements for Safety-Sensitive Industries

Department of Transportation (DOT) rules

and regulations. Employers and employees in

fields that affect public safety and national

security are, understandably, subject to additional

drug testing requirements. The most important

piece of Federal legislation affecting safetysensitive industries is the Omnibus Transportation

Employee Testing Act of 1991.2 This Act requires

drug and alcohol testing of all safety-sensitive

transportation employees in aviation, trucking,

railroads, mass transit, pipelines, and other

transportation industries.

Any employer whose business is regulated by one

of the following Federal agencies is covered under

the Act:

• Federal Aviation Administration

• United States Coast Guard

• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

• Federal Transit Administration

• Federal Railway Administration

• Research and Innovative Technology 

Administration

• Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety 

Administration

While each of these agencies has developed its

own specific set of guidelines and procedures for

complying with the Omnibus Transportation

Employee Testing Act, the following core

requirements apply to all employers and

employees within the transportation industry:

1. All employers in the transportation industry

are required to test safety-sensitive employees at

certain key points in their professional careers.

These key points include preemployment (before

the employee is hired), whenever there is

reasonable suspicion that the employee has been

involved in drug use, immediately after the

employee is involved in an accident, and before

allowing the employee to return to duty following

suspension for drug abuse.

2. All employers in the transportation industry

are also required to have a program of random

drug testing in place.

3. All drug testing conducted under the Act must

be carried out by a laboratory certified by the U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services.

4. All drug testing conducted under the Act must

test for five different classes of drugs (and only

those five classes): marijuana, cocaine,

amphetamines, opiates, and phencyclidine (PCP).

5. All alcohol testing of employees must strictly

adhere to the DOT’s policies and procedures for

alcohol testing, and the testing must be conducted

using devices and equipment approved by DOT.

6. All positive tests must be reviewed by a

trained Medical Review Officer, and employees

must be allowed to consult with this officer before

the test result is reported to the employer.

7. All employees, whether in safety-sensitive

positions or not, must receive drug and alcohol

awareness training and education.

8. All supervisors must receive at least 2 hours

of training in substance abuse detection,

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documentation, and intervention. Half this training

time should be devoted to drug abuse, the other

half to alcohol abuse.

9. Any employee who is determined to have a

substance abuse problem must be referred by the

employer to a trained Substance Abuse

Professional. This person will be responsible for

evaluating the employee’s treatment needs and

assessing the employee’s ability to return to work.

Employers who are subject to the requirements of

the Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act

must ensure that their policies and procedures

strictly adhere to DOT’s requirements. Otherwise,

employers run the risk of failing to comply with

the Act or violating their employees’ civil liberties,

either of which can have serious consequences.

Organizations can obtain more detailed

information on how to meet the requirements of

the Act from DOT’s Office of Drug and Alcohol

Policy and Compliance, which publishes helpful

guidelines and manuals for employers and

employees. These materials are available online at

http://www.dot.gov/ost/dapc/NEW_DOCS/part40.h

tml?proc/.

Requirements for Security-Sensitive

Industries

DOD rules and regulations. Transportation

workers are not the only types of employees

whose work affects public safety or security. The

Department of Defense has developed its own set

of regulations for contractors working in the

national security arena (Section 48 CFR 252.223-

70043). Under these regulations, all DOD

contractors with access to sensitive, classified

information must maintain a drug-free workforce

policy that includes the following:

1. A comprehensive employee assistance

program, including coordination with local

community service providers and resources.

2. Provision for self-referrals and supervisory

referrals for drug treatment.

3. Supervisory training on detecting and

responding to illegal drug use.

4. A carefully controlled and monitored employee

drug testing policy. This testing policy should

include provisions for testing a) when there is

reasonable suspicion that an employee has been

involved in illegal drug use, b) when an employee

has been involved in an accident or unsafe

practice, c) as part of a program of counseling or

rehabilitation, and d) as part of a voluntary

employee drug testing program.

The DOD regulations also require covered

contractors to ensure that their drug testing

policies are consistent with applicable State laws

and that they are agreed to by any relevant labor

unions. For more information on the Department

of Defense’s requirements, organizations can

consult the Code of Federal Regulation (48 CFR

252.223-7004) and DOD’s procurement center

Web site at http://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/.

Option 2. Addressing Other Substances 

Organizations may want their drug-free workplace

policies to cover one or more types of legally

obtainable substances as well as illegal drugs.

Under certain circumstances, substances such as

alcohol, tobacco, and prescription drugs can

adversely affect workplace health, safety, and 

productivity. Issues and options include the

following:

Alcohol

The presence and use of alcohol in the

workplace. Alcohol in the workplace can

compromise safety and productivity. Thus,

organizations may want their policy to prohibit the

presence and consumption of alcohol in the

workplace.

Working under the influence of alcohol.

Organizations also may want to prohibit working

under the influence of alcohol, especially in safetysensitive positions, where operating heavy

machinery while under the influence of alcohol

could result in serious accidents.

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Alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages at

work-related parties. Organizations also may

consider restricting the use of alcohol at workrelated parties and other events. Or they may

require that nonalcoholic beverages be available

for those who choose not to drink alcoholic

beverages.

Tobacco

Organizations may choose to specify in their policy

that they maintain a smoke-free workplace. Or

they may prohibit the sale of tobacco products

through vending machines located in the

workplace and designate certain areas of the

workplace as smoke free.

Prescription Drugs

Organizations may decide to set limits regarding

allowing employees who are taking certain

prescription medications to perform certain safetysensitive jobs, especially if the medications could

affect concentration and motor skills. Or they may

choose to require that workers who perform

certain safety-sensitive jobs inform their

supervisors if they are using such medications.

Option 3. Addressing Behaviors That

Can Be Related to Drug Use

In their drug-free workplace policy, organizations

may want to mention behaviors that can be

related to drug use—such as repeatedly calling in

sick or being absent before and after holidays and

weekends, damaging inventory, and repeatedly

missing reasonable production schedules.

(However, businesses will want to avoid jumping

to the conclusion that drug use is the culprit,

because many other factors can cause or

contribute to such problems.) Organizations may

consider framing the issue of drug-related

workplace behaviors in the larger context of

worker health, safety, and productivity. For

example, they may want the policy to make two

general points. First, the policy's immediate

objectives are to a) comply with drug-free

workplace laws and regulations (if applicable) and

b) prevent drug-related workplace accidents,

illnesses, absenteeism, and performance

problems, which can occur in any workplace.

Second, the policy’s broader goals are to help

increase and protect worker health, safety, and

productivity. Workplace alcohol and other drug use

and abuse are the most widely occurring threats

to worker well-being in many different kinds of

businesses and industries.

Implementation Approaches

The policy’s implementation section should cover

the elements listed under “Consequences and

Appeals,” “Benefits and Assurances,” and

“Dissemination Strategies.” Businesses may also

want to address the following broad categories:

“Prepare the Workplace,” “Identify Issues,” and

“Provide Assistance.”

Prepare the Workplace

The policy could state that all workers are

responsible for being ready to work when they

arrive at the workplace and for avoiding behaviors

that could threaten their own safety and health or

that of their coworkers. The policy could make

clear that all employees will be educated about the

policy, will be expected to understand it, and will

know what they can do—given their particular

work roles—to help make the policy succeed. The

policy could clarify options for addressing

coworkers’ problem behaviors as well as the

meaning of a) taking responsibility for one’s own

behavior, b) showing compassion by helping

others, c) and being honest about problems that

threaten health and safety in the workplace. The

policy should state that the organization will train

supervisors to ensure that they a) understand all

applicable laws and regulations, b) know how to

communicate effectively with their subordinates,

and c) are consistent and fair when carrying out

and enforcing the policy.

Identify Issues

The policy could indicate that supervisors will

continually be on the lookout for major health and

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safety issues including, but not limited to,

workplace alcohol and other drug abuse.

(Examples of other common health and safety

concerns are exposure to toxic chemicals and

excessively long work shifts.) If applicable, the

policy could state that random testing for alcohol

and other drugs will be part of this process. The

policy must clearly explain how the organization

will protect workers’ privacy and confidentiality

rights. The policy also could indicate that there will

be regular reviews of aggregated organization

data on absenteeism, damaged or stolen

inventory, production problems, and the like. The

point could be made that a drug-free, safe,

healthy, and productive workplace is not one that

is paralyzed by overly intrusive watchfulness.

Rather, it is one in which employees willingly

pursue the organization’s goals by performing

their jobs to the best of their ability under work

conditions that are safe and healthy.

Provide Assistance

The policy should name the kinds of formal and

informal assistance that the organization will

provide to address and prevent workplace

substance abuse. The policy could indicate that

such assistance also will be available for mental

health concerns such as depression and anxiety.

Examples of formal assistance include access to an

internal or external employee assistance program,

a peer-to-peer assistance program based on

Amtrak's highly successful Operation RedBlock,

health care insurance that covers substance abuse

and mental health treatment, and an

organizationwide health promotion program that

includes education about alcohol and other drug

abuse. Examples of informal assistance include

making available information on Alcoholics

Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and related

12-Step programs, and providing time out or

walking breaks.

The policy should name the major consequences

of violating the drug-free workplace policy and of

failing to obtain and benefit from organizationprovided assistance. Possible consequences could

range from a note in the record to suspension

from work during treatment, transfer to a less

safety-sensitive or security-sensitive position,

demotion, or firing. The policy could state that the

organization prefers to avoid severe penalties—by

preventing workplace drug and alcohol abuse in

the first place and by responding comprehensively

as soon as a problem is identified—and will apply

those penalties only when other actions 

have failed.

References

1 U.S. House of Representatives. 1988. Drug-Free 

Workplace Act of 1988 U.S.C. 701–707. and U.S.

House of Representatives. 1998. Drug-Free 

Workplace Act of 1998 U.S.C. 105–584.

2 U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of 

Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance. 

Procedures for Transportation Workplace 

Drug and Alcohol Testing Programs. Available at 

http://www.dot.gov/ost/dapc/.

3 U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Under

Secretary, Defense Procurement and Acquisition 

Policy. 2005. Defense Federal Acquisition 

Regulation Supplement, Subpart 223.5-DrugFree Workplace. Available at 

http://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/dars/dfars/html/

r20070212/223_5.htm/.

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Employee education is a critical component of a

drug-free workplace program. Frequently a

cornerstone of prevention, employee education

can help employees in a variety of ways. It can

help them learn more about the hazards of

substance abuse and

improve their own

resilience to prevent

substance abuse. It can

help them understand the

policies and rules of their

workplaces and become

familiar with the steps they can take to get help

for themselves and their families.

Employee education efforts can include

information on the rights of employees and

employers; the balance between the right of

privacy and the need to know; the workplace’s

views about when treatment and recovery, or

detection and disciplinary action, are appropriate;

the implications of substance abuse for injury,

accidents, and safety.

Many multimedia educational tools are available to

help workplaces inform their employees about

effective programs and

steps they can take to

improve their health in

general. These include

SAMHSA’s National

Registry of Evidencebased Programs and

Practices1 and SAMHSA’s

GetFit site.2

As you plan your employee education effort, make

sure it is aimed at all employees and all levels of

the organization.

Consider taking the following steps:

• Discuss the workplace’s policy, program, and 

rules. Organizations have found it useful to 

hand out two copies of the policy—one to be 

signed and handed back, the other to be kept 

as a reference. As new people enter, make it 

part of the orientation package.

• Discuss how employees and their families can 

get help—for example, through an employee 

assistance program, a health/wellness 

program, health care coverage within the 

workplace, union resources, community 

outreach services, State and local treatment, 

and the like.

• Discuss how employee performance issues are

to be evaluated.

• Discuss how management referrals and selfreferrals are handled.

• Provide details about the circumstances, 

procedures, and other elements of drug 

testing (if testing is included in the policy).

• Explain the confidentiality and other employee

protections that are included in the policy.

• Provide information about substance abuse, 

including the types and effects of drugs, the 

symptoms of drug use and abuse, and their 

effects on performance.

• Explain the relationship of the employee 

assistance program to any drug testing, 

treatment, rehabilitation, and aftercare.

1
• Discuss prevention resources such as 

health/wellness programs, helplines and other 

resources available in the community, and 

online national resources such as 

http://getfit.samhsa.gov/. Likewise, explain 

what resources are available for 

employees’ families.

Implementing Employee Education

Employee education components can use a variety

of multimedia approaches, singly and in

combinations. Orientation programs for new hires,

for example, frequently include video

presentations that provide general information

about substance abuse and more specific

information about the organization. More

traditional methods have included the use of

posters, print materials, payroll stuffers,

newsletter articles, booths at health/wellness

programs, and brownbag lunch presentations. Inhouse employee assistance practitioners often get

to know employees by eating lunch with them,

having drop-in discussions at meetings, and

meeting with them individually to discuss

employee relations issues, family problems, and

the like. Other in-house

methods have included

online information

resources, seminars, and

in-person and online

trainings. External

programs often offer prevention meetings or

seminars, online resources, and a 1–800 number

to call.

Programs found in SAMHSA’s National Registry of

Evidence-based Programs and Practices add other

components to their employee education

programs, such as Team Awareness3 efforts, or

health and wellness efforts that can concentrate

on various topics such as cardiac health,

menopause, osteoporosis, and how to talk to your

children about drugs. Frequently, these programs

have evaluation components, so that they can

measure the economic costs, economic benefits,

and other outcomes of the programs.

More and more

organizations understand

that substance abuse

education and prevention

must be ongoing

processes that evolve

beyond an emphasis on

substance abuse policies, information, assistance,

and discipline. In many cases, alcohol and other

drug problems will have adverse impacts on

employers, employees, and their families, even

when the problems never come to the attention of

management, the union, the employee assistance

program, a health and wellness program, or a

substance abuse treatment program. Many

employees do not seek help for their alcohol or

drug problems because the problems and the

assistance are often stigmatized. However, when

alcohol and drug interventions are linked to health

and wellness promotion efforts—as is done in

some of the newer approaches—the stigma is

reduced and employees are more willing to seek

the help they need.

Workplaces, when they are designing their

prevention education efforts for employees, should

consider addressing the special needs and

interests of

• Employees interested in a range of health 

promotion and wellness issues—such as stress

management, weight management, nutrition, 

activity/exercise—as well as disease 

prevention

• Employees who as parents, grandparents, or 

concerned family members want to learn to 

communicate effectively with the children in 

their lives about substance abuse, life skills, 

and decision-making

• Younger workers concerned about substance 

abuse among their peers

2
• Employees who are interested in being part of 

community-based prevention efforts 

and activities

• Employees who are interested in confidential, 

individual education (including Web-based 

education) on substance abuse and 

related issues

Some employers and unions survey their

employee members and families to determine

their needs for and interests in substance abuse

programs, as well as in general wellness and

health promotion education and services. Many

employee assistance programs also offer or

arrange for general and specialized employee

education activities such as those outlined above.

Integrating Prevention Education Into Health

Promotion Offerings. Research indicates that the

impacts are greater when substance abuse

prevention and early intervention activities are

carried out in the broader context of wellness,

health promotion, and

disease prevention efforts.4,

5, 6 The popular topics of

stress management,

nutrition and weight

management, and physical

activity and exercise present

significant opportunities for providing educational

materials and other elements on substance abuse

prevention. The health topics discussed can be

tailored to address specific workplace populations.

