Reasonable Suspicion Training for Supervisors

[Audio] Reasonable Suspicion Training for Supervisors Helping Managers Fight Workplace Substance.

[Audio] Documenting incidents that support a request for a reasonable suspicion drug test is important because organizational or legal challenges, if they arise, will require that you demonstrated a credible basis for requesting a test. True .Reasonable suspicion testing for substance abuse in the workplace has been upheld by the courts, but it is still necessary to have appropriate documentation that supports the request for the test. Additionally, the employee will be strongly inclined to argue against the facts as the supervisor recalls them, if the supervisor does not have proper documentation The following is an example of useful and correctly written documentation: " Tom S. arrived twenty minutes late to work today and was witnessed, by several employees, damaging another vehicle while trying to park his car. He was heard yelling obscenities from within car. When I met with him immediately after the incident, I could smell alcohol on his breath." True. This is an example of documentation that is specific and clear. There are no subjective or opinionated comments or conclusions about the employee's condition. It is written in a factual, unemotional way, with attention to that which can be sensed- in this case what can be seen, heard, and smelled. The following is an example of inadequate documentation that would be inadmissible in a disciplinary proceeding, or for use to support a request that the employee submit to a reasonable suspicion drug test: " Tom Smith arrived at work late with reports by others of being drunk. He scraped a car in the parking lot and when confronted by me- after the incident- became defensive and immature like a person who had something to hide. He denied he was drunk but admitted he had been drinking before midnight." True . This documentation lacks specific details and instead appears to be conjecture; it would be difficult to defend. It would not support a disciplinary action or a reasonable suspicion drug test..

[Audio] 4. It is a proven fact that employees who abuse drugs and alcohol are more likely to be injured on the job. True . Employees who have drug- and alcohol-related problems are at higher risk of injury in the workplace. Accidents occur at three times the rate of employees who do not abuse substances; workers compensation claims are five times as high as for non-abusing employees. 5. Not only can a supervisor save a job, if the supervisor has a reasonable suspicion of substance abuse, he or she can save the life of an employee by referring the employee for drug testing. True . If the supervisor notices deteriorating changes in behavior, work habits, or conduct on the job, it's possible that the employee is struggling with a drug or alcohol addiction problem. You should not diagnose from limited information, but you should refer your employee to the EAP or other workplace counseling support. This may lead to treatment if the employee chooses to take advantage of it. It just may save a life. 6. When a supervisor suspects an employee has been drinking on the job or using alcohol before coming to work, delays in arranging a reasonable-suspicion test can cause the test to be negative because alcohol detoxifies more rapidly than other substances. True . For most people, alcohol detoxifies and exits the body at a consistent rate meaning a short amount of time can cause a significant drop to occur in the blood alcohol level. Time is of the essence when trying to arrange a reasonable suspicion test..

[Audio] 7. If the supervisor notices a significant change in an employee's job performance or behavior, this could be an indicator that there is an issue of drug or alcohol abuse. Deterioration of job performance is one of the earliest, primary indicators of a drug or alcohol problem. True . They also experience a higher rate of absenteeism, property damage, theft, low morale, workers compensation claims, and more. Employees may use drugs or alcohol on the job and never be caught. However, usually alcohol and drug use patterns of addiction become detectable. Performance quality of work, attendance, conduct, attitude, and availability-are eventually affected. 8. If the employee appears under the influence and refuses to submit to a reasonable suspicion test for drugs or alcohol, making a show of force using other employees is an effective way to gain cooperation. False . The supervisor should follow the organization's policy and procedures if an employee refuses to submit to a reasonable suspicion drug test. Most drug and alcohol policies subject employees to termination if they refuse a test. Do not force an employee to cooperate. This can lead to many undesirable consequences for the supervisor, the employee, and the organization. 9. If a supervisor knows the employee very well, it is usually appropriate to ask a few personal questions about problems at home or in his or her personal life in order to determine if a drug or alcohol problem exists. Any answer like, "I am seeing my doctor today," or "I am back with my 12-step program," means the supervisor can skip the idea or referring the employee for testing. False . The supervisor should never ask an employee personal questions or discuss his or her personal problems. Such discussions usually lead to statements from employees that elicit sympathy from the supervisor. The result is postponing referral to testing or eliciting from the employee promises he or she will not keep about getting help. It is tempting to ask employees personal questions or hope they share personal information that will give the supervisor a better understanding of their problems, but such inquiries usually lead to enabling-not genuine help for the employee..

