Drug-Free Workplace free essay sample

The intent of the bill was to establish the foundation of a drug-free workplace in the areas that the federal government could affect outside the federal government; i. e. , the workplaces of federal grantees and contractors. The Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 does not mention drug testing at all. However, many companies have made drug testing a requirement. The Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 has 7 compliance requirements. (Miller, 1991) Mechanical MD is the name of the company that I do accounting for. Mechanical MD was started at the end of 2006. As of right now, there are no company polices in place because there are no employees, only the owner and myself. However, we would like to put a drug-free workplace policy into place. The first compliance requirement of the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 states the following: to publish a statement notifying the employees that the unlawful manufactured distribution, dispensing, possession, or use of a controlled substance is prohibited in the workplace and specifying what actions will be taken against employees for violations of the prohibition (Miller, 1991). Our first statement of our new drug-free workplace policy states: Unlawful manufacture, possession use or distribution of illegal drugs while working at Mechanical MD is prohibited. Use of legal prescription drugs in excess or that do not have a prescription will be in violation of this policy in addition to use of alcohol or over the counter drugs in excess to the extent the employees health or safety are in jeopardy. Employees who violate the policy are subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination. (Sample Drug Free Workplace Policy, 2006). The second compliance requirement of the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 states: establish a program to inform employees of the dangers of drug abuse in the workplace and the availability of drug counseling, rehabilitation, and employee assistance programs (Miller, 1991). Mechanical MDs company drug-free policy will state: Substance abuse in the work place affects everyone. When an employee drinks or uses drugs on the job, it not only hurts him/her, but also, threatens public safety; damages job performance; and results in costly expenses both to the company and the employee. Even if drug use is outside the workplace, it can affect job performance. Substance abusers are ten times more likely to miss work, more likely to be involved in on-the-job accidents and are less productive. And while they arent working or carrying their workload, someone else has to pick up the slack. (Sample Drug Free Workplace Policy, 2006). Mechanical MD will also state that the company reserves the right to sanction treatment of convicted persons who wish to continue their employment following a conviction. The third Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 compliance requirement states: Provide all employees working under the contract with a copy of the policy statement (Miller, 1991). Mechanical MD will provide a copy of the employee handbook to all employees. When an employee of Mechanical MD receives a copy of the employee handbook, he/she will sign a handbook release form stating that they have received a copy of the handbook. The fourth Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 compliance requirement states: notify employees in the policy statement that as a condition of continuing employment, the employee will abide by the statement and notify the employer within 5 days if he or she is convicted of any criminal drug offense occurring in the workplace (Miller, 1991). The Mechanical MD employee drug-free policy will state: Any employee found to be arrested must notify the company within 5 days of the conviction and indicate which law has been violated. (Sample Drug Free Workplace Policy, 2006). If the employee fails to tell the company about the conviction and the company finds out at a later date, the employee will be terminated immediately with no opportunity to receive drug or alcohol rehabilitation. The fifth compliance requirement of the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 states: notify the contracting officer of an employee conviction within 10 days after the contractor learns of the conviction (Miller, 1991). Mechanical MD does not have a contracting officer; therefore, this compliance requirement does not apply. The sixth compliance requirement of the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 states: within 30 days of receiving notice of the conviction, impose a sanction on the convicted employee up to and including termination or require the employee to satisfactorily complete an approved drug rehabilitation program (Miller, 1991). Mechanical MDs policy will state that if the company decides not to terminate the employee, the employee is required find a way to complete the required transportation to and from the required jobs without operating a motor vehicle. The employee of Mechanical MD will also be required to seek a form of drug or alcohol treatment and provide the company with proof of this treatment for at least 90 days. The seventh compliance requirement of the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 states: make a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace by meeting the requirement of the Act (Miller, 1991). Even though the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 does not require drug testing as part of having a drug-free workplace, Mechanical MD will require drug-testing as a part of being hired for to work for the company. Mechanical MD will also state in the company drug-free policy that random drug testing will be done periodically to continue to provide a safe work environment for all employees. The Mechanical MD supervisors will also be required to attend training courses to identify and manage substance abuse issues in the workplace. Mechanical MD will provide the safest possible work environment for all of the companys employees. The company will also abide by all the compliance requirements according to the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988.