For example, in workplaces with middle-aged

women, embedding substance abuse prevention

messages in a discussion of

osteoporosis may be useful.

For workplaces with

younger employees, a

discussion of HIV/AIDS may

be of interest. These and

many other health issues

have ties to alcohol and substance abuse.

Methods for adding substance abuse prevention

education into health promotion and wellness

topics include the following:

Stress Management. Relying on alcohol or drugs

to deal with problems and emotions can often

create more problems and can lead to substance

dependence. Identification of

the social and emotional

rewards people seek from

drugs, including alcohol, can

easily be linked to the

identification of healthy

alternative ways to relieve

stress and to meet other social and emotional

needs. Testimonials and stories from those who

have been able to manage stress in healthy ways,

including from those who have embraced healthier

alternatives and are reaping the rewards, can

motivate participants toward behavior change.

Modeling opportunities (e.g., video vignettes) that

promote the use of healthy alternatives and the

avoidance of substance abuse can build selfefficacy and teach skills. 

Nutrition and Weight Management; Active

Lifestyle and Exercise. These health promotion

topics can be used to raise awareness of the

tendency of certain drugs (including alcohol) to

lower inhibitions and cause dietary and exercise

plans to run amok. Testimonials or stories of

individuals who have changed their behaviors

(e.g., by cutting down on alcohol consumption or

by quitting the use of drugs to unwind) within the

context of their weight management, nutrition, or

exercise plans can help motivate change. A

stepwise process for setting moderate drinking

goals for drinkers who can

safely drink can easily be

covered. These narratives

provide an opportunity for

discussing substance

dependence and the risks of

prescription drugs such as diet drugs. Lessons on

refusing extra food in social situations can be

taught in tandem with the same skills in refusing

3
alcohol or drugs. Nutrition offerings also provide

an excellent context for factual information about

the potential health benefits of moderate drinking

for drinkers who can safely drink (defined as no

more than two drinks a day for men and no more

than one drink a day for women), as well as the

risks of heavy alcohol consumption.

Instructions for Trainers

This section answers basic questions about how to

effectively introduce a drug-free workplace policy

and program to all your employees. Additional

resources on this topic can be found in the

SAMHSA descriptions of model programs in the

National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and

Practices (http://nrepp.samhsa.gov).

WHO?

All Your Employees Need to Know About the

Benefits of the Drug-Free Workplace Policy

and Program, and the Dangers of WorkRelated Alcohol and Other Drug Use. Owners,

top management, supervisors, and nonsupervisory

employees at all levels should be prepared for the

implementation of the policy and program.

Everyone in the workplace needs information

about the problems associated with the use and

misuse of substances. They all can benefit from

education and

training that

reinforce and

deepen that

awareness. And

they can benefit

from activities

that motivate

them to adopt safer and healthier attitudes and

behaviors. It is especially important that all your

employees become familiar with the benefits of

the drug-free workplace policy and program,

especially when they are supported by other

health and wellness programs and activities.7

For the policy and program to effect positive

change, everyone must be on board. Research

shows that the best way to encourage positive

change is to involve everyone in understanding

and actively supporting the process.8

WHAT?

The Basics. Developing a drug-free workplace

policy does not require a lot of resources—using

the Kit, a policy and program can be developed

and implemented even if time and money are

limited. When time and other resources are at a

premium, workers can be informed about the

organization’s drug-free workplace policy and

program in a short meeting.

At a minimum, your employees should be provided

with the following information:

Rationale for the Policy

Present information on what the law requires (if

the law applies to your workplace), why the

program is important to the organization (whether

or not the law applies), and how alcohol and other

drug problems affect the workplace.

Provide various kinds of prevention information as

part of the process of communicating the intention

to create a healthy, safe, and productive drug-free

workplace. Supplying basic information on alcohol,

illicit drugs, and the nonmedicinal use of other

drugs—as well as general health promotion

information—will help reinforce the drug-free

policy and program.

Requirements of the Policy

Information should be given on what situations

the policy is attempting to prevent, and how the

policy is likely to improve health, safety, and

productivity in the workplace. The consequences

of violating the policy should also be outlined.

Resources for Getting Help

Explain how to get help. Include information on

the employee assistance program (if the

organization has one). Describe the benefits

offered by the health insurance plan. And identify

local resources that may be available.

The Basics–The 3 Rs

 Rationale

 Requirements

 Resources

4
WHEN AND WHERE?

There Is No One Right Way to Inform,

Educate, and Train Employees About the

Drug-Free Workplace Policy and Program.

The characteristics of the workplace, the nature of

the policy, and the elements of the specific

program will determine when and where to

provide information, education, and training.

Information That Is Presented in Smaller

Amounts, Over Longer Periods, and

Frequently Reinforced Is Often Better

Understood and More Motivating Than OneTime-Only Handouts, Trainings, or Meetings.

In addition, information that is conveyed through

interactive formats has been found to be more

effective in promoting desired changes in attitudes

and behaviors than

information that is

transmitted through oneway communications.9 And

information, education,

and training that are

provided and reinforced in the workplace itself

rather than in an offsite classroom may make a

deeper impact on workplace attitudes and

behaviors.10

Examples of approaches used by workplaces

include the following:

• A meeting with staff members or department 

heads to explain the organization’s drug-free 

workplace policy and program

• Informational materials about the 

organization’s program and about alcohol and 

other drug abuse provided in the form of 

pamphlets, paycheck stuffers, mailings, and 

flyers posted in lunchrooms

• Posters and signs reminding employees they 

are in a drug-free workplace and that the 

worksite promotes healthy activities such as 

regular exercise, good eating habits, and 

smoking cessation

• Access to interactive Web sites that are 

tailored to your own workplace and that 

promote health and safety, such as GetFit

• Weekly 10-minute booster sessions that give 

your employees important information about 

alcohol and other drug abuse prevention and 

health promotion

• Action tips for employers

As the program is implemented, it is important to

remember that the employer’s actions also

educate and inform employees.

The following action tips can help employers

communicate more clearly to employees about the

importance of a drug-free workplace program to

their personal health and the health of their

families and communities:

• Announce (for example, by means of a letter 

to all employees from the CEO or other top 

management) that having a drug-free 

workplace program and preventing drug and 

alcohol problems in the workplace and in 

families is a major organizational emphasis.

• Fully explain the benefits and procedures of 

the drug-free workplace policy and program to

all employees. (See training instructions at the

end of this brochure).

• Communicate to your employees that drug 

and alcohol abuse pose significant problems 

for businesses and other organizations, 

including increased absenteeism, tardiness, 

and use of sick leave and health services; 

higher insurance and workers’ compensation 

costs; more injuries, fatalities, and thefts; 

lower productivity and product quality; 

reduced employee morale; and 

higher turnover.

• Communicate to your employees the 

connection between the abuse of alcohol and 

5
other drugs and the presence of health 

problems, including sexually transmitted 

diseases such as HIV/AIDS. Include guidelines 

for moderate alcohol consumption, for men 

and women who can safely drink alcohol.

• Host alcohol-free events, emphasizing the 

organization’s commitment to preventing 

injury or death associated with drinking and 

driving, especially around the holidays.

• Provide food and beverages in business 

settings that encourage a healthy lifestyle.

• Be a positive role model, consistent with the 

messages conveyed to the employees. Do not 

engage in any illegal, unhealthy, or dangerous 

alcohol or other drug use.

• Sponsor or help with prevention services in 

the community that would benefit your 

employees and their families.

• Include prevention and healthy lifestyle 

articles in your organizational materials.

• Consider formulating a corporate performance 

standard that encourages community 

involvement to prevent alcohol and other drug

problems as part of an ongoing commitment 

to making the community a better place in 

which to live and do business.

• Appoint a corporate representative to serve on

and support any prevention-oriented programs

or community partnerships in your area that 

focus on alcohol and other drugs.

• Take a comprehensive approach to prevention 

efforts. Serve as a leader, supporter, or active 

participant in other community-based efforts 

to prevent the use of alcohol, tobacco, and 

other drugs by youth.

• Support employees and their family members 

and encourage them to ask for assistance in 

dealing with alcohol or other drug problems. 

Treatment is more cost effective than incurring

potential safety problems and lost productivity

attributable to drug-related problems.

Specific Training Instructions

The following employee education training has

been used by many organizations as a first step in

informing and educating employees about their

workplace policies and programs. It is designed to

inform individuals about the formal procedures

that administrators will follow in dealing with

substance abuse. Many successful drug-free

workplace programs see this as only a first step

and have used it as a springboard for more

personalized trainings that concentrate on health

and wellness in a team-oriented fashion. 

6
TRAINING PREPARATION

EQUIPMENT

Distribute the policy and be prepared to discuss the 

following questions:

What are the purposes of the policy and 

the program?

Who is covered by the policy?

When will the policy apply?

What behaviors are prohibited?

Are employees required to notify supervisors of 

drug-related convictions?

Does the policy include searches?

Does the program include drug testing? 

If so: 

 Who gets tested?

 When are drug tests given?

 Who does the drug testing?

 Who pays for drug testing? 

 What steps are taken to ensure the 

 accuracy of the drug tests?

What are the legal rights of employees who 

test positive?

What are the consequences for violating the 

policy?

Are there return-to-work agreements?

What type of assistance is available to employees 

needing help?

How is employee confidentiality protected? 

Who is responsible for enforcing the policy?

Who is responsible for answering any questions?

Discuss the impact of substance abuse on 

workplaces. 

Fact sheet: Workplace Substance Abuse Statistics

Discuss the effects of alcohol and other drugs on 

job performance and family. 

Fact sheet: The Effects of Alcohol and Other Drugs 

on Job Performance and Family

Discuss the effects of alcohol and other drugs on 

your body 

Fact Sheet: Effects of Alcohol and Other Drugs 

on Your Body

Let employees know that help is available 

Fact Sheet: Workplace Substance Abuse 

Prevention Resources

Fact Sheet: GetFit.SAMHSA.Gov

Other available assistance brochures (for example, 

from your Employee Assistance Program)

Know each component of the policy and program. 

Pay particular attention about how employees 

can be

 Encouraged to get help. 

 Given confidential and unrestricted access 

 to an employee assistance program or 

 counseling professional. 

 Provided access to alcohol or drug treatment 

 as part of a health benefits plan.

Schedule a meeting. All employees should be 

aware of the policy 30-60 days before it begins. 

Make sure to schedule during a slower time in the 

workday and week. Consider multiple meetings to 

ensure that all employees are able to attend. 

Send a reminder the day before, specifying time 

and location of training.

Arrive early in order to set up, try out the 

equipment, and organize the materials.

Make sure all attendees sign-in.

1

2

3

4

5

A. Handouts

 1. The organization's drug-free workplace policy

 2. Fact sheets 

 a. Workplace Substance Abuse Statistics 

 b. The Effects of Alcohol and Other Drugs on 

 Job Performance and Family

 c. Effects of Alcohol and Other Drugs on 

 Your Body

 d. Workplace Substance Abuse Resources

 e. GetFit.SAMHSA.Gov

3. Other materials that explain wellness 

 programs, health benefits, and how to get 

 help for substance abuse. 

B. Computer for PowerPoint presentation (or 

 handouts downloaded from Web site)

C. Easel pad and markers

D. Other technologies (e.g., projectors, podcasts, 

 videos)

7
1 http://nrepp.samhsa.gov/.

2 http://getfit.samhsa.gov/.

3 http://modelprograms.samhsa.gov/pdfs/model/ 

TeamAwareness.pdf/.

4 Joel B. Bennett and Wayne E.K. Lehman. 2003. 

Preventing Workplace Substance Abuse: Beyond 

Drug Testing to Wellness. Washington, D.C.: 

American Psychological Association.

5 Royer F. Cook and William E. Schlenger. 2002. 

“Prevention of Substance Abuse in the 

Workplace: Review of Research on the Delivery 

of Services.” Journal of Primary Prevention

23(1):115–42.

6 Cynthia J. Sieck, Max Heirich, and Christine 

Major. 2004. “Alcohol Counseling as Part of 

General Wellness Counseling.” Public Health 

Nursing 21(2):137–43.

7 Royer F. Cook and William E. Schlenger. 2002. 

“Prevention of Substance Abuse in the 

Workplace: Review of Research on the Delivery 

of Services.” Journal of Primary Prevention

23(1):115–42.

8 Laura Ferrer–Wreder, Stattin Hakan, Carolyn 

Cass Lorente, Jonathan G. Tubman, and Lena 

Adamson. 2004. Prevention and Youth 

Development Programs: Across Borders. New 

York, New York: Kluwer/Plenum Academic 

Publishers.

9 Ibid.

10Joel B. Bennett and Wayne E.K. Lehman. 2003. 

Preventing Workplace Substance Abuse: Beyond 

Drug Testing to Wellness. Washington, D.C.: 

American Psychological Association.

References

8


Use of illegal substances, misuse of prescription drugs, and heavy use of alcohol pose risks to wellbeing, as they affect various aspects of one’s life—family, work, personal goals, legal issues, 

personal safety, self-esteem, energy, outlook. Illicit drug use can undermine efforts to adopt and 

maintain salutary behaviors such as smoking cessation, regular exercise, weight management, and 

healthy eating.1

 And it can adversely affect work performance, by contributing to an inability to 

follow through on tasks and by increasing illnesses, absences, accidents, and injuries.

There are risks associated with the chronic use of all psychoactive drugs, including alcohol. Adverse 

health effects can range from nausea and anxiety to coma and death. A pregnant woman who uses 

alcohol, cigarettes, or other drugs exposes her fetus to serious risks, including low birth weight, 

brain damage—even miscarriage.

Substance abuse may involve not only controlled substances and illegal drugs but also alcohol and 

other substances that pose health risks. Described below are some of the health effects of alcohol 

and other drugs. Please note that when drugs are used in combination their negative effects on the 

mind and body are often multiplied beyond the effects of the same drugs taken singly.

Alcohol

Alcohol is the drug most frequently abused on college campuses and in the rest of our society.2

Risks to both health and well-being attend heavy alcohol use over time. 

Nearly 17 million Americans meet the diagnostic criteria for alcoholism.3 Individuals suffering from 

the disease of alcoholism, or alcohol dependence syndrome, cannot safely drink alcohol.4

 Health 

problems associated with long-term heavy drinking include

Alcohol-related liver disease (alcoholic hepatitis; alcoholic cirrhosis). More than 2 million 

Americans suffer from it.5

Heart disease. Heavy drinking increases the risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, 

and stroke.6

Cancer. Heavy drinking increases the risk for cancer of the esophagus, mouth, throat, 

and voice box.7

Pancreatitis. Long-term heavy drinking can lead to inflammation of the pancreas. This 

condition can be fatal.8

Birth defects. Alcohol consumption is the leading cause of preventable retardation. 