[Audio] 10. In some drug stores, small plastic breathalyzer tubes are available for purchase that, when activated, will measure one's blood alcohol level when one blows through it. These devices are handy and should be used for prescreening an employee the supervisor thinks may be using alcohol at work. False. If you suspect an employee is using drugs or alcohol on the job, the supervisor should act in accordance with the organization's policy and procedures. Supervisory use of such a device would be a violation of the organization's policy and most drug-testing rules. 11. When making a referral to testing, the supervisor should appear supportive to his or her employee by sharing personal information about the supervisor's own past experiences with drugs and alcohol. This will make the supervisor a positive role model for the employee. False . Sharing personal information about the supervisor's past drug or alcohol use while confronting an employee is the same as discussing the employee's diagnosis or making the assumption that he or she has a drug or alcohol problem. The employee is being referred because of performance and conduct-related issues that support a referral for a reasonable-suspicion drug test in accordance with the organization's policies and procedures, nothing more. Further personal revelation or discussion about the employee's health condition would not be appropriate 12. Employees with alcohol or other drug problems may also have a history of job performance, conduct, or attitude problems that have frustrated the supervisor for a significant period of time. It is important for the supervisor to remain calm and not allow his or her emotions to interfere with an orderly process of referring the employee to testing. True . When confronting and referring an employee for a reasonable suspicion drug test, the supervisor must be careful not to demonstrate an attitude of " Gotcha!" to the employee. To do so can interfere with the employee's willingness to be cooperative, and it also makes the interview with and referral of the employee more difficult..

[Audio] 13. Sometimes feelings and hunches are correct. This means the supervisor should rely upon them when deciding to confront an employee and refer him or her to testing. T False . Feelings, hunches, rumors, and gossip are not useful and cannot be considered as legitimate reasons for you to require that an employee submit to a reasonable-suspicion drug test. 14. If a supervisor suspects an employee of having a substance-abuse problem, it is sometimes best to take a "wait and see" approach, because if the supervisor is wrong, and there is no substance abuse problem, the employee's reputation could be ruined. False. The supervisor should not delay in acting on his or her reasonable suspicion policy. A delay can contribute to an accident, or worse. It is imperative that the supervisor acts immediately; otherwise, it will be a missed opportunity, and more time will pass before the supervisor gets another chance to refer the employee for testing based upon observable signs and characteristics of substance abuse. 15. When communicating with the employee, the supervisor can gently insert positive comments about the organization's employee assistance program ( EAP) or other available sources of help for substanceabuse problems; however, the chances of an employee actually accepting help or getting help on his or her own is almost zero. False. It is a myth that an employee will not self-refer for a substance abuse problem. It happens more frequently than is reported. It is true that most admissions to alcohol- and drug-treatment programs result from pressure exerted by family members, friends, courts, and employers; however, self-referrals do occur. Self-referrals may result from an employee obtaining information about how and where to get professional help combined with a recent distressing experience associated with alcohol or drug use..

[Audio] 16. On average, 70 percent of people in the workforce drink alcohol. Approximately 10 percent will become alcoholics. Productivity, attendance, conduct, morale, and other personal problems will decrease the productivity level of these employees on average by about 25 percent. True . The formula for determining this financial loss was developed by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. You can see this calculator in action at www.alcoholcostcalculator.org. 17. Alcohol is considered a stimulant because some people who drink it experience a stimulant effect. False . Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. It sedates. Studies have shown, however, that some drinkers experience more euphoria from alcohol than others do. This contributes to a stimulantlike response or excitability. This stimulant effect from alcohol may be a predictor of who is likely to experience alcohol-related problems in the future 18. An employee with an alcohol or drug problem works at about 75 percent of his or her true capacity. This 25 percent loss in productivity is represented by increased absenteeism, accidents, property damage, higher workers' compensation costs, mistakes and waste, and increased health insurance costs, among others. True . To determine the financial burden of alcohol and other drug problems to an organization, multiply the average salary of the workforce by seven percent of the total number of employees on the payroll. ( Seven percent is the average number of employees in the typical company believed to have alcohol and/or other drug-related problems.) Twenty-five percent of this figure represents the financial burden to the organization from substance abuse.

