Combining Structure and Change

It is human nature to be dissatisfied with our jobs and most people feel that their work is either too monotonous or too volatile. The truth is, you can get both structure and change out of your job by using Onsite Drug and Alcohol Screening for your employees. Employee drug testing is perfect for contributing both aspects to your company. First, we will tell you about the structure it creates, and then we will explain the opportunity for change that is available. After all, you need to be able to make an educated decision, right?

Structure creates less need for self discipline

One of the primary reasons why employees resort to abusive behavior on the jobsite is that working requires a certain amount of self discipline and they may not possess such a worthy quality, and it may not be fully developed if they do. Fortunately, drug & alcohol testing is wonderful because it creates a scientific boundary around them, over which they are not allowed to step. In essence, this helps your employees to not have to make a decision about self care or personal responsibility. It takes away this burden so that they can handle and better perform in their jobs. While employee drug testing is convenient for you, it actually helps work be more convenient for them, as well.

Change reduces need to cause excitement on the jobsite

Both in school and in the workplace, idle minds are hotbeds for irresponsible behavior. If a student is not being challenged enough intellectually, they are far more likely to cause disturbances in the classroom. Likewise, if there is no change in the work scene, employees are more likely to turn to alternative methods with which to entertain them. Drug Alcohol Testing is flexible and allows you to schedule it around changes in your employees’ work. This opens up your business to restructuring and even more flexibility should you choose to initiate that.

As you see, onsite drug and alcohol testing provides the structure with which you can lessen their need for self discipline, while also allowing you to change things up and create new experiences on the jobsite without being concerned about scheduling basic Drug Testing Equipment and services. Mediscreen is available 24/7 to answer any questions which you may have. 

Onsite Drug Testing is Environmentally Friendly

At Mediscreen, we care deeply about our world and the environment for which we are responsible. For those of you who also value “green” companies, Mediscreen will be of interest to you. We provide onsite drug & alcohol testing services to Australia, and we are environmentally friendly in multiple ways. To begin with, offsite testing requires individuals to drive all of their vehicles to the laboratory, but our onsite drug testing services allow us to test multiple employees at one time, reducing our carbon footprint and, of course, saving time away from work.

Onsite drug and alcohol screening also allows us to save materials which would normally be used for comprehensive laboratory testing. The mobility of our products allows us to screen for non-negative results and only take those few cases back to the laboratory for further testing. Your employees’ records are kept at your place of business, reducing copying and duplicate document waste between our laboratory and your staff members. We work quickly and efficiently, further reducing time spent on the testing process. Our products enable us to use a minimum of non-recyclable materials. We take our job of workplace drug testing very seriously, and we are glad that our business model allows us to also reduce our environmental impact.

Employee drug and alcohol testing reduces waste because inefficient businesses use up more paper products, more transportation hours, and more petroleum based fuels. A clean, organized operation can significantly keep track of extra man hours used performing simpler tasks. Businesses that wish to display a “green” image, or that wish to become more environmentally friendly, will find that Mediscreen offers the drug testing equivalent of a carpool. Workplace drug testing has never been more efficient and cleaner.

Contact Mediscreen today: (+61) 1300 79 70 40. We would like to find out more your company drug and alcohol testing needs. We serve large businesses and small enterprises, for any number of employees. We do all of the leg work so that you do not have to. Environmentally friendly drug testing is a great way to reduce costs for employee safety and keep a clean image at the same time. At Mediscreen, we believe that keeping it simple is a good philosophy and we focus on our reliability and the reliability of our Drug Testing Equipment for your company. Call us for a consultation and feel free to ask us any questions which you may have.

Is Drug and Alcohol Dependency a Disability?

If you are an Australian employer then you are probably familiar with the federal Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA). This act was passed to protect the rights of people with disabilities in education, housing, and in the purchase of goods and services. It has been the subject of hot debates over the years as to its application to those with drug and alcohol addictions. Human rights advocates have pushed to include addiction as a disability, whilst employers have expressed concern they will be forced to hire or retain addicts who jeopardise workplace safety.

This is certainly not an easy topic to discuss because passions run high as proven by public discussions. In 2003 an amendment named the Disability Discrimination Amendment Bill 2003 was proposed that would allow discrimination against drug addicts in employment practices. The amendment did not proceed after extensive public discourse.  Over the years, there have been many attempts to define drug dependence as a type of disability.  Though NSW and federal anti-discrimination laws make it unlawful to discriminate on grounds of disability, there is case law that has defined the relationship of addiction, disability and legal employment discrimination.

Stating the Case

The first Australian case that addressed the issue of addiction as a disability was actually first heard in November 2000.  The plaintiff Mr. Marsden was addicted to an opioid and was a member of a private club. There were incidents related to his addiction and he was ejected from the club. Mr. Marsden claimed his addiction was a disability and that he had been discriminated against when his club membership was revoked.  The complaint was first filed with the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) which denied his claim, so it went to Federal Court. In summary, the Federal Court inferred, by remanding the case back to the HREOC, that drug dependency may invoke the protection of anti-discrimination law in some cases.

In New South Wales, a 2002 case involved a man, Mr. Carr, who worked for the city council as a labourer. He was a recovering heroin addict and was taking methadone. The employer embarrassed him by displaying his jars of methadone in front of co-workers and telling other staff members about Mr. Carr’s dependence. He was then unceremoniously transferred. He brought an action under the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 claiming his drug addiction was a disability. The city council claimed that he did exhibit the behaviours that constitute a disability. The Tribunal rejected this line of argument stating that a person able to lead a normal life whilst taking treatment may still be considered disabled despite no outward signs.

Concerns that the cases were being wrongly interpreted to mean that employers cannot terminate an employee addicted to illicit drugs led to the federal Disability Discrimination Amendment Bill 2003 mentioned previously. This bill allows lawful discrimination against those clearly addicted to illegal substances in a number of areas including employment, club memberships, sports and more. Public debate included arguments for and against the passage of the amendment with the main concern being it ignored human rights and allowed discrimination against drug users. In addition, this Amendment was seen as purely punitive and not in line with harm minimisation strategies, so it failed to proceed. It excluded people on methadone or buprenorphine or who are serapositive. Though it did not proceed, it was landmark legislation that started a still ongoing public discussion.

However, in response to the Marsden decision the NSW Government did pass a law allowing discrimination in the place of employment only against a person who is addicted to a prohibited drug. However, a person being effectively treated and able to complete job functions is still protected by the disability laws.

Addiction Does Not Bestow Rights

Sociologists and the medical community have determined that drug addiction is a brain disorder that may impair brain and physical function, but whilst in treatment it is the compulsion that