Pregnant women cannot safely drink any amount of alcohol owing to the threat of 

injuring the development of the unborn child and causing fetal alcohol syndrome.9

Cannabis

Cannabis, the most widely used illicit drug,10 produces the psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol, or 

THC. The most commonly used form of cannabis is the leaves and flowering tops (buds), which 

may be either smoked or eaten. It also comes in a more concentrated resinous form called hashish 

and as a sticky black liquid called hash oil. Common names include marijuana, pot, weed, grass, 

mary jane, dope, doobie, bud, ganja, hashish, hash, reefer, sinsemilla, herb, Aunt Mary, skunk, 

boom, kif, gangster, chronic, 420. Health problems, exacerbated over duration and frequency of 

use, can include the following:

Chronic sore throat

Emphysema-like symptoms11

Accelerated heart rate, increased blood pressure, and reduced oxygen-carrying capacity 

of blood leading to increased risk of heart failure12

Lowered immune system response13

Depression14

Anxiety15

Personality disturbances16

	 	

For more information, go to http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/marijuana.html/.

FACT SHEET



What Supervisors Can Do: Carry Out the Policy Fairly and

Firmly in Routine and Crisis Situations

The success of the drug-free workplace policy and

program depends to a great extent on

supervisors. Supervisors are responsible for

implementing many of the drug-free workplace

policy and program elements. They must set and

maintain the right tone—achieving a delicate

balance between being supportive and firm. They

must always be fair and consistent. They often are

the first to notice or be informed of a possible

problem.

What Is the Supervisor’s Role in Maintaining a 

Drug-Free Workplace?

Each organization defines the role of a supervisor

differently, based on factors such as the nature of

the work, how the work

is organized, and where

the work occurs. Some

supervisors (for

example, a foreman of

a construction team)

work near their

employees every day.

Others (such as a supervisor of a traveling sales

team) may see their employees less frequently.

The levels of risk associated with the work

environment and the workers are likely to differ in

each industry—perhaps even in each workplace.

Accordingly, the supervisor’s role in maintaining a

healthy, safe, drug-free workplace must be

tailored to suit each specific organization. All

supervisors are key players in promoting a safe

and healthy drug-free workplace. A drug-free

workplace program’s effectiveness may even hinge

on the supervisors. Through routine interactions

with employees, supervisors carry out many of the

policy and program elements developed by the

employer’s drug-free workplace team. Supervisors

follow the tone set by the employer for the policy

and program.

Supervisors play a vital part in creating an

environment that not only complies with minimum

health and safety requirements but also actively

supports the creation of a healthy, safe,

productive drug-free workplace. Armed with the

right attitudes, behaviors, and knowledge,

supervisors can serve as powerful motivators and

agents of positive change who inspire all

employees to stand behind the drug-free

workplace policy and program.

In general, supervisory attitudes or styles for

handling substance abuse problems fall into one of

two categories: passive or active.

Passive Attitude

Once again, Harry did not show up for work at the

coffee shop. And once again, Joe Kelly, owner and

supervisor of Joe’s Joe,

did nothing. Everyone,

including Joe, was

aware that Harry was

an alcoholic. Joe was

used to Harry going a

few weeks without

reporting for work. Joe

simply let Harry show up when he was ready to

and never confronted the problem of his absences.

Passive-attitude supervisors deal with problems

only when they become obviously disruptive. This

head-in-the-sand approach may appear to work in

the short run because it keeps marginally effective

employees on the job. However, in the long run it

1
does not maximize health, safety, or productivity.

A problem left alone rarely improves.

Active Attitude

“I know all my staff. When one of them is having

a problem—at home, or with the job—I’m the first

to know. And I’m the first to do something 

about it.”

This is one example of an active attitude, which is

essential to the creation of a safe, healthy, and

productive workplace. Active-attitude supervisors

assertively support a

healthy and safe

environment, know the

signs and symptoms of

substance abuse, and

immediately and

appropriately confront

issues in accordance

with the drug-free workplace policy.

1

What Are the Supervisor’s Responsibilities

in Maintaining a Drug-Free Workplace?

Supervisors have numerous responsibilities that

are critical to the success of a drug-free workplace

policy and program.

Maintain a Safe, Healthy, and Productive

Environment for All. Supervisors are responsible

for evaluating and discussing performance with

employees, treating all employees fairly, and

acting in a manner that does not judge or

humiliate anyone.

Have a Clear and Complete Understanding of

the Drug-Free Policy and Program. To

implement the drug-free policy fairly and firmly,

supervisors must know both the policy and the

program thoroughly.

Give Positive Feedback. Most supervisors have

the ability to set the day-to-day tone for the

workplace. Highlighting positive behaviors that are

healthy, safe, and productive—rather than

managing through harsh criticism and

intimidation—is a better motivator in making

positive changes.

2

Recognizing behaviors that are

unhealthy, unsafe, or unproductive and addressing

them skillfully and compassionately also are

important ways of supporting the drug-free

program and promoting a healthy, safe, productive

workplace.

Giving positive feedback is one of the most potent

drivers for productivity.

3

It is one of the few things

managers can do that has no monetary costs and

inevitably enhances productivity. Constructive,

informal feedback helps clarify expectations,

corrects misperceptions, and communicates

standards. It also increases employee

commitment.

Understand and Talk About the Ways a

Workplace Supports the Policy. Both formally

and informally, supervisors can play a central role

in promoting a drug-free workplace. Knowing and

sharing support mechanisms offered by the

employer and the community can help encourage

employees to self-refer for treatment (see

“Advocate for Employees,” next page). Active

supervisors encourage employees to have the

courage and wisdom to get help before anyone

else has to know about their problem.

4

Supports that the employer may have in place can

be internal or external. Internal support

mechanisms include

workplace or

organizational systems

such as human

resources (HR)

departments, unions,

security, management,

in-house employee

assistance programs (EAPs), and internal

health/wellness programs. External support

mechanisms include relationships with outside

providers of health promotion or substance abuse

prevention interventions such as EAPs, health care

2
providers, and health wellness programs. Informal

support mechanisms within the community are

also useful for employees who may not be ready

to acknowledge that they need help but who are

beginning to think that there may be a problem.

These include for-profit and nonprofit support

groups (e.g., Alcoholics Anonymous,

http://www.aa.org).

Keep Open the Lines of Communication in a

Manner Appropriate to the Workplace. A

supervisor who is accessible is key to creating a

safe, healthy, and drug-free workplace. Effective

supervisors seek feedback by encouraging their

work teams to express ideas and opinions.

Further, they promptly handle conflict

constructively and fairly.

5

That said, supervisors are not expected to provide

substance abuse counseling. Neither should they

try to diagnose alcohol or other drug problems. If

a supervisor suspects a

problem, particularly

one associated with

poor job performance

or conduct, the

employee should be

referred to the

appropriate resources

for professional evaluation and assistance.

Advocate for Employees. One of a supervisor's

most important responsibilities is to observe and

evaluate employee job performance. Supervisors

can encourage employees to deal with workrelated problems that may or may not be

connected with alcohol or other drug use. They

can suggest sources of help and support, such as

an EAP or a local treatment program, when an

employee has problems.

Being an advocate for employees also means

supporting treatment and recovery. There is a

general stigma associated with addiction and a

mistaken belief that substance abuse is a personal

or moral failing. Viewing the employee as a person

struggling with a chronic, treatable disease rather

than as an offender is another way to be

supportive of recovery. This does not mean

enabling; it means supporting. If an employee has

been given a chance to improve job performance

but has not changed his or her behavior, the

supervisor may need to take a more forceful

approach. Still, the emphasis should be on

improving the employee’s job performance, not on

judging the employee.

To Carry Out the Policy, What Guidelines Should a

Supervisor Follow?

To maximize the effectiveness of a drug-free

workplace policy and program, customized

supervisor training should take into account the

particular characteristics of the workplace.

Seven general guidelines have been found to be

useful for many employers, supervisors, and HR

staff:

1. Know the organization’s policy 

and program.

2. Be aware of legally sensitive areas.

3. Recognize potential problems.

4. Document.

5. Act.

6. Refer.

7. Reintegrate.

1. Know the Organization’s Policy 

and Program

Be familiar with the policy and the program along

with the rationale for implementing them. Ensure

that these are clearly communicated to all staff

members. In some organizations this may require

bilingual, or trilingual, replication.

2. Be Aware of Legally Sensitive Areas

• Where applicable, follow union contracts.

• Maintain confidentiality of all employees.

• Follow the procedures and policy the same 

way for all.

3
• Provide due process and opportunity for 

response to allegations.

• If testing is a part of the policy, ensure 

quality control and confirmation of 

positive tests.

3. Recognize Potential Problems

Drug use can be classified as experimental or

circumstantial, and as progressing toward casual,

intensive, compulsive, and addictive.

6

There are

no general rules that explain the misuse of alcohol

and other drugs for every individual.7, 8

Many studies have documented how one's

personal background and work environment can

help in predicting the

likelihood of substance

use in the workplace.

9

Issues related to

misuse can include an

individual's biology and

external issues such as

stressful working

conditions.

10

Many issues can be attributed to a

combination of internal and external factors. In

the workplace, however, a safe, healthy,

productive employee is the expectation.

Do not wait for a crisis. Being aware of potential

issues before they become problems goes a long

way toward creating a safe, healthy, and

productive workplace.

There are at least six signs of possible substance

use problems in the workplace. These signs alone

do not indicate substance use. They do, however,

indicate that perhaps the employee is experiencing

personal issues that may affect job performance.

A. A change in work attendance or 

performance

B. An alteration of personal appearance

C. Mood swings or attitude changes

D. Withdrawal from responsibility or 

associate contacts

E. Unusual behavior patterns

F. A defensive attitude concerning 

any problems

4. Document 

It is important to have a systematic, legally

defensible appraisal system and documentation

system in place.

11

The first line of defense should be a well-defined

job description along with appropriate job training.

In this way, supervisors can be explicit about the

behaviors they expect.

Along with this, if a supervisor suspects an

employee is under the influence, careful

documentation should occur. The U.S. Drug

Enforcement Administration provides a

supervisor's checklist for determining reasonable

cause (see http://www.dea.gov/demand/df

manual/01adf_01.htm).

5. Act

Constructive confrontation is a proven effective

strategy for dealing with employees who have a

performance problem that may be associated with

substance abuse.12, 13

Constructive

confrontation works

particularly well for

employees who are

heavily invested in their

jobs.

14 

And it stands to

reason that it works

well for supervisors and employers who are

heavily invested in their employees.

Constructive confrontation involves

15

• Organizing a confidential meeting

• Including a union representative 

if applicable

• Presenting the employee with documented 

evidence of performance deficits

4
• Ensuring the employer’s willingness to 

support help-seeking and to suspend 

disciplinary steps if the employee follows 

through on dealing with the problem

Constructive confrontation does not involve

• Letting everyone know the situation

• Approaching the employee with hostility

• Firing the employee without due process

6. Refer (to Appropriate Programs) 

May Goya, an employee relations manager for the

Waipi'o, Hawaii-based food service business FCH

Enterprises, Inc., said of her company’s drug

policy: “From the start, we’ve made it clear that

we’re not going to catch somebody and kick them

out. They don’t get fired. We get them an

assessment of where

they are with their

drug usage and allow

them to get treatment.

When I approached

one employee who

tested positive, she

was ‘real relieved’—

that's how she put it. It had gotten to the point

where her family was asking her to look at what

she was doing and to stop doing it... but when it

came from the

workplace, she

couldn’t deny that it

was a problem any

more. She’s still

working with us.”

16 

A referral is not an

adverse action. This

may be the first step toward helping the employee

get back on track.

17

Referrals should be consistent with—and

supervisors should be trained on the specifics of—

your drug-free workplace policy.

Guidelines for making a referral, depending on the

size and professional skills of your organization,

include the following:

• Assistance should be selected based on 

established effectiveness.

• The referral should consider the particular 

employee’s health insurance coverage.

• The referral should be consistent with the 

employee’s job demands and career goals.

• Someone in management (e.g., an HR 

professional) should be directly involved in

the process, monitoring compliance.

• This same person should participate in 

easing the employee back into the 

workplace, involving the supervisor as 

appropriate.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Does there appear to be unusual behavior taking 

place (e.g., illegal activity, policy violations)?

What specific behavior is visible?

Does the situation involve an individual employee 

or a group?

Are reliable witnesses available?

What are the physical dangers of taking or not 

taking action?

Is the situation serious enough to call security or 

law enforcement?

Is there a specific policy that applies to the 

situation?

Is it necessary to call in expert consultation with 

HR, the EAP, a health specialist, or security?

Does the situation call for reasonable-suspicion 

testing?

Is this an opportunity to prevent a problem from 

escalating?

When Investigating a Potential 

Crisis Involving Possible Drug or 

Alcohol Use, There Are a Few 

Important Questions to Ask

Documenting observations and responses is 

important. It can help to have another supervisor 

there as well.

5
• The employer should continue to be 

supportive of employees who have been 

referred for assistance because of 

problems related to alcohol or other drugs.

7. Reintegrate 

Recovery from alcohol or other drug problems can

be a gradual, complex process.

18

To prevent

relapse and to promote sustained recovery, followup and supportive reentry are key. An ideal

situation would be one in which a specialist is

assigned to deliver supportive follow-up to the

employee at the workplace for 36 months or

longer.

19

How Should a Supervisor Handle a Crisis 

in the Workplace?

All supervisors should be prepared to deal with a

crisis. These situations are not common, but it is

important to know what to do in case of

emergency. Such highly charged situations might

involve alcohol and drugs, so it is important to

remember that an impaired person is not a

rational one. Some crisis situations that

organizations have had to face include

• Violent, unpredictable behavior

• Threatening words and actions

• Illegal activity

• Possession of alcohol or other drugs

How to Approach an Employee in a Possible Drug or

Alcohol Crisis Situation

1. Ask the employee to come to a private 

area with another supervisor, an HR 

representative, or security—or some 

combination of these.

2. Inquire, in a nonjudgmental tone, about 

the behavior, rumor, or report. Stick to the

facts and do not involve the names of 

other employees.

3. Express concern. Keep in mind that this is 

about a specific employee and his or her 

behaviors related to the workplace.

4. Actively listen to the explanation, and 

repeat the employee’s explanation to 

ensure that nothing is misunderstood.

5. If there is reason to believe that there 

may have been a violation, notify a 

department head or labor relations 

representative as appropriate.

6. If there is evidence or suspicion of recent 

use, follow the guidelines of the drug-free 

workplace policy, which will detail how to 

handle the event.

Some approaches include

A. Referring the employee to the EAP

B. Placing the employee on suspension 

pending an investigation

C. Providing for the employee to be 

escorted home

D. Escorting the employee to a laboratory 

for analysis

E. Calling local law enforcement if the 

situation is dangerous or illegal activity 

(such as distribution, possession, sale, or 

transportation of illegal substances) has 

been witnessed

6
References

1

Joel B. Bennett and Wayne E.K. Lehman. 

2003. Preventing Workplace Substance Abuse: 

Beyond Drug Testing to Wellness. Washington, 

D.C.: American Psychological Association.

2 

U.S. Office of Personnel Management. 1995. 

Performance Management. Found at 

http://www.opm.gov/perform/articles/026.asp/.

3 

B.F. Skinner. 1974. About Behaviorism. New 

York, New York: Random House.

4 

Joel B. Bennett, N.G. Bartholomew, S. Reynolds, 

and Wayne E.K. Lehman. 2002. Team 

Awareness: Training for Workplace Substance 

Abuse Prevention. Fort Worth, Texas: Texas 

Christian University, Institute of Behavioral 

Research.