[Audio] 19. Major tranquilizers are dangerous because tolerance builds rapidly and a lethal dose can be experienced easily. Their use with alcohol can trigger an overdose effect. True . Major tranquilizers are dangerous when overused and abused. Many deaths have been attributed to them, especially when their use was combined with alcohol. This is sometimes referred to as " Hollywood death." 20. An alcoholic with anxiety and sleep problems who visits a doctor to get a prescription for Xanax (a minor tranquilizer) is at increased risk for becoming dependent on this medication. True . Xanax and many other prescription tranquilizers have effects on the body similar to alcohol. Those who drink should discuss with their doctors the risks associated with potential cross-tolerance and cross-addiction. 21. Loss of control refers only to the ability to control how much one drinks. False. Loss of control refers to time, place, amount, effect, and outcome of a drinking experience and how consistently the drinker can control all these factors. Alcoholics cannot consistently control how alcohol affects these factors. 22. Marijuana is an addictive drug. True . Many people have tried marijuana, but not everyone who experiments with it becomes addicted. As a result, the misconception that the drug is harmless has been perpetuated. Presently, marijuana is six to 30 times stronger than it was in the mid- 1960's. Consequently, emergency room hospital admissions associated with using the drug have increased according to the Department of Health and Human Services. 23. Narcotics increase energy use and contribute to addict's ability to work more efficiently, especially overtime. False . Narcotic addicts are notorious for attendance problems and sleeping on the job. Regular use, predictable strength, and reasonable cost is the addict's goal to prevent problems in occupational and social functioning. However, these factors are impossible to control. A narcotic addict may appear functional for only so long. Since the drug must be used every 6- 8 hours, sudden requests for overtime may be resisted if the addict is not prepared to use on the job. This obviously presents enormous safety concerns..

[Audio] 24. OxyContin is a powerful pain killer and is used to control pain. It has become very popular as a drug of abuse in the past several years. True . . OxyContin is frequently stolen from patients or medical settings, has been illegally prescribed in many instances, and is popular among narcotic addicts. 25. PCP ( Phencyclidine) is one of the most predictable and stable illicit street drugs because the formula for making it is easy to follow using easily obtainable chemicals. False. PCP is one of the most unpredictable and dangerous street drugs because the formula uses chemicals that are also federally controlled. Substitute chemicals are often used as alternatives making variations of the drug even more dangerous and harmful to the user 26. LSD is the most powerful hallucinogenic drug. True . LSD is the most studied and most powerful hallucinogenic drug. LSD is usually taken in the form of little squares of blotter paper, pieces of gelatin called " windowpanes", or tiny tablets called microdots. An " acid trip" may last 8 to 12 hours. Unexpected reappearances of hallucinations, called " flashbacks," can occur months after taking the drug. The danger of LSD is that its effects are unpredictable..

[Audio] 27. Club drugs are any drugs typically associated with the " party scene" or " raves." Most are stimulants or stimulants with hallucinogenic effects. Some however, have depressant effects and are used as an aid to rape. This is typically done by placing the substance in the drink of an unwitting victim. True . The most popular club drugs include GHB, Ketamine, Methamphetamine, and Ecstasy. 28. The term "functional alcoholic" is often used by persons when referring to someone considered to be an alcoholic but who does not appear to have problems caused by alcoholism. It is a destructive term because it contributes to enabling and minimizes the seriousness of the disease. True . The term "functional alcoholic" is an example of enabling because it minimizes or ignores problems the alcoholic might have that are not readily apparent. Typically, this term is used more frequently by coworkers, not family members who may suffer greatly with the same alcoholic at home. The phrase usually means, "The drinking problem doesn't bother me." 29. An example of enabling is lying for a coworker who has failed to come to work because of a hangover. True. Any behavior (or lack of behavior or response) that helps an alcoholic or drug addict escape the direct or indirect consequences of a drug or alcohol problem is considered enabling. Having a relationship with an alcoholic or drug addict naturally includes participating in enabling. The only way not to enable, is to detach. Detachment, while remaining in a relationship with an alcoholic or drug addict, is a skill best learned from others who have successfully done it..

