Richard Evers discusses implementing drug and alcohol policies for senior executives. He notes that senior executives often have greater independence and incomes which could enable drug and alcohol misuse. Implementing effective policies for senior staff can be challenging as they have less supervision and oversight compared to other employees. Random testing and ensuring the same rules apply to all staff regardless of seniority are important for a fair and compliant policy. The costs of mistakes from senior staff under the influence could far exceed those of other employees.

1. Recognising Drug Use in the Workplace - Richard Evers
Implementing a D&A policy
for senior executives
The prevalence and consequences of
using drugs at work
Richard Evers
Toxicology Manager
Synergy Health Laboratory Services

2. Recognising Drug Use in the Workplace - Richard Evers
Synergy Health Laboratory Services
+ Fully Accredited analytical services to clients in all industry sectors
+ Private Pathology Services
+ Drug and Alcohol Testing
+ Policy Implementation
+ Drug awareness training
+ Nationwide 2 hour response collection services

3. Recognising Drug Use in the Workplace - Richard Evers
Me

4. Recognising Drug Use in the Workplace - Richard Evers
+ Why have a Drug & Alcohol Policy
+ Drug use among senior executives
+ Implementing a Policy
+ Problems & pitfalls
Agenda

5. Recognising Drug Use in the Workplace - Richard Evers
Why have a drug & alcohol policy?
• Misuse of drugs act
– Offence to use drugs
– Offence to allow drug use
• H&SAW act
• Managing health & safety

6. Recognising Drug Use in the Workplace - Richard Evers
Civil law
• Costs of a positive
• Damage to reputation
• Civil liability

7. Recognising Drug Use in the Workplace - Richard Evers
Drug Testing
• You can have a policy without testing
– How many have no policy?
• How can you monitor?
• How can you police?
– What happens when somebody comes in
from lunch drunk?

8. Recognising Drug Use in the Workplace - Richard Evers
When is testing justified
• Safety Critical
• Integrity critical
• The Law
– T&Works act
• Parent company
– Sub-contractors (do they have permission to
test?)
– US parent

9. Recognising Drug Use in the Workplace - Richard Evers
Other reasons
• Blanket coverage
• Union agreement
• Info commissioners brief

10. Recognising Drug Use in the Workplace - Richard Evers
Senior executives
• Often older
– GS is 38
• Often Well paid
• Little Supervision of work

11. Recognising Drug Use in the Workplace - Richard Evers
Medication
• Chronic pain more likely in older staff
– Addiction to painkillers
– Withdrawal
– Codeine and increasingly tramadol
• Stress more likely in older staff
– Use of sleeping tablets
– Chronic Alcohol use
– Cannabis use

12. Recognising Drug Use in the Workplace - Richard Evers
Recreational drugs
• Senior staff have greater incomes
– Cocaine use
– “occasional” heroin use
– Alcohol binge drinking

13. Recognising Drug Use in the Workplace - Richard Evers
Workplace Drug Use
• Lunchtime drinking
– Once common, now rare
– Affects older staff more
• Workplace social events
– Predominantly alcohol
• Corporate Hospitality -add in later

14. Recognising Drug Use in the Workplace - Richard Evers
Implementation of a policy
• Why?
– Why do you have a policy in the first place?
• Safety Critical
– Do senior executives ever enter safety critical areas?
Are they “banned” form these areas?
– Do they make safety critical decisions?
• Integrity driven
– More significant for senior staff
• Site-wide policies
– Cannot have exceptions to the rule
• Staff morale, fairness, employer relations

15. Recognising Drug Use in the Workplace - Richard Evers
Senior executives
• The same rules must apply to senior
execs that apply to all other staff. BUT
• Information commissioners report on D&A
testing
• Staff/Union buy-in if execs excluded

16. Recognising Drug Use in the Workplace - Richard Evers
Implementation
• Let senior execs know what is being
tested & why
• Involve occ health
• Declaration of meds

17. Recognising Drug Use in the Workplace - Richard Evers
Problems & Pitfalls

18. Recognising Drug Use in the Workplace - Richard Evers
FLT Driver
• Takes codeine for back pain
• Over-sedates or under medicates
• Causes serious accident
– Compensation to victim
– Loss of stock
– Time off work
– Damage to FLT
• Cost to employer? £5k insurance excess

19. Recognising Drug Use in the Workplace - Richard Evers
Director of Sales
• Takes codeine for back pain
• Over-sedates or under medicates
• Misses significant detail in tender/contract
– Loss of contract
– Loss of staff
• Cost to company?
– £500k+ depending on size of contract
– NOT covered by insurance

20. Recognising Drug Use in the Workplace - Richard Evers
Comparison
• The cost of a senior executive mistake can dwarf
the cost of a more junior employee
• Reason for loss of contract may not be attributed
to drugs
– Not raised on Quality System
– No effective Root Cause Analysis (Virgin-first tender)
– No preventive action
– Recurrence of issue

21. Recognising Drug Use in the Workplace - Richard Evers
Supervision
• No staff supervision
• Line managers/Foremen usually
responsible for For Cause call-outs
• Poor definition of “For Cause” for senior
staff
• Would you ask your manager to do a
drugs test?

22. Recognising Drug Use in the Workplace - Richard Evers
Random Testing
• Use of Random Testing sidesteps this
inhibition
• Only works if SHLS or Occ Health
responsible for randomisation and test
schedule

23. Recognising Drug Use in the Workplace - Richard Evers
Split Sites
• HO managerial only
– No Safety Critical
– No integrity critical
• Lunchtime drinking
• Company cars
• What happens when somebody turns up
drunk and you have no policy?

24. Recognising Drug Use in the Workplace - Richard Evers
Possible Solution
• Site specific Random testing
• Site specific Post Incident Testing
• Company wide reasonable suspicion
testing

25. Recognising Drug Use in the Workplace - Richard Evers
Guest at Corporate Hospitality
• Are you at work?
– Does the policy apply
– Can this jeopardise a business relationship?
• Do your social and moral attitudes match
your hosts?
– Level of drinking
– Other drug use

26. Recognising Drug Use in the Workplace - Richard Evers
Hosting Corporate Hospitality
• Where do you define the boundaries between
social drinking and excessive drinking?
– Number of drinks
– Level of intoxication (who decides, subjective)
– Time cutoff?
• What about your guests?
– Different morals
– Different social attitudes
– Do not believe they are “working”

27. Recognising Drug Use in the Workplace - Richard Evers
To suspend or not suspend, that is
the question
• Chief Exec on a site visit
• Coincides with a Random Test
• Non-Negative result on site
• 3 day turnaround for laboratory
confirmation
• Who enforces? What is the cost to the
business?

28. Recognising Drug Use in the Workplace - Richard Evers
All Random Tests return to lab
• No non-negative results, therefore no
suspension
• Only confirmed positive result
• MRO decision on fitness to practice

29. Recognising Drug Use in the Workplace - Richard Evers
Thank You for Listening
Any Questions?
richard.evers@synergyhealthplc.com