5 

Joel B. Bennett and Wayne E.K. Lehman. 2003. 

Preventing Workplace Substance Abuse: 

Beyond Drug Testing to Wellness. Washington, 

D.C.: American Psychological Association.

6 

Michael A. Bozarth. 1990. “Drug Addiction as a 

Psychobiological Process.” In David M. 

Warburton (ed.). Addiction Controversies. 

London, England: Harwood Academic 

Publishers. Available at 

http://wings.buffalo.edu/aru/ARUreport04.html/.

7 

Office of Policy and Evaluation, U.S. Merit 

Systems Protection Board. 2001. Issues of Merit.

8

Dante Cicchetti and Fred A. Rogosch. 1996. 

“Equifinality and Multifinality in Developmental 

Psychopathology.” Development & 

Psychopathology 8:597–600.

9

Wayne E.K. Lehman, David J. Farabee, M.L. 

Holcom, and D. Dwayne Simpson. 1995. 

“Prediction of Substance Use in the Workplace:

Unique Contributions of Personal Background 

and Work Environment Variables.” Journal of 

Drug Issues 25(2):253–74.

10

Kathy R. Batts, Todd C. Grabill, Deborah M. 

Galvin, and William E. Schlenger. 2005. 

Contextual and Other Factors Related to 

Workplace-Based Substance Abuse Prevention 

and Early Intervention for Adolescents and 

Young Adults. Available at 

http://dwp.samhsa.gov/YIW/YIW_Files/ 

Background.htm/.

11

Jeffrey S. Hornsby and Donald F. Kuratko. 2005. 

Frontline HR: A Handbook for the Emerging 

Manager. Crawfordsville, Indiana: R.R. 

Donnelley.

12

John Hoover and Roger Di Silvestro. 2005. The 

Art of Constructive Confrontation: How to 

Achieve More With Less Conflict. New Jersey: 

Wiley and Sons.

13

Paul M. Roman and Suzanne C. Baker. 2002. 

“Alcohol and Drug Problem Management in the 

Workplace.” In Jay C. Thomas and Michel Hersen

(eds.). Handbook of Mental Health in the 

Workplace. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage, 

371–80.

14

Harrison M. Trice and Janice M. Beyer. 1984. 

“Employee Assistance Programs: Blending 

Performance-Oriented and Humanitarian 

Ideologies to Assist Emotionally Disturbed 

Employees.” In James R. Greenley (ed.). 

Research in Community and Mental Health. 

Greenwich, Connecticut: JAI Press, 4:245–97.

15

Paul M. Roman and Suzanne C. Baker. 2002. 

“Alcohol and Drug Problem Management in the 

Workplace.” In Jay C. Thomas and Michel Hersen

(eds.). Handbook of Mental Health in the 

Workplace. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage, 

371–80.

16

Dan Nakaso. 2005. “Zippy’s New Drug Policy 

Identifies ‘Problem’ Workers.” 

The Honolulu Advertiser, June 26.

17

Paul M. Roman and Suzanne C. Baker. 2002. 

“Alcohol and Drug Problem Management in the 

Workplace.” In Jay C. Thomas and Michel Hersen

(eds.). Handbook of Mental Health in the 

Workplace. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage, 

371–80.

18

Marilyn J. Strada and Brad C. Donohue. 2004. 

“Substance Abuse.” In Jay C. Thomas and Michel

Hersen (eds.). Handbook of Mental Health in the

Workplace. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage, 

75–91.

19

Paul M. Roman and Suzanne C. Baker. 2002. 

“Alcohol and Drug Problem Management in the 

Workplace.” In Jay C. Thomas and Michel Hersen

(eds.). Handbook of Mental Health in the 

Workplace. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage, 

371–80.

7

What Are Employee Assistance Programs?

Employee assistance programs (often simply

called EAPs) are employer- or union-sponsored

programs that serve the needs of employees by

identifying and addressing a broad spectrum of

health, economic, and social issues, including

substance abuse and mental health. They can

enhance the work climate of an organization and

promote the well-being of everyone involved.1, 2, 3

EAPs usually are multifaceted programs designed

to help employees with personal problems that

affect their job performance. Although some EAPs

concentrate primarily on

substance abuse issues,

most address a wide

range of employee

concerns: stress,

marital difficulties,

financial trouble, legal

problems. Usually they

offer a range of services: employee education

(onsite or offsite), individual and organizational

assessment, counseling, referrals to treatment.

EAP providers typically offer a host of counseling

services. These can include counseling for

substance abuse, grief, sexual harassment, family

violence, long-term illness, child care. Some EAPs

offer services for wellness or retirement

assistance. Some provide advice for dealing with

difficult supervisors or coworkers. Not all EAPs

provide all of these, and some provide more.

What Are the Major Types of EAPs?

When considering which kind of EAP might be

most appropriate for an organization’s needs, the

following list4 should be helpful.

• Internal/In-House Programs. These are 

most often found in large companies with 

substantial resources. The EAP staff is 

employed by the organization and works 

onsite with employees.

• Fixed-Fee Contracts. Employers contract 

directly with an EAP provider for a variety of 

services, such as counseling, employee 

assessment, and educational programs. Fees 

are usually based on the number of employees

and remain the same regardless of how many 

use the EAP.

• Fee-for-Service Contracts. Employers 

contract directly with an EAP provider but pay 

only when employees use the services. 

Because this system requires employers to 

make individual referrals (rather than 

employees self-referring), care must be taken 

to protect employee confidentiality.

• Consortia. An EAP consortium generally 

consists of smaller employers who join 

together to contract with an EAP service 

provider. This approach helps lower the cost 

per employee.

• Management-Sponsored Programs. These 

programs are sponsored exclusively by 

management, as opposed to programs 

sponsored by a union or a unionmanagement collaboration. Managementsponsored programs vary considerably in 

design and scope. Some deal only with 

substance abuse. Others treat a range of 

employee and family problems. Some include 

proactive prevention and health and wellness 

activities, as well as problem identification and

referral, and some are actively linked to the 

employee health benefit structure. 

1
• Peer-Based Programs. Less common than 

conventional EAPs, peer- or coworker-based 

EAPs offer education and training, assistance 

to troubled employees, and referrals—all 

through peers and coworkers. This type of 

program requires considerable education and 

training for employees.

• Member Assistance Programs. Member 

assistance programs (or MAPs) are provided 

by unions. Like EAPs, these vary considerably 

in design and scope. Unions have a long 

history of addressing member, family, health, 

welfare, and working condition concerns. MAPs

undertake a range of prevention, problem 

identification, referral, and counseling 

activities for workers and their dependents.

How to Find a Qualified EAP Provider

Currently there are no national licensure programs

for EAP providers, although several States are

considering such programs. Two professional

associations—the Employee Assistance

Professionals

Association (EAPA) and

the Employee

Assistance Society of

North America

(EASNA)—have

developed certification

procedures for EAP

providers. The Certified Employee Assistance

Professional (CEAP) credential indicates

satisfactory knowledge about addictions,

intervention, and related skills. For a fee, EAPA or

EASNA will also provide directories of EAP

providers by area or region.

• You may call EASNA at 763.765.2385 between

8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday,

Central Standard or Daylight Time. EASNA's 

Web site is http://www.easna.org/.

• You may call EAPA at 703.387.1000 between 

8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Monday through 

Friday, Eastern Standard or Daylight Time. 

EAPA's Web site is http://www.eapassn.org/.

A variety of options are available for identifying

EAP services. These include contacting

organizations that describe themselves as EAPs

and contacting other sources of health care.

Consider the following possibilities:

• Join with other 

employers and 

contract with an 

EAP provider. 

Consult the Yellow 

Pages (look under 

“employee 

assistance 

programs” or “drug abuse information and 

treatment centers”), call the local chamber of 

commerce or trade association, or call 

SAMHSA’s Workplace Helpline at 

1.800.WORKPLACE.

• Call local hospitals and ask about available 

EAP services.

• Contact a health maintenance organization 

that provides alcohol and other drug abuse 

treatment services, and ask about 

EAP possibilities.

• Contact a local mental health or substance 

abuse professional in private practice, and 

negotiate a contract for EAP services.

• Inquire whether health insurance carriers

cover EAP services or can help identify local or

regional EAP providers.

• Talk with other employers who have 

successful EAPs.

Prepare Information

When seeking to purchase EAP services, it is

important to prepare certain information that

providers can analyze and respond to. Information

they generally seek includes the following:

• Your drug-free workplace or equivalent policy 

statement

2
• Information about your health benefits 

structure

• General information about the workplace—

numbers of employees and supervisors, work 

sites, job categories, available demographics 

on employees, covered family members

• Services to be included

• Budget range or considerations for these 

services

• Reports that will be needed

Questions to Ask

Not every EAP will be right for every organization.

To determine whether a particular EAP will be able

to meet your specific needs, ask the EAP provider

the following questions:

• Do members of your staff belong to a 

professional EAP association?

• Do the staff who will be assigned to my 

organization hold the CEAP credential?

• What is the education level of each member of

your staff?

• Do you have references whom we can 

contact?

• Do you provide onsite employee education 

and supervisor training services?

• What cost/fee programs do you offer?

• Will you do onsite visits? Are you able to 

conduct a needs assessment of your 

organization?

• What types of counseling services are 

available to employees? How many sessions?

• How easy will it be for employees to use the 

EAP? Where and how often is the EAP 

available to employees?

• To which programs and services do you 

make referrals—and why?

• Does the EAP have a system for evaluating 

the effectiveness of the program?

Free and Low-Cost Services

SAMHSA’s Workplace Helpline:

1.800.WORKPLACE

The Helpline provides telephone consultation to

assist employers and union representatives with

policy development, drug testing, employee

assistance, employee education, supervisor

training, and program implementation. It offers

resource referrals and free publications. Helpline

information specialists are trained to provide

information tailored to each organization’s unique

characteristics. Lists of drug testing labs certified

by the U.S. Department of Health and Human

Services (DHHS) are available free of charge, and

networking help is available for finding a Medical

Review Officer (MRO).

For help with finding local initiatives 

and coalitions:

Look in the phone book, under your city’s 

name, for entries like “Drug-Free Business 

Initiative” or “Coalition for Drug-Free 

Workplaces.”

Call or write your State or county office for 

alcohol and drug abuse services, and ask if it 

has a list of groups near your workplace.

Call or write your local mayor’s office, police 

department’s community relations office, or 

office of economic development, and ask if the 

office has a list of coalitions.

Call or write your chamber of commerce or 

business or trade association and ask if it has 

services to help employers starts a drug-free 

workplace program.

Call SAMHSA’s Workplace Helpline at 

1.800.WORKPLACE (800.967.5752).

3
Local Drug-Free Business Initiatives and

Workplace Coalitions

Local initiatives and coalitions link employers who

are interested in drug-free workplace programs.

The coalitions may provide sample policies,

technical assistance, low-cost drug testing

services, and ongoing training sessions for

supervisors. Some have developed special lowcost employee assistance programs designed for

smaller employers. They may also have

information about, and experience with, the

services and costs of laboratories and MROs in

your area.

Other EAP Information Sources

Drug-Free Workplace Consultants 

Some employee assistance and management

consulting firms specialize in helping employers

and employees develop drug-free workplace

policies and programs. Call the State alcohol or

drug abuse agency for a list of EAPs and

treatment programs available locally. That agency

can also provide information about drug testing

laws.

Attorneys, Arbitrators, and Mediators 

Some law, arbitration, and mediation professionals

specialize in helping organizations develop drugfree workplace policies. They also can assist in

preventing or resolving policy disputes.

Drug Testing Labs

Many drug testing laboratories provide assistance

with writing a policy and creating education

programs, while charging only for their drug

testing services. Contact SAMHSA’s Workplace

Helpline (1.800.WORKPLACE) for a list of DHHScertified laboratories.

Health Insurance Carriers 

Review your health insurance policy, and consult

with your carrier or agent. Alcohol and other drug

abuse coverage varies depending on the services

you wish to provide for your employees. Some

carriers offer “preferred provider programs,” which

cover all or part of the costs of substance abuse

treatment for employees who receive treatment at

a preferred provider facility. Contact your carrier

to inquire about options for treatment coverage.

Implementation Examples

A model is provided by the Federal Office of

Personnel

Management’s Model

Employee Assistance

Program for all Federal

agencies. It describes

the necessary functions

and relationships of the

employee assistance

program. Information about the Federal

Government’s policy and programs is provided in

Your Federal Employee Assistance Program: A

Question and Answer Guide for Federal

Employees.5 Another example is provided by the

DHHS’s employee assistance program offered to

its employees and family members.

References

1 Michael T. French, Gary A. Zarkin, and Jeremy 

W. Bray. 1995. “A Methodology for Evaluating 

the Costs and Benefits of Employee Assistance 

Programs.” The Journal of Drug Issues

25(2):451–70.

2 Jeremy W. Bray, Michael T. French, Brad J. 

Bowland, and Laura J. Dunlap. 1996. “The Cost 

of Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs): 

Findings From Seven Case Studies.” Employee 

Assistance Quarterly 11(4):1–19.

3 Rick Selvik, Diane Stephenson, Chris Plaza, and 

Brian Sugden. 2004. “EAP Impact on Work, 

Relationship, and Health Outcomes.” The Journal

of Employee Assistance April:18–22.

4 Adapted from Thomas E. Backer. 1994. Strategic

Planning for Workplace Drug Abuse Programs, 

Second Edition. Bethesda, Maryland: National 

Institute on Drug Abuse.

5 U.S. Office of Personnel Management. N.d. Your 

Federal Employee Assistance Program: A 

Question and Answer Guide for Federal 

Employees. Available at 

https://www.opm.gov/Employment_and_

Benefits/WorkLife/OfficialDocuments/

handbooksguides/EAP_QandA/index.asp/.

4
This section of the Kit will concentrate on how an

employer can analyze, design, and implement a

drug testing program. One of the first steps may

be to consult with a certified laboratory in the

Federal workplace program. In addition, the

following information provides an in-depth view of

some of the information known about drug testing

in the workplace.

1. Why Do Some Workplaces Test 

Employees for Drug Use?

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Administration (SAMHSA) reported that, in 2006,

74.9 percent of all illicit drug users over 18 were

employed.1 Drug testing is a prevention and

deterrent method that is often a component of a

comprehensive drug-free workplace program.

Frequently, workplaces that do not have a drugfree workplace program produce higher health

care costs, injury rates, and other negative

outcomes related to employee substance abuse.

Drug-free workplace programs and policies are

adopted by workplaces for a variety of reasons.2

Prevention of substance abuse is first and

foremost. Others do it to comply with Federal

regulations, with requirements from customers or

contracts, or with

insurance carrier

requirements. All

intrastate truckers,

commercial driver’s

license holders, and

other transportation

workers are required to

undergo drug testing. Further, as required by joint

government agreements, the United States,

Canada, and Mexico monitor truckers crossing

international borders. 

A drug testing program can lead to employees

seeking early intervention and treatment, deter

them from using alcohol and other drugs (and

from coming to work unfit for duty), and create a

safer and more positive environment in the

workplace with less turnover, increased loyalty,

and higher standards of quality.