[Audio] 30. Drug addiction and alcoholism are recognized as chronic diseases that are treatable. However, treatment requires managing the illness to prevent drinking more than a couple of drinks per day. False . Most addiction treatment providers recommend that the treatment of addiction include the patient remaining abstinent from substances that will reactivate the illness. These substances include alcohol, psychoactive drugs, " alcohol free beer", desserts containing alcohol, cold medicines containing alcohol, other substances that alter mood or create euphoria. 31. Tolerance is defined as the need to use larger amounts of a substance over time in order to experience its effects. Most people who drink alcoholic beverages experience little or no changes in tolerance over the course of their lives (relative to body weight). However, approximately ten percent of drinkers do experience increases in tolerance. These drinkers are able to consume larger quantities of alcohol compared to their peers. While drinking, they may appear unaffected despite their higher blood alcohol level ( BAL). These drinkers are less likely to become alcoholic because they can "handle it". False. Building tolerance to alcohol is an abnormal reaction to alcohol. It is strictly a biological phenomenon, not a test of personal strength. Normally, if a person drinks too much alcohol, intoxication is the result, and so is feeling intoxicated. This is how social drinkers know when to stop drinking. They feel the effects and can predict their onset. Not feeling intoxicated, even though one consumed as much as one's peers, indicates nervous system tolerance. This tolerance to alcohol is considered a hallmark and early indicator of potential risk for alcoholism. A family history of alcohol problems (or alcohol problems that skipped generations) should serve as a strong signal to the drinker that he or she is at higher risk. A person who recognizes nervous system tolerance should seek a professional evaluation for diagnosis of alcoholism early-on before increasing denial make motivation for an evaluation and acceptance of the diagnosis less likely. 32. The class of drugs that can make an employee appear drunk (like alcohol) when an overdose occurs is called __________. These medications include Valium, Librium, Xanax, and Ativan among many others. A. Stimulants B. Depressants C. Hallucinogens . THE ANSWER IS B. The class of drugs that can cause an employee to appear drunk when an overdose occurs is called depressants. These are also referred to as central nervous system ( CNS) depressants. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, too. If an alcoholic uses a depressant like Valium, Librium, Xanax, or other similar drug, they may be immediately tolerant of it, and they risk addiction to it like alcohol. They may need more and more to get the desired therapeutic benefit. This increases the likelihood of cross-addiction. According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine ( ASAM), depressants should be avoided in favor of safer alternatives if a patient is a recovering alcoholic (no longer drinking as a necessary part of arresting the progression of the disease). Depressants like valium, mimic alcohol's effects on the body so well, that they are often used as substitutes for alcohol in hospitals where it is necessary to safely detoxify an alcoholic in order to prevent seizures or DT's. Please answer this question again. Then, rescore your test before continuing..

[Audio] 33. As an employee's substance abuse problem or addiction grows worse, risk increases over the years and productivity typically deteriorates. Supervisors may eventually witness erratic performance characterized by large swings between satisfactory and unsatisfactory performance. An employee's performance may improve dramatically and conspicuously after a confrontation with the supervisor. Supervisors are more likely to grade performance along the low points of this up-and-down cycle, while minimizing the high points. This can make it appear that the employee's performance is worse than it actually is. False . Supervisors tend to grade performance on the high side as an up-and-down cycle of performance deterioration occurs. This is what contributes to an alcoholic or drug addicted employee with severe problems remaining with the same employer, often for years, or even their entire career. 34. Confronting an employee for reasonable suspicion is more than acting on a hunch. This is why it is important to collect ample evidence associated with possible alcohol or drug use. The best way to do it is with a checklist, so you don't miss important evidence to support your decision. True . Many signs and symptoms can support your decision to request a reasonable suspicion drug or alcohol test. You don't have them all memorized. A checklist is an effective tool to support your decision to request a test. Not using a checklist can contribute to a decision not to test even though one is indicated. This increases risk to employees and your organization. 35. If you drink alcohol with your employee at private social events, parties, outings, and get-together's, it may be more difficult to act on your organization's drug-free workplace policy and refer your employee for a drug or alcohol test. You will also be more vulnerable to excuses and explanations that can manipulate you. It is also likely that you will feel guilty should you succeed in making a referral for a test. The anxiety associated with these personal hurdles can increase risk to your organization because they may adversely affect your decision concerning your organization's drug-free workplace policy. True. Having dual relationships with employees by socializing with them as friends, while also acting as a manager and evaluator, may influence your decision making in the event a situation arises where a reasonable suspicion drug test is indicated. This can be especially problematic if you drink with employees. Deciding what boundaries to maintain with subordinates and knowing how those boundaries can influence your management decisions is an important consideration in responsibility you have to help guard your organization from exposure to risk..