638 East Fifth Avenue
    Columbus, OH 43201-2965
    Phone:    (614) 421-0860
    Fax:        (614) 421-0865
    Email:     webmaster@mcrservices.com

What is a drug-free workplace?

The U.S. Department of Labor, on its Working Partners Website, defines the term “drug-free workplace” as an employer-sponsored substance abuse prevention program. A comprehensive drug-free workplace program generally includes a drug-free workplace policy, supervisor training, drug testing, employee education, and employee assistance.

MCR Services, Inc. has always had drug-free policies in place. These have contributed to our ability to maintain excellent workplace safety and compliance. In 2004, we sought recognition and certification for these inititiaves.

Who enforces these policies?

The Program, created with the assistance of Working Partners Systems, Inc., is a far-reaching and carefully balanced initiative that protects our employees’ personal privacy and dignity while affording MCR Services, Inc. the ability to pro-actively maintain a safe and productive workplace.

As an employer, we have the responsibility to ensure that our workplace is operating efficiently and safely. It is also our goal to get help for an employee should there be a substance-abuse situation. We encourage employees with a substance-abuse problem to voluntarily seek help. One operating target of this Program is to permit any employee in counseling who remains substance-free to continue working, while being subjected to same job performance and behavior standards as other employees.

What are the ground rules for this program?

The first, and most important part, of the Program is to establish the ground rules. Formal agreements, established at every level, generate a framework of employee expectations, choices and remedies. As such, the Substance-Free Workplace Program is just one part of an established set of company policies that directly contribute to our success and that of each employee.

What program training is required?

Supervisor training is the second major factor in the Program. Training ensures that the employees who supervise and are responsible for the work of other employees also know the appropriate policies and are able to enforce the Program on jobsites. As front-line managers, supervisors are more likely to spot personnel situations and take action before anyone else notices that anything’s wrong. Our supervisors are also responsible for our Safety Program and are given the training and the authority to ensure that both Programs are effectively administered.

What formal testing procedures are followed?

The third major component of the Program is formal testing for controlled substances. Testing is an objective way to determine whether there is a substance-abuse problem. (Before the adoption of this Program, MCR Services, Inc. never had an official testing policy.) Under this Program, we may test for controlled substances under the following circumstances:

•  Pre-employment
•  90-day new-hire period
•  When there is reasonable suspicion of substance abuse
•  After a work-related injury or accident
•  After a layoff or leave of absence
•  Random testing
•  Before a return to duty after a Program violation
•  Whenever required by outside agencies or companies

As with all security initiatives, professionalism and established standards are vital if there is to be a balance between individual privacy and group security. An outside, certified agency will conduct all drug and alcohol screenings according to industry-established standards and reviews.

We have adopted not only testing but operational procedures that respect our employees’ confidentiality, so information obtained during testing or subsequent treatment or counseling is guarded on a “need-to-know” basis. The goal of testing and any needed rehabilitation therapy or disciplinary action is to remove the threat to the employee (and the associated risk to others) and return the employee to active, productive work—not to embarrass our team members or subject them to ridicule.

Is any substance-abuse education provided?

The fourth main thrust of this Program is education. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, research does show a positive relationship between education and any substance-abuse prevention program’s overall effectiveness. Even today, while many people are aware of the problems of drug and alcohol addiction, few know all of the information and remedies available to help combat it.

Employees who are educated about substance abuse and its remedies are first of all, less likely to fall into the snares of addiction and abuse and secondly are more likely to seek out help on their own or through a workplace program. Employees who know their rights and responsibilities within a company-sponsored drug prevention program tend to volunteer the information if a situation should develop and are also more likely to seek treatment if the situation is identified during testing.

Are employees offered assistance and rehabilitation?

The last part of MCR Services' Substance-Free Workplace Program is employee assistance and rehabilitation.

If and when a substance-abuse problem is identified, we have to have assistance and follow-through available to rehabilitate the employee. Our goal is to have an effective Substance-Free Workplace Program that is valued by all, not just for employees who are drug and alcohol free.

Most employees do not abuse drugs or alcohol. The important thing to remember is that these situations can and do occur and that we have the responsibility—and mandate—as employers and fellow employees to correct them, both for the company’s benefit and that of the employee. If there is a situation, it is better to have a program in place to quickly identify it and professional partners waiting in the wings to help handle it and return the employee to full productivity as quickly as possible.

With these five components, the Substance-Free Workplace Program of MCR Services, Inc. has been carefully crafted, most importantly, to ensure a well-supervised regime of rehabilitation and treatment and get the employee working again.