2. Do Drug Testing Programs Work?

Certified laboratories are enhancing their

procedures, based on research and technologies,

to better determine those specimens that will be

reported either negative or positive on a drug

test.3 Using a Medical

Review Officer (MRO)

to review the test

results reported by

certified laboratories

will ensure that

employees are not

falsely accused of drug

abuse. According to SAMHSA: “[A]n MRO is

defined as a licensed physician who receives

laboratory results, has knowledge of substance

abuse disorders, and has appropriate medical

training to interpret and evaluate an employee’s

positive test result together with his or her

medical history and any other relevant biomedical

information. Only individuals holding either a

Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathy degree

may serve as MROs for federally regulated

programs.”4

3. When Did Workplace Drug Testing Begin, 

and How Has It Evolved?

A Federal program was established in 1988, with

enactment of the Drug-Free Workplace Act. 

1
The Act requires some

Federal contractors and

all Federal grantees to

agree that they will

provide drug-free

workplaces as a

condition of receiving a

contract or grant from

a Federal agency. Although all covered contractors

and grantees must maintain a drug-free

workplace, the specific components necessary to

meet the requirements of the law vary. The

requirements for organizations are more extensive

than those for an individual, because organizations

must take comprehensive, programmatic steps to

achieve a workplace free of drugs.5

Organizations with contracts from any U.S. Federal

agency must comply with the provisions of the Act

if the contract is a) for $100,000 or more, b) for

services rather than goods, and c) performed in

the United States. The Act covers all contracts and

grants awarded to individuals.

Since the Drug-Free

Workplace Act became

law, workplace drug

testing has evolved. In

1991, Congress passed

and the president

signed into law the

Omnibus Transportation

Employee Testing Act.

It requires that the transportation industries

(aviation, trucking, railroad, mass transit, and

pipeline) regulated by the Department of

Transportation (DOT) test employees working in

certain safety-sensitive positions for drugs and

alcohol. The transportation industry has

established additional policies on drug and alcohol

testing, to ensure that workers operate aircraft,

trains, trucks, and buses safely and responsibly.

4. What You, as a Federal Contractor or Grantee, Must Do

If your organization is covered by the Drug-Free

Workplace Act, you must

• Publish a statement notifying employees 

that the unlawful manufacture, distribution, 

dispensation, possession, or use of a 

controlled substance is prohibited 

in the workplace. The statement should also 

clarify any punitive actions that will be taken.

• Establish a drug-free awareness program.

• Make sure each employee receives a copy 

of the workplace substance abuse policy. 

If you, as a Federal contractor, are found not to

have a drug-free workplace, each contract

awarded to you by any

Federal agency may be

suspended, terminated,

or both.6 You may find

yourself ineligible for

award of any contract

by any Federal agency,

and for participation in

any future procurement by any Federal agency, for

up to 5 years.

5. What Should a Drug Testing Policy Include?

A comprehensive workplace drug testing program

maintains a clear policy of no use. It educates

employees about the program, about why

substance abuse is harmful not only to the abuser

but also to those in his or her presence, how

substance abuse costs the organization, and the

consequences to the abuser for getting caught. A

comprehensive program provides supervisor

training, drug testing, and an employee assistance

program. Having a written policy helps you and

your employees concentrate on important details.

And it makes legal review possible.7

6. Motivating Your Employees 

and Providing Assistance

It makes little sense to have either a drug-free

workplace policy or a workplace drug testing 

2
program without, at the same time, having a

drug-abuse education program. You should have a

health care professional speak to your staff about

the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse—and make

attendance mandatory. (Schedule the speaker on

multiple dates, as full attendance on a given day

is unlikely.) Make brief literature about drug abuse

accessible to your employees, with handouts,

bulletin board flyers, and email.

7. What Are the Major Kinds of Drug Tests, 

and What Do They Test?

The specimens

collected and tested

typically are either

urine, hair, saliva, or

sweat. However, the

only specimen collected

and tested in federally

regulated programs is

urine. The testing of hair specimens is becoming

more common in some unregulated, privatesector programs. But urine drug testing is used

most often because of its proven accuracy,

reliability, and fairness.

What drug tests look for varies greatly based on

the testing company, the expense, the client’s

expectations, and so forth. Here is what you can

expect from the standard tests.

The SAMHSA 5

The “Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace

Drug Testing Programs” require Executive Branch

Federal agencies to have a drug testing program.

The “Mandatory Guidelines” permit testing for

drugs in five specific categories of drugs,

sometimes referred to as the “SAMHSA 5”:

• Marijuana

• Cocaine

• Opiates

• Phencyclidine (PCP)

• Amphetamines8

Expanded Tests

Most drug testing companies offer an expanded

test that includes a few additional drugs in the

testing process. Typically the tests will look for a

few of the following: ethanol (alcohol),

hydrocodone (Lortab, Vicodin), barbiturates,

methaqualone (Quaaludes), methadone,

Benzodiazepines (e.g., Valium), MDMA (ecstasy),

propoxyphene (Darvon).9

8. A Drug Testing Checklist

9. What NOT to Do

Should you choose to go forward with a drug-free

workplace policy or a drug testing program, there

are a handful of things you should make sure not

to do:

• Do not enforce a workplace policy 

inconsistently. Not only is an inconsistent 

policy unfair, but it also makes an employer an

easy target for litigation.

• Do not publicize drug test results.

Disseminate employee or job applicant test 

results only to those who “need to know.”

• Do not take action when only an initial positive

drug test result is available. A confirmatory 

test must always be conducted on specimens 

A Drug Testing Checklist

Here’s a list of “must do’s” before 

you implement a drug-testing policy:

A. Identify any Federal or State laws with which you 

must comply. (Call your State’s attorney general or 

talk with legal counsel.)

B. If applicable, talk with union officials.

C. Identify and contact a U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services (DHHS)–certified laboratory.

D. Contract with a medical review officer.

E. Develop a system to protect the confidentiality of 

employee drug testing records. Call SAMHSA’s 

Workplace Helpline for assistance.

F. Designate a person at your company who will 

receive the test results from the lab, and make sure 

he or she is aware of confidentiality issues.

G. Write a clear, consistent, and fair policy, and 

have it reviewed by legal counsel.

H. Notify employees 30 to 60 days before the 

testing program goes into effect.

I. Communicate to employees that you will abide by 

the policy also.

3
that had an initial “positive” drug test results.

• Do not use laboratories that do not 

participate in an accreditation program.

• Do not address drug abuse without also 

addressing alcohol abuse. Alcohol is the 

most commonly abused drug in the United 

States,10 the world over,11 and in American 

workplaces.12 Make the dangers of abusing 

alcohol part of the drug-abuse education 

program you offer your employees.

• Do not confront a suspected drug user alone. 

Confronting a person “under the influence” or 

engaged in illegal behavior could be physically 

dangerous. Further, in the event of a legal 

challenge, it helps to have a witness on your 

behalf.

• Do not allow impaired employees to drive 

home. The reason is self-evident, but then 

how do you get the person off your site? 

Have a supervisor drive him or her home.

10. Who Gets Drug Tested, and Who Does the Testing?

Because drug testing costs money (although

frequently the benefits far outweigh the costs),

some employers choose

to test only those

employees in safetysensitive positions. You

may choose to test only

your professional-level

staff, or you may test

all your employees.

Testing everyone can send a message that all

employees (despite a range of salaries and

responsibilities) are held to a certain code 

of conduct.

As an employer, you may choose to use a DHHScertified drug testing laboratory that is certified

under the National Laboratory Certification

Program. After that decision is made, you may

decide to have a trained collector come to your

office to collect specimens, or you may choose to

send employees to the certified laboratory

(assuming the laboratory is located within a

reasonable distance to the workplace) to have

their specimens collected. In either case, you may

direct the certified laboratory to test the

specimens collected

from your employees

using the same

procedures the certified

laboratory would use if

the specimens were

being tested as

regulated specimens

(that is, from a Federal employee or an employee

from a DOT-regulated industry).

Though not required, it is recommended that you

use a Medical Review Officer to review results

reported by a laboratory before the result is

reported to the employer to ensure that an

employee is not falsely accused of drug abuse. An

MRO is a licensed physician who has a thorough

knowledge of substance abuse disorders. This

person knows the Federal regulations regarding

drug testing. An MRO is trained to interpret and

evaluate test results together with the employee’s

medical history and other relevant biomedical

information. The MRO makes a determination and

reports the result of the test to the employer.

11. When Are Drug Tests Given?

Random Tests

The most effective drug tests, for deterring any

illicit drug use, are those given randomly. Simply

put, if an employee is tempted to use drugs but

knows he or she may be tested at any time, the

temptation is reduced. Random testing—or testing

a selected group of employees at random and

unpredictable times—is most commonly used in

safety- and securitysensitive positions,

where a mistake can

cost a fortune or be

catastrophic (at a

nuclear power plant,

for example). A

random test is when an

4
employer selects, using a truly random selection

process, one or more individuals from all the

employees included in

the employer’s

workplace drug testing

program. A random

selection process

precludes an employer

from attempting to

preselect a particular

employee for a drug test.13

But there are other logical times to conduct drug

tests, including before employment, because of

reasonable suspicion or cause, following an

accident, when an employee returns to duty, and

as a follow-up to a previous test.

Preemployment Tests

If you institutionalize drug testing at your

workplace, you can then move to test all 

job candidates.

That is, you can make

passing a drug test a

condition of being hired.

If you choose to have a

policy of zero tolerance

for substance abuse at

your workplace, you will

find it much easier to dismiss a candidate for

employment whom you have yet to hire than an

employee who has been on your payroll for any

period of time.

A negative drug test does not indicate that a

person has never used illicit drugs in the past, nor

that he or she will never use them again.14 But

offering employment only after a negative drug

test result does decrease the chance that you will 

hire someone who is currently using or abusing

drugs illegally.

Prepromotion Tests

Some employers will test an employee prior to

promotion within the organization. The investment

in more highly paid staff is greater. Further

testing an employee as a condition of promotion

reinforces the message that the employee must

now take on greater responsibility.

Annual Physical Tests

You may test your employees for alcohol and other

drug use as part of an annual physical. A word of

caution: If you conduct drug tests in tandem with

physical examinations, make certain your

employees know they are being tested for drugs

as part of the exam. As with all drug testing, to

test a patient for drugs as part of his or her

annual physical without notifying the person

beforehand that this will occur is a violation of the

person’s constitutional rights.

Reasonable-Suspicion and For-Cause Tests

You may test employees who show obvious signs

of being unfit for duty (this is called for-cause

testing) or who have documented patterns of

unsafe work behavior (this is reasonable-suspicion

testing). This helps protect the safety and wellbeing of the employee and other coworkers and

provides the opportunity for rehabilitation if the

employee tests positive.

Post-Accident Tests

To protect the safety of employees, and to identify

and refer to treatment those persons whose

alcohol or other drug

use threatens the safety

of the workplace, some

employers will test staff

members who are

involved in an accident

or unsafe practice

incident—to help

determine whether alcohol or other drug use was

a factor.15

Treatment Follow-Up Tests

Many employers choose to periodically test

employees who return to work after participating

in a rehabilitation program.16 This can encourage

5
employees to remain drug-free after they have

completed the first stages of treatment.

12. Who Pays for Drug Tests?

Usually, the employer pays for a drug test.

Occasionally, an employer requires the employee

to pay for the test, and if the results are negative

the employer reimburses the cost. If employees

are expected to pay, this should be stated in the

written policy.

13. What Are the Consequences for Employees of a

Positive Drug Test?

Depending on the specific policy, an employee who

tests positive on a drug test may be referred for

assistance, for disciplinary action (such as

suspension or dismissal from work), or for both

assistance and disciplinary action. Expulsion—and

even suspension—from

work is considered an

extreme consequence.

Discussing the positive

test result with the

employee and possibly

referring him or her for

treatment are

considered more common first steps. Of course, if

the employee is in a safety-secure position,

probation may be appropriate.

14. What Are the Legal Rights of Employees Who

Test Positive?

A Federal employee or an employee working for a

DOT-regulated industry who tests positive on a

drug test has the right to have his or her

specimen tested by a second DHHS-certified

laboratory to verify the positive result reported by

the first DHHS-certified laboratory. Although it is

not required, it is recommended that all employers

include this right in their workplace drug testing

programs. All employees who test positive have

equal rights—do not offer rehabilitation selectively.

And if your employees are represented by a union,

you may not implement a policy and program

unilaterally. The National Labor Relations Act

requires that terms and conditions regarding any

workplace drug testing program you institute be

included in your collective bargaining agreement.

Drug-free workplace policies can always be

challenged in the justice

system. Many people

use SAMHSA-approved

labs to reduce the

possibility of being

challenged. There are

Federal laws regarding

drug testing. But there

may also be laws unique to your State or locality.

Consult with an attorney—one experienced with

labor and employment matters in your State—

before you institute a drug-free workplace

program.

15. What Steps Are Taken to Ensure the Accuracy of the

Drug Tests?

A drug testing program must be scientifically

accurate, precise, and forensically supportable. 

To that end:

• Every urine specimen collected for a drug 

test must be analyzed using both an initial 

test and a confirmatory test.

• The amount of the specimen taken must 

be sufficient for multiple testing.

• Trained personnel must carry out 

laboratory testing in a secure facility.

• The chain of custody of the specimen, 

from receipt until disposal, must be 

continuous.

When a urine specimen is collected by a trained

collector who follows the required collection

procedure, is tested in accordance with the

“Mandatory Guidelines,” and is reviewed by an

MRO before the result is reported to an employer,

the result for that specimen will be forensically

and scientifically supportable.

6
Initial Test

The initial test is used to eliminate negative urine

specimens from further consideration and to

identify the apparent positive specimens that

require confirmation or further testing. A negative

specimen is any

specimen that contains

no drug or whose

apparent concentration of

the drug or drug

metabolite in question is

less than the cutoff

concentration for that

drug or drug class. If the lab uses a second test to

further identify a specimen as positive before the

confirmation procedure, the second test is subject

to the same requirements for accuracy as the 

first test.17

Validity Test

The laboratory next conducts a validity test to

identify whether anyone has tried to tamper with

the specimen. Tampering attempts would be either

by substitution (swapping the specimen with drugfree urine or diluting it with a liquid to effectively

decrease the concentration of a drug below the

cutoff concentration) or adulteration (for example,

putting a substance into a specimen that is

designed to mask or destroy the drug or drug

metabolite it may contain).18

Confirmatory Test

All urine specimens identified as “presumptive”

positive on the initial test must be confirmed

positive using gas chromatography/mass

spectrometry (GC/MS) before the laboratory can

report the positive result to an MRO. Gas

chromatography physically separates the various

substances that have

been extracted from a

specimen (such as

urine). Mass

spectrometry is the

technique used to

provide positive

identification of

substances that were separated by the gas

chromatograph. In general, GC/MS analysis

involves using a solid phase or solvent/solventextraction procedure to extract a drug from most

other components of a urine specimen. Following

the extraction procedure, the extract is injected

into the GC/MS to perform the final separation,

identification, and quantification of the specific

drug or drug metabolite present in the urine

specimen.19

Notes:

From “Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug 

Programs,” Federal Register notice published April 13, 2004 (69 

FR 19644), effective Nov. 1, 2004.

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid.

Benzoylecognine.

Specimen must also contain amphetamine at a concentration 

greater than or equal to 200 nanograms/milliliter.

Test for 6-AM when morphine concentration exceeds 2,000 

nanograms/milliliter.

a

b

c

d

e

Marijuana metabolites

Cocaine metabolites

Opiate metabolites

Phencyclidine

Amphetamines

50

300

2,000

25

1,000

Initial Test Cutoff Concentration (nanograms/milliliter) 

Confirmatory Test Cutoff Concentration (nanograms/milliliter) 

Marijuana metabolite 

Cocaine metabolite 

Opiates: 

 Morphine 

 Codeine 

 6-Acetylmorphine 

Phencyclidine 

Amphetamines: 

 Amphetamine 

 Methamphetamine 

15

150

2,000

2,000

10

25

500

500

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Drug Cutoff Concentrationsa

b

c

d

e

7
1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

(DHHS), SAMHSA, Office of Applied Studies. 

2007. Results From the 2006 National Survey on

Drug Use and Health: National Findings. 

Rockville, Maryland, 27.

2 Michael T. French, Mark Christopher Roebuck, 

and Pierre Kebreau Alexandre. 2004. “To Test or 

Not To Test:Do Workplace Drug Testing Programs

Discourage Employee Drug Use?” Social Science 

Research 33(1):45–63.

3 http://www.workplace.samhsa.gov/DrugTesting/ 

comments/Public%20Comment%208400097 

.pdf/.

4 U.S. DHHS, SAMHSA, Center for Substance 

Abuse Prevention (CSAP), Division of Workplace 

Programs (DWP). 2004. Medical Review Officer 

Manual for Federal Agency Workplace Drug 

Testing Programs. Rockville, Maryland.

5 Walter F. Vogl. 1999. “Workplace Drug Testing.” 

PowerPoint slide presentation. U.S. DHHS, 

SAMHSA, CSAP, DWP.

6 U.S. DHHS, SAMHSA, CSAP. 1992. “Guide for 

Drug-Free Workplace Policy Makers: Issues, 

Options, and Models.” Rockville, Maryland.

7 Ibid.

8 http://dwp.samhsa.gov/DrugTesting/Files_Drug_

Testing/Labs/Drug%20Cutoff%20Concentrations 

%20-%20February%202005.pdf/.

9 http://www.questdiagnostics.com/employer 

solutions/standard_urine_testing_es.html/.

10U.S. DHHS, SAMHSA, Office of Applied Studies. 

2007. Results From the 2006 National Survey on

Drug Use and Health: National Findings. 

Rockville, Maryland, 3.

11 Boyd Gibbons. “Alcohol, the Legal Drug.” 

National Geographic 181(2):2–35.

12 Paul M. Roman and Terry C. Blum. 2002. “The 

Workplace and Alcohol Problem Prevention.” 

Alcohol Research & Health 26.

13 Jacques Normand, Richard O. Lempert, and 

Charles P. O’Brien (eds.). 1994. Under the 

Influence? Drugs and the American Workforce. 

Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.

14 Ibid.

15 Ibid.

16 Ibid. 

References

8

17 U.S. DHHS, SAMHSA, CSAP, DWP. N.d. “Drug 

Testing: Analytical Testing Methods.” Available at

http://www.workplace.samhsa.gov/DrugTesting/ 

AnalyticalTesting/index.html/.

18 Ibid.

19 Ibid.






Workplaces seeking to broaden their substance

abuse prevention efforts can consider

implementing one of the many evidence-based

programs that SAMHSA has recognized as

effective. These programs have been carefully

implemented and rigorously evaluated, and have

shown consistently positive outcomes for

preventing substance abuse. They have met

stringent standards set by the National Registry of

Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP).

Technical assistance can be obtained from the

program developers. Examples of NREPP model

workplace programs are described below.

Coping With Work and Family Stress:

A Workplace Preventive Intervention

This program is a 16-session weekly group

intervention1 that teaches employees to develop

effective coping strategies for dealing with

stressors at work and at home. Companies

provide release time so that employees can

participate in the program consistently. The first

component presents methods to help eliminate or

modify sources of stress. The second component

gives techniques to modify cognitive processes

that lead to or exacerbate stress. The third

component emphasizes stress management and

reducing the use of avoidance coping and other

negative tension-reducing behaviors (e.g., use of

alcohol and other drugs). In the final session,

participants create personalized stress

management plans to maintain the program’s

beneficial effects.

Intended Population

The program was tested in a wide range of work

settings including manufacturing, water authority,

telecommunications, and utility companies. The

target population included both men and women

working in various occupational groups and of

diverse ages and ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic

backgrounds. The participants also varied in

education, religious affiliation, marital status, and

number of children.

How It Works

Specific techniques include didactic presentations,

group discussion and problem solving, and looking

at personal experiences. The strategies provide

opportunities to learn a wide range of active

coping skills, to consider ways to make better use

of social networks, and to practice specific stress

management approaches. Though the program is

conducted in a group setting, it promotes behavior

change in relation to employees’ unique work and

family situations. This intervention is adaptable to

any work setting.

Implementation Essentials

The program uses a “train the trainer” model

involving personnel in the workplace or other

professionals in the community to implement the

program. Training takes

3 full days with two

trainers, with up to 20

participants in each

training series. Onsite

or telephone follow-up

is essential to

guarantee program

fidelity and to troubleshoot issues that might arise

once implementation in the work setting begins. It

is vital to have strong management support for

the program, with a commitment to provide

release time for employee participation.

Individuals training to implement the program

receive intervention materials (at cost), including

a curriculum, a supply of handouts for each

1
session, and a CD–ROM—the last of which

demonstrates stress management techniques.

When the program is implemented, these

materials are provided to the employees so they

can practice using new coping strategies and

stress management techniques at home between

sessions and after completing the program.

Sixteen 11⁄2-hour sessions are conducted by a

trainer with a group of 15 to 20 employees. The

trainer needs 4 to 6 hours

a week to prepare and

deliver the course. The

need for administrative

support is minimal. Space

for conducting the

sessions is provided by

the business or

organization. Equipment and materials include a

flip chart, the optional use of an overhead

projector or PowerPoint for presentations, and, for

each participant, handouts, a CD–ROM, and a

three-ring binder.

According to the evaluation studies of the

program’s effectiveness across a wide variety of

companies and employees, the program resulted

in

• Significant reduction in work and family 

stressors

• Significant increase in problem-solving and 

cognitive coping strategies

• Significant reduction in the use of avoidance 

coping strategies

• Significant increase in social support from 

supervisors and coworkers

• Significant reduction in use of alcohol and 

other drugs

• Significant reduction in depression, anxiety, 

and complaints about physical ills

To learn more about the program and obtain

information on contacts and training, visit

http://www.theconsultationcenter.org/WFS%20SA

MHSA.pdf/.

Team Awareness

Team Awareness2 is a workplace training program

that addresses behavioral risks associated with

substance abuse by employees and, indirectly,

employees’ families. This program has been shown

to increase employee help-seeking for, and

supervisor responsiveness to, troubled workers; to

enhance the work climate; and to reduce problem

drinking. The program is appropriate for

businesses or organizations of any size.

Intended Population

Team Awareness is designed for use in any type of

organizational setting or occupational group where

employees interact with or depend on one another

to get work done. The training may be particularly

effective for employees in safety-sensitive

occupations (e.g., construction workers,

emergency response and law enforcement

personnel, machinery or equipment operators,

transportation workers) or workplaces where

tradition supports coworkers’ use of alcohol to

handle stress or to socialize. The program has

been tested on a wide variety of white- and bluecollar occupations with same- or mixed-gender

compositions within two municipal workforces.

Team Awareness has also been adapted for use by

Proven Results for 

Coping With Work and Family Stress 

A 16 percent increase in the use of active behavioral 

coping skills

A 15 percent increase in the use of social support 

coping

A 33 percent reduction in avoidance coping (e.g., “I 

avoided doing anything about the situation”)

A 17 percent reduction in social withdrawal coping 

(e.g., “I avoided being with people”)

2
small businesses and community-based alcohol

and other drug awareness centers.

The training consists of six modules delivered in

two 4-hour sessions. (Larger companies generally

require multiple training sessions.) Team

Awareness is highly interactive and uses group

discussion, communication exercises, a board

game, role playing, and self-assessments. Modules

cover policy ownership, enabling, stress

management, listening skills, and peer referral.

How It Works

Team Awareness can serve three different

functions, depending on the needs of a business,

and can be positioned as

• An enhanced drug-free workplace program

• A team communication workshop

• A work culture intervention

The original design of Team Awareness includes

three core components:

• Preparatory focus groups and meetings to 

collect policy information, establish rapport, 

and facilitate employee involvement

• Supervisor training (two 4-hour sessions)

• Employee training (two 4-hour sessions)

The training consists of six modules:

• Relevance (2 hours), which increases 

employee ownership of the importance of 

their roles in substance abuse prevention at 

their worksites.

• Team Ownership of Policy (11⁄2 hours). 

The Risks and Strengths Game creates 

positive attitudes toward organization 

substance abuse prevention policies as tools 

for risk prevention (11⁄2 hours).

• Reducing Stigma and Tolerance and 

Increasing Responsiveness (1 hour), which 

reduces risky levels of supervisor and 

coworker tolerance of substance use (i.e., 

enabling and codependence).

• Work Stress, Problem Solving, and 

Substance Use (1 hour) identifies signs of 

poor coping and the role of substance use; the

module promotes healthy alternatives for 

dealing with stress.

• Workplace Communication Skills (1 hour) 

reviews listening skills and identifies 

workplace communication norms.

• Encouragement (1 hour). The NUDGE 

Model develops peer referral skills and 

employee alliance with employee assistance 

programs (EAPs).

Implementation Essentials

Successful implementation of Team Awareness

requires a facilitator who understands the

overview manual and each of the manuals for the

six Team Awareness

modules. Manuals and

materials are available for

free downloading from

Organizational Wellness &

Learning Systems (at

http://www.organizational

wellness.com) or from the

Institute of Behavioral Research at Texas Christian

University (at http://www.ibr.tcu.edu).

The facilitator must also be familiar with the

organization’s work climate, current substance use

policies and related documents, and employee

Reduces alcohol and drug use risk factors in the work 

setting

Improves work group climate that supports employee 

health and wellness

Increases supervisor willingness to use the employee 

assistance program

Decreases employee tendency to ignore or stigmatize 

coworkers with problems

Improves confidentiality (respect for privacy) within the 

work group

Reduces social norms that support drinking with coworkers

Team Awareness Benefits

3
assistance resources such as the organization’s

medical office and the EAP. Some modules require

the facilitator to incorporate information on

particular policies and resources. Sessions should

be delivered to groups of 10 to 25 employees in a

training room equipped with an overhead

projector, a screen, and flip charts. Participants

can be drawn from the same or different work

groups or settings.

Training

Facilitator certification takes 31⁄2 days and can be

done onsite or offsite. It proceeds as follows:

• Day 1. Orientation, training, and practice 

sessions for modules 1 and 2; review of 

theory and background research

• Day 2. Orientation, training, and practice 

sessions for modules 3 through 5

• Day 3. Orientation, training, and practice 

sessions for module 6; review adaptations 

for supervisors, focus groups, 

customizations, and fidelity issues

• Day 4 (1⁄2 day). Receipt and review of 

evaluation protocols; and review of transfer 

management (strategies for applying what has

been learned)

Technical Assistance

The developer will conduct focus groups, help

customize aspects of the program to fit particular

policies and resources, and assist with before and

after evaluation and fidelity assessments.

To learn more about the program and obtain

information on contacts and training, visit

http://www.modelprograms.samhsa.gov/pdfs/mod

el/TeamAwareness.pdf/.

The Healthy Workplace 

The Healthy Workplace3 program is a set of

workplace substance abuse prevention

interventions designed to reduce unsafe drinking,

illegal drug use, and prescription drug abuse while

improving the health practices of adult workers.

Cast in a health promotion framework and rooted

in social-cognitive principles of behavior change,

the program integrates substance abuse

prevention material with popular health promotion

strategies, thereby defusing the stigma that often

accompanies substance abuse and removing

barriers to help-seeking behavior.

The Healthy Workplace achieves positive results

because it

• Reaches the mainstream of workers through 

the vehicle of health promotion

• Raises awareness of the benefits of healthy 

practices and the hazards of using alcohol, 

tobacco, and illegal drugs and of misusing

legal drugs

• Teaches employees specific techniques for 

improving health and reducing use of alcohol, 

tobacco, and illegal drugs

• Incorporates carefully constructed videos to 

increase self-efficacy and provide models for 

embracing healthy practices and reducing 

substance abuse

A 47 percent reduction in the number of drinks 

consumed in the past 30 days

A 67 percent reduction in the number of days of heavy 

drinking in the past 30 days

Improved motivation to reduce drinking

Reduced use of alcohol or illegal drugs to relieve stress

Increased perception of the risks of alcohol and illegal 

drug use

Improved health practices and beliefs (e.g., confidence 

in ability to improve health)

When compared with a control group, participants achieved 

Proven Results for Team Awareness

4
Intended Population

The Healthy Workplace has been tested in

medium-sized and large companies, including

manufacturing and printing facilities, an insurance

company, and within groups of construction

workers. It has been implemented in a wide

variety of industries (e.g., insurance, printing,

telecommunications, pharmaceutical

manufacturing), occupational groups (clerical,

technical/professional, construction, managerial),

and ethnically diverse

workforces, including

African American, Asian

American, Hispanic/

Latino, and white

workers. The program

has been implemented

in all regions of the

country on male, female, young, and middle-aged

workers.

How It Works

The program consists of five interventions that are

delivered in small group sessions using videos and

print materials. The interventions can be used in

any order and are selected based on the

organization’s goals and employee composition.

Three of the interventions are relatively brief,

typically requiring three to four sessions lasting 1

hour or less each.

• The Say Yes! Healthy Choices for Feeling 

Good intervention is a general health 

promotion program with substantial segments 

on alcohol and drug abuse.

• The Working People: Decisions about 

Drinking intervention concentrates on alcohol 

abuse prevention and is especially 

appropriate for a young (18 to 35 years old) 

blue-collar workforce.

• Make the Connection is a three-part series of 

video and print materials designed for 

insertion into workplace health promotion 

programs on stress management, weight 

management/nutrition, and fitness.

• The Power Tools intervention is an eightsession program for young, male, blue-collar 

workers that combines instruction on general 

health issues with special sessions devoted 

to alcohol and drug abuse.

• Prime Life 2000 is a multitiered intervention 

consisting of a series of small group sessions 

on stress management, healthy eating, and 

fitness. Videos and print materials are mailed 

to all employees, and supervisors receive 

training in EAP utilization. All components 

include information on preventing alcohol 

abuse, illegal drug use, and prescription drug 

abuse.

Implementation Essentials

Small group sessions of 10 to 20 employees are

held typically in an organization’s training or

conference room. A trainer who is familiar with the

training guide and has the supporting videotapes

and print materials can implement any of the

interventions. If the worksite already has an active

health promotion program, modifications of Make

the Connection or Prime Life 2000 may be used

since these interventions are designed to add

alcohol- and other drug-use information to existing

programs.

Training and Materials

Each intervention has a training guide and

supporting materials that can be ordered at

http://www.centerforworkforcehealth.com/.

A special Web-based program, The Prevention

Connection, has been created to train health

promotion specialists to implement these

interventions. This training program can be

accessed at http://www.PrevConn.com/.

To learn more about the program and to obtain

information on contacts and training, visit

http://www.modelprograms.samhsa.gov/pdfs/mod

el/Healthy.pdf/.

5
Wellness Outreach at Work

Wellness Outreach at Work 4 (or WOW) provides

comprehensive health risk–reduction services—

health screening, intensive follow-up, and worksite

health promotion—to all employees at a

workplace. Alcohol education is integrated into the

context of health-risk counseling. WOW is based

on five principles:

1. Reach out to all employees.

2. Deliver comprehensive care that includes 

cardiovascular and cancer risk screening, 

and personalized follow-up health coaching

that includes alcohol education.

3. Conduct waves of follow-up through 

mailings, telephone calls, and personal 

contacts.

4. Make participation voluntary and friendly.

5. Provide long-term, direct employee 

support and long-term support within the 

workplace (e.g., lowfat cafeteria food 

options, peer-led health promotion).

Intended Population

The program originally was tested in

manufacturing plants and in university and

hospital settings. The model also has been tested

in churches, school systems, gas stations, and an

airplane servicing facility. WOW participants have

included African American, Hispanic/Latino, white,

blue-collar, white-collar, management, and

professional employees. The program targets

working adults ages 25 and older, and retirees.

How It Works

WOW begins with free, worksitewide, health-risk

screening, including biometric measures of health

status. Health screenings are followed by 15- to

20-minute personalized coaching sessions that

direct employees’

attention to health

matters in general, and

to their individual health

risks. Some employees

receive follow-up

outreach, based on the

number and severity of

their discovered health

risks. Employees are seen one to four times a year

thereafter, based on risk factors, in sessions that

take about 20 minutes each. WOW program

interventions also provide baseline information

about health risks for the total workforce, so at

the same time, a worksite Wellness Committee

looks at organizational policies and practices that

could improve employee health, and creates

activities and peer support for health

improvement. The committee typically meets once

a month to assess how well WOW is working, to

sponsor health improvement activities, to give

generalized feedback to the health coaches, and to

discuss health-relevant policies with organization

management. As employees lower their health

risks, health counselors see them less frequently

and a supportive social environment at work helps

them maintain their health gains. Periodic reports

to management and the wellness committee track

measurable changes in health risks for the

employee population and gains in the work

environment.

A 47 percent reduction in the number of drinks 

consumed in the past 30 days

A 67 percent reduction in the number of days of heavy 

drinking in the past 30 days

Improved motivation to reduce drinking

Reduced use of alcohol or illegal drugs to relieve stress

Increased perception of the risks of alcohol and illegal 

drug use

Improved health practices and beliefs (e.g., confidence 

in ability to improve health)

When compared with a control group, participants achieved 

Proven Results for The Healthy Workplace

6
Used in more than 100 worksites, the program has

reached more than 75,000 employees in

organizations ranging in size from 5 to 6,000

employees, including blue- and white-collar

workforces. Significant results for participating

employees include

• Improved nutrition

• Reduction in alcohol consumption

• Maintained weight loss (for obese 

participants)

• Improvement in blood pressure control

• Decreases in other cardiovascular 

disease risks

• Increased personal exercise

• Successful stress management

• Improved relations with coworkers

• Heightened sense of well-being

Companies using the program have reported

decreased absenteeism, improved employee

morale, heightened productivity, and decreased

use of disease care services.

Implementation Essentials

A comprehensive implementation guide provides

step-by-step instructions for implementing

Wellness Outreach at Work and is available

through the developer’s Web site at

http://www.ilir.umich.edu/.

Critical elements for successful program outcomes

include

• Management support

• Union involvement (where applicable)

• Guaranteed confidentiality of employee 

records

• Space at the worksite where employees can 

receive confidential counseling

• Computerized data management 

Successful program outcomes also require

• A wellness committee.

• An ample staff of trained wellness 

professionals with appropriate supervisory 

oversight and support (ratio of counselors to 

employees is 1 full-time or equivalent 

counselor to 500 employees).

• Use of program interaction protocol 

guidelines with clients, adapted to their 

personal lifestyles and preferences.

• Program resources and materials concerning 

each cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk 

factor, including alcohol consumption 

guidelines. It is necessary to use CVD Health 

Risk Screening procedures that meet current 

National Institutes of Health guidelines for 

health-risk profiles and appropriate 

interventions.

• Necessary equipment includes blood 

pressure measuring equipment, immediate 

blood analyzers using finger-stick blood draws,

weight scales, and body-fat measuring 

instruments.

To learn more about the program and obtain

information on contacts and training, visit

http://www.modelprograms.samhsa.gov/pdfs/mod

el/Wellness.pdf/.

A 50 percent decrease in at-risk drinking

A 50 percent or better improvement in blood pressure 

control

A 50 percent decrease in other cardiovascular disease 

risks

Screening plus exit counseling reduces alcohol 

consumption for about 75 percent of persons whose 

drinking puts them at-risk for later health problems.

One third of the obese lose and maintain 10 or more 

pounds of weight loss 3 years later.

Employees report—and biometric measurements 

corroborate—increased personal exercise, more 

successful stress management, improved relations with 

coworkers, and a heightened sense of well-being.

Companies report decreased absenteeism, improved 

morale, and heightened productivity.

Proven Results for Wellness at Work

Outcomes for Wellness at Work

7
References

1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

(DHHS), SAMHSA, Center for Substance Abuse 

Prevention (CSAP). N.d. “Coping With Work and 

Family Stress.” Rockville, Maryland. Available at 

http://www.theconsultationcenter.org/WFS% 

20SAMHSA.pdf/.

2 U.S. DHHS, SAMHSA, CSAP. N.d. “Team 

Awareness.” Rockville, Maryland. Available at 

http://www.modelprograms.samhsa.gov/ 

pdfs/model/TeamAwareness.pdf/.

3 U.S. DHHS, SAMHSA, CSAP. N.d. “The Healthy 

Workplace.” Rockville, Maryland. Available at 

http://www.modelprograms.samhsa.gov/ 

pdfs/model/Healthy.pdf/.

4 U.S. DHHS, SAMHSA, CSAP. N.d. “Wellness 

Outreach at Work.” Rockville, Maryland. 

Available at http://www.modelprograms. 

samhsa.gov/ pdfs/model/Wellness.pdf/.

8
The National Clearinghouse on Alcohol and Drug Information, a component of SAMHSA’s Health 

Information Network, is the Nation’s one-stop resource for the most current and comprehensive 

information on substance abuse prevention and treatment. The Information Network offers more than 

1,000 items on substance abuse prevention and treatment to the public, most of which are provided at 

no charge. Through the Information Network, SAMHSA distributes the latest studies, surveys, resource 

guides, DVDs, videocassettes, and other materials on substance abuse.

SAMHSA's Health Information Network Is a Repository of Current Print, Audiovisual,

and Electronic Resources Dedicated to Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment

SAMHSA’s Health Information Network Offers

A broad range of substance abuse prevention materials such as fact sheets, brochures, 

pamphlets, monographs, posters, and videotapes.

Tailored, culturally diverse prevention, intervention, and treatment resources for many 

different audiences, including the general public, workplaces, parents, teachers, youth, 

prevention and treatment professionals, community centers, hospitals and clinics, boys’ and 

girls’ clubs.

A comprehensive, easy-to-navigate Web site that allows requesters to conduct their own 

searches for information and materials by selecting from 31 different drugs or drug types, 35 

drug issues or topics, and 30 audiences. The Web site also features

An extensive section on resources, including the Substance Abuse Treatment Facility 

Locator, self-help resources, and links to many research resources such as the 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive and SAMHSA’s National Mental Health 

Information Center 

Technical assistance and training resources

Materials including Web casts and PowerPoint presentations

Access to the Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator, which lists private and public 

facilities that are licensed, certified, or otherwise approved for inclusion by their State 

substance abuse agency as well as treatment facilities administered by the Department of 

Veterans Affairs, the Indian Health Service, and the Department of Defense. 

Many Information Services Are Available

Requesters Can

Place Publication Orders. Through its Information Network, SAMHSA distributes a wide range 

of materials, including fact sheets, brochures, pamphlets, monographs, posters, and 

videotapes. Information specialists knowledgeable about the resources available can suggest 

the most appropriate publications to meet particular needs.

Speak to an Information Specialist. These specialists are trained to answer many different 

types of questions about substance abuse prevention, intervention, and treatment.

Obtain Referrals. As needed, information specialists can refer inquirers to other organizations 

or centers in substance abuse prevention and treatment.

Join SAMHSA’s eNetwork. The eNetwork is your personal link to SAMHSA for the latest news 

about grants, publications, campaigns, programs, and statistics and data reports 

(http://www.samhsa.gov/enetwork).

Your drug-free workplace initiative can be an

invaluable tool in your efforts to strengthen and

protect your business and your employees from

the hazards of alcohol and other drug abuse. At

the same time, it can lessen organizational, social,

and psychological risk factors that erode the

bottom line. Employers who have implemented

drug-free workplace programs report some of the

benefits they have noted:

• Decreases in absenteeism, accidents,

downtime, turnover, and theft; increases 

in productivity; overall improved morale.

• Better health status among many 

employees and family members and 

decreased use of medical benefits.

• Decreased premium costs for certain kinds 

of insurance, such as workers’ compensation.

• Employees, employee representatives, and 

unions often welcome drug-free workplace 

programs.

• Current users of illegal drugs prefer 

organizations that do not have such 

programs.

This brochure gives an overview of the process of

building, implementing, and

sustaining a drug-free

workplace program for your

employees. It will help you

create a program that is

appropriate for your

organization's needs and resources.

Since organizations differ greatly in size, in type,

and in available resources, drug-free workplace

programs are not ‘one

size fits all.’ They range

from the basics to very

comprehensive efforts.

There are three general

types of programs:

Type 1. Small Organizations With Low

Safety/Security Risks and Employees With

Few Risk Factors for Substance Abuse: A

basic drug-free workplace program would include

a policy and an employee assistance program

(EAP) but probably would not include drug testing.

Type 2. Small or Medium-Sized Organizations

With Moderate to High Safety/Security Risks

or Numerous Workplace Substance Abuse

Risk Factors: A drug-free workplace program

might include some form of drug testing and

perhaps the services of an external EAP in

addition to the policy and awareness components.

Type 3. Medium to Large Organizations With

Moderate to High Safety/Security Risks and

Moderate to High Employee Risk Factors: A

drug-free workplace program would likely include

some form of drug testing, an EAP, and a fairly

comprehensive health promotion/wellness

program, as well as the basic awareness and

policy elements.

There can be many variations on these three

types of programs, as organizations tailor them to

their particular needs and characteristics.

Following is a stepwise approach that many

different kinds of employers can use to build,

Drug-free workplace 

programs are not 

one-size-fits-all.

1
implement, and sustain drug-free workplace 

policies and programs that meet their specific

requirements.

Building a Program

The following six steps will help you build a

customized program:

1. Assess your needs.

2. Identify available resources.

3. Develop a written policy.

4. Determine whether to have an EAP.

5. Determine whether to do drug testing.

6. Plan to educate your employees and train 

supervisors.

Step 1. Assess Your Needs

Questions to answer as you assess your needs

include

• Is yours a large organization employing 

individuals in safety-sensitive positions?

• Does it conduct federally funded projects?

• Is the organization in the transportation 

sector, with mandated drug testing 

requirements?

• Does the organization have a high 

prevalence of substance abuse problems?

• Does it employ a population of workers for 

whom prevention education is critical?

• Drug-free workplace policies and programs 

are required for organizations with 

federally funded projects. At minimum, a 

written policy, supervisor training, and 

employee education must be in place. 

Does your organization have these?

• If your organization is in a sector with 

mandated drug testing requirements, your 

policy and program must follow the 

requirements for testing. Does it?

Step 2. Identify Available Resources

Here are the types of resources you might

inventory as part of your planning process:

• A drug-free workplace policy already 

in place

• A drug testing program in place

• Human resources staff in place

• A health promotion program in place

• An EAP in place

If yours is a small to

medium-sized organization,

you may consider a type-1

program to begin with. If

you are a larger

organization, you may have

resources to support a more comprehensive

program for your employees (type 2 or 3).

Step 3. Develop a Drug-Free 

Workplace Policy

A written drug-free workplace policy is the

cornerstone of an effective program. It should

include

• Rationale for the Policy

- The reason for the policy

- What it is designed to do

- How it was developed

• Expectations and Prohibitions

- Employee behaviors that are expected

- What substances and behaviors are 

prohibited

• Consequences and Appeals

- Consequences if an employee violates 

the policy

- Procedures for determining whether an 

employee has violated the policy

- How appeals will be handled

• Benefits and Assurances

- Efforts to help employees comply with 

the policy

2
- How requests for help will be handled

- How employee confidentiality will 

be protected

- How fairness and consistency will 

be maintained

For more help and materials on developing a drugfree workplace policy, call SAMHSA’s Workplace

Helpline at 1.800.WORKPLACE.

Step 4. Determine Whether or 

Not to Have an EAP

EAPs are programs sponsored by your business or

organization—or by a

union—that serve

employees and their

families. Their services vary

across programs from those

addressing only problems

related to alcohol and other

drug use to those covering a broad range of

issues. Some programs include health and

wellness activities.

All organizations should seriously consider adding

the services of either an external or internal EAP.

Small organizations can obtain EAP services

through their health care provider by joining a

consortium of small businesses to get costeffective rates. The need for an EAP is even

greater if a high proportion of your employees are

at risk for a variety of social and emotional

problems—not just substance abuse.

EAP services may include assessment, referral,

aftercare/follow-up, management consultation,

supervisory training, employee education,

individual or motivational counseling, and drugfree workplace policy development and

implementation.

Employee assistance programs encourage

employees and family members to seek help

before a problem becomes a crisis. EAP services

are designed to be confidential, with confidentiality

of records guaranteed.

Step 5. Determine Whether to 

Include Drug Testing 

Drug testing is an organizational protective factor

that can deter employees

from coming to work unfit

for duty and that can

discourage alcohol and

other drug abusers from

joining your organization.

The first consideration regarding drug testing is to

determine whether it is required for some or all of

your employees. Below are some of the reasons

employers give for having a drug testing program:

• To comply with Federal regulations

• To comply with customer or contract 

requirements

• To comply with insurance carrier requirements

• To minimize the chance of hiring employees 

who may be users or abusers

• To reinforce the organization’s “no drug 

use” position

• To identify current users and abusers and 

refer them for assistance

• To establish grounds for discipline or firing

• To improve safety and reduce addiction

• To reduce unhealthy consequences from use of

alcohol, illegal drugs, or prescription drugs

• To reduce the costs of alcohol and other 

drug abuse in the workplace

Employers who are required to test for drugs by

one or more Federal agencies should refer to the

specific regulations to determine the types of

testing that are necessary. Unless drug testing is

3
required by law/regulation, it will likely be a

mandatory subject of collective bargaining if

employees are part of a union.

Step 6. Plan to Educate Employees

and Train Supervisors

The employee education program component is

the keystone to implementing a successful drugfree workplace program. Having a plan for

introducing and explaining the drug-free workplace

program to employees and for informing them

about substance abuse–related issues will be

important to your program’s overall success.

As you plan your employee education component,

make sure it is aimed at all employees and all

levels of the organization. It should accomplish the

following:

• Set forth the drug-free workplace policy, 

the program, and the rules

• Explain how to access assistance (e.g., 

self-refer to the EAP before problems 

appear on the job)

• Explain how employee performance 

problems will be evaluated and how 

referrals for assistance will be handled

• Provide details regarding circumstances, 

procedures, and other elements of drug 

testing (if the policy includes testing)

• Explain confidentiality and other employee 

protections in the policy

• Provide information about substance abuse 

such as types and effects of drugs, symptoms 

of use, and effects on performance

• Explain the relationship of the employee 

assistance program to any drug testing 

and to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, 

and aftercare

Be sure to include an employee awareness

program that communicates the hazards of

substance abuse and the benefits of avoiding

substance abuse. At minimum, the employee

education component should also

• Provide print materials on the hazards of 

alcohol and drugs and misuse of prescription 

drugs

• Inform employees how to avoid substance 

abuse problems

• Provide general health promotion material 

on stress management, a healthy diet, and 

fitness as well as on alcohol and other drugs

It is highly recommended that organizations

select, as resources permit, one of several

evidence-based substance

abuse prevention programs

that present materials in the

context of broader health

and safety issues. The

evidence-based programs

are described in the

“SAMHSA’s NREPP Model Programs for the

Workplace” section of this book.

Supervisor Training

It is recommended that companies with several or

more supervisors provide them with special

training to ensure that they understand the drugfree workplace policy and their particular roles in

preventing and addressing workplace substance 

use. The depth and scope of supervisor training

will grow as a function of

• Implementation of drug testing

• Substantial prevalence of substance use

• Organizational resources to support 

the training

Implementing a Program

This section summarizes key implementation

considerations for each program component.

4
Employee Assistance Programs

EAPs may be internal, external, internal/external,

or consortiums (among

various companies). They

may be management

sponsored, member

assistance programs

provided by unions, or

peer assistance programs

sponsored by employers or unions. The following

describes a range of implementation options:

Referral Only

These programs provide supervisors and managers

with a telephone number to give to troubled

employees for accessing referrals to community

resources, self-help options, and substance abuse

treatment providers.

In House

These types of programs have employees who

specialize in crisis intervention, assessment, and

referral to outside sources for assistance. They

also may provide assistance to supervisors and

managers in handling employee performance

reviews and identifying problems.

Contract

Outside programs offer crisis intervention, shortterm counseling, assessment, and referral to

specialized sources of assistance with the use of a

consultant or firm providing these services. This is

a common model that uses highly specialized staff

and services removed from the workplace.

Consortium

These programs combine employers, unions, and

worksites within a defined area or specific industry 

to offer services—often on a more comprehensive

and less expensive basis.

Mixed Model

These programs are for employers and unions with

multiple worksites with different needs and

resources.

EAP providers can suggest a package of services,

costs, and contract options depending on your

interests and needs. Information that a potential

provider will need to make an offer of services

generally includes

• Your drug-free workplace policy statement

• Your health benefits structure

• Information about the organization and 

employees (demographics, job categories, 

worksites, etc.)

• Services you wish to include

• A budget range for services

• Reports required

Drug Testing

An effective drug testing program needs a drug

testing policy. This may be part of the

organization's drug-free workplace policy, or it

may be a separate document. It should be

distributed to all employees. The best protection

against future legal challenges is to write a policy

that is as detailed and specific as possible.

The actions that will be taken in response to a

positive drug test should be clearly described in

the written policy. Although there are many

options, common responses include referring the

employee for treatment, disciplinary measures, or

discharge.

Employee Education

Clearly communicating, from the beginning, the

drug-free workplace program’s content and

importance to employees is critical to the

program's success. Make sure to communicate the

value the organization places on the personal

health of employees, their families, and their

communities. Announce (e.g., in a letter to all

employees from the CEO) that having a drug-free

workplace and preventing drug and alcohol

problems among your employees and their

families are major corporate emphases.

5
• Fully explain the benefits and procedures 

of your drug-free workplace program or 

policy to all employees.

• Communicate to your employees the 

potential risks that drug (including alcohol) 

abuse poses for businesses or 

organizations—and for yours in particular.

• Communicate to your employees the 

connection between substance abuse and 

health problems. Include moderate alcohol 

consumption guidelines for men and 

women. (Moderation is defined as the 

consumption of up to one drink per day for 

women and up to two drinks per day for men. 

Twelve fluid ounces of regular beer, 5.0 fluid 

ounces of wine, and 1.5 fluid ounces of 80-

proof distilled spirits count as one drink each. 

This definition of moderation is not intended 

as an average over several days but rather as 

the amount consumed on any single day.1)

Some of the mechanisms used by companies to

provide information to employees about the drugfree workplace program, as well as about alcohol

and other drugs, include the following:

• Print materials, payroll stuffers, and 

presentations such as brownbag 

luncheon presentations

• Special events such as substance abuse 

awareness campaigns, involving posters, 

and employee newsletter articles

• Health Fairs that include advertising the 

services of the employee assistance 

program to the mainstream

• Organization intranet or special Web sites 

(e.g., GetFit) that feature educational 

materials ranging from basic information 

to sophisticated multimedia programs

• Orientation programs for new hires

Current research indicates that integrating

substance abuse prevention education,

organization policy, and access to help within a

broader health framework leads to greater

employee interest and impact. The health context

of topics such as stress management,

nutrition/weight management, and active lifestyle

enables the organization to go a long way toward

diminishing the stigma associated with seeking

early assistance for a potential problem with

alcohol or substance abuse.

Using Evidence-Based Prevention

Interventions

Substance abuse prevention programs and

strategies that have been deemed effective by

SAMHSA can serve as a central part of your drugfree workplace effort.

Such programs have

been carefully

implemented and

rigorously evaluated

with consistently

positive outcomes.

Several workplace

A Drug Testing Checklist

Here’s a list of “must do’s” before 

you implement a drug-testing policy:

A. Identify any Federal or State laws with which you 

must comply. (Call your State’s attorney general or 

talk with legal counsel.)

B. If applicable, talk with union officials.

C. Identify and contact a U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services (DHHS)–certified laboratory.

D. Contract with a medical review officer.

E. Develop a system to protect the confidentiality of 

employee drug testing records. Call SAMHSA’s 

Workplace Helpline for assistance.

F. Designate a person at your company who will 

receive the test results from the lab, and make sure 

he or she is aware of confidentiality issues.

G. Write a clear, consistent, and fair policy, and 

have it reviewed by legal counsel.

H. Notify employees 30 to 60 days before the 

testing program goes into effect.

I. Communicate to employees that you will abide by 

the policy also.

6
programs have met SAMHSA’s stringent criteria

and are listed below. These programs can be used

to further enhance your drug-free workplace and

your substance abuse prevention effort, to create

a health-promoting workplace environment, and to

support employee health and well-being. For more

information and technical assistance, visit

http://www.modelprograms.samhsa.gov/.

Coping With Work and Family Stress: A Workplace

Preventive Intervention2, 3 is a 16-session weekly

group intervention designed to teach employees

how to develop effective coping strategies for

dealing with stressors at work and at home.

Team Awareness4 is a six-module workplacetraining program that addresses behavioral risks

associated with substance abuse among

employees, their coworkers, and, indirectly, their

families.

The Healthy Workplace Program5 is a set of

workplace substance

abuse prevention

interventions that

reduce unsafe

drinking, illegal drug

use, and prescription

drug abuse while

improving the health practices of adult workers.

The Wellness Outreach at Work6 program provides

comprehensive health risk-reduction services to all

employees at a workplace, using health screening,

follow-up, and worksite health promotion

programs. Alcohol education is integrated into the

context of health risk counseling.

Supervisor Training

All supervisors should be provided with basic

information about the drug-free workplace

program and their roles in carrying it out. 

This includes

• The rationale and specific details of 

program start-up and implementation

• The supervisor’s specific responsibilities for 

initiating and carrying out the drug-free 

workplace policy and program

• How to recognize and deal with employees 

who have job performance problems that 

may or may not be related to alcohol or 

other drugs, including personal and 

family problems

Supervisor training can be provided in a variety of

ways, depending on available time and resources.

Organization staff can conduct the training, for

example, or a consultant from a local community

agency or EAP can conduct training sessions.

Sustaining the Program

The successful drug-free workplace program is an

ongoing and evolving one. Sustaining the program

means integrating it well into the workplace

culture and environment. Keeping the program

alive and responsive to changing conditions

involves several steps:

1. Ensure Good Communication. Effective

ways to communicate include written materials,

charts, meetings, question-and-answer sessions,

and a suggestion box. Employers who are

successful at this know it is important to repeat

the message periodically.

2. Conduct Ongoing Review and Evaluation

of Program Results. Note how the program

works on a day-to-day basis, invite feedback, and

revise as necessary to meet the specific needs of

the workplace. Evaluate specific results. If, for

example, a program goal is to lower employee

absenteeism, use employee absenteeism records

to establish a baseline against which you can

measure the results of your program (e.g., after

the program has been in place for a year). Other

types of data you might want to use include

tardiness, health care benefit utilization, workers'

compensation claims, theft, accidents, and

turnover.

7
3. Stay Current. Drug-free workplace programs

are being studied and improved all the time. Keep

current by joining local drug-free advocacy groups

or coalitions. Some

trade and professional

associations also

provide up-to-date

information about drugfree workplace issues.

Some employers ask an

employee group to periodically review the program

and suggest appropriate changes.

4. Involve the Mainstream. Some employers

and unions survey their employees/members and

families regarding their interest in and need for

substance abuse programs as well as general

wellness and health promotion education and

services. Many EAPs also offer or arrange for both

general and specialized employee education

activities.

Other actions that employers can take to help

sustain the drug-free workplace effort include the

following:

• Host alcohol-free events, emphasizing the 

organization’s commitment to preventing 

injuries and deaths associated with drinking 

and driving, especially around the holidays.

• Be a positive role model consistent with 

your messages to your employees.

• Sponsor or help with prevention services 

in your community that would benefit your 

employees and their families.

• Include prevention/healthy lifestyle articles 

in your organization newsletter.

• Appoint a corporate representative to 

serve on and support any local substance

abuse prevention-oriented programs or 

community partnerships in your area.

• Encourage and support employees and 

their family members to ask for help. 

Early identification and treatment is more cost 

effective than unsafe working conditions and 

lost productivity caused by alcohol- or other 

drug-related problems.

References

1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

and U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2005. 

Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005. 

Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing 

Office, 44.

2 David L. Snow, Suzanne C. Swan, and Leo 

Wilton. 2003. “A Workplace Coping-Skills 

Intervention to Prevent Alcohol Abuse.” In Joel 

B. Bennett and Wayne E.K. Lehman (eds.). 

Preventing Workplace Substance Abuse: Beyond 

Drug Testing to Wellness. Washington, D.C.: 

American Psychological Association, 57–96.

3 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

(DHHS), SAMHSA, Center for Substance Abuse 

Prevention (CSAP). N.d. “Coping With Work and 

Family Stress.” Rockville, Maryland. Available at 

http://www.theconsultationcenter.org/

WFS%20SAMHSA.pdf/.

4 U.S. DHHS, SAMHSA, CSAP. N.d. “Team 

Awareness.” Rockville, Maryland. Available at 

http://www.modelprograms.samhsa.gov/pdfs/

model/TeamAwareness.pdf/.

5 U.S. DHHS, SAMHSA, CSAP. N.d. “The Healthy 

Workplace.” Rockville, Maryland. Available at 

http://www.modelprograms.samhsa.gov/pdfs/

model/Healthy.pdf/.

6 U.S. DHHS, SAMHSA, CSAP. N.d. “Wellness 

Outreach at Work.” Rockville, Maryland. 

Available at http://www.modelprograms.

samhsa.gov/pdfs/model/Wellness.pdf/.

8

Set priorities for the actions in your social marketing effort, and follow each session or 

function with an evaluation that will allow you to keep track of costs, benefits, and outcomes. 

In a program or program component being introduced for the first time, for example, you 

may want to begin with a letter or email to all employees from the CEO introducing the 

program and policy.

Keep awareness alive throughout the year by continuing to plan and implement the program 

through a variety of vehicles.

 A few examples:

Continue to make the connection between the drug-free workplace program and other 

health-related topics such as nutrition, parenting, weight management, stress 

management, and active lifestyle. Have your health promotion, wellness, and fitness 

director trained to integrate the content of the substance abuse prevention program with 

related health areas.

Send a letter or email from the CEO to all employees addressing the rationale, goals, 

and elements of the DFWP. A similar letter can be directed to new hires.

Hold a meeting with staff members or department heads to explain the organization’s 

policy and the DFWP.

Distribute information about the organization’s program and about alcohol and other 

drug abuse in pamphlets, flyers, home mailings, paycheck stuffers, free videos, and the 

like.

Hang posters and signs reminding employees that “yours is a drug-free workplace” and 

that your worksite promotes a healthy lifestyle through regular exercise, good nutrition, 

smoking cessation, and stress management.

Distribute DFWP materials at events such as health fairs, further linking with the drug 

free/healthy workplace idea.

Use safety meetings and other related events to build awareness of the DFWP and 

components such as an employee assistance program.

Arrange for union representatives to help communicate the program’s purpose, 

procedures, and policies to the employees they represent.

Actions speak louder than words. The organization and its leaders must be sure they “walk 

the talk” concerning the drug-free workplace program. 

A few tips:

Be a positive role model, consistent with your messages to your employees. Do not 

engage in illegal, unhealthy, or dangerous alcohol or other drug use. Host alcohol-free 

events, emphasizing the organization’s commitment to preventing injury or death 

associated with drinking and driving, especially around the holidays.

Provide food and beverages in organization settings that encourage a healthy lifestyle.

Sponsor or help with prevention services in your community that would benefit your 

employees and their families.

Encourage employees and their family members to seek help for an alcohol or other 

drug problem. Continue to support them as they use this help. Treatment is more cost 

effective than incurring potential safety hazards and lost productivity caused by drugrelated problems.

Finally, it can be helpful to keep a running journal of all your efforts, in order to help identify 

and analyze what worked and what did not. You can often learn much from a failure and 

then go on to turn it into a success. You can also learn a great deal from surveys and short 

evaluation forms filled out by participants after events and activities. These will help you plan 

future activities in ways that may increase your benefits while decreasing your costs.

Reference

1 Nedra Kline Weinreich. 1999. Hands-On Social Marketing: A Step-by-Step Guide. 

 Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.




Call the Workplace Helpline: 1.800.WORKPLACE

Call local help:
Enclosed are two drug-free workplace posters and a bumper sticker. 

You may choose to display the posters in your workplace. If you do, 

write your local contact information at the bottom of each poster. This 

may include any of the following: a person’s name, a phone number, a 

Web site, or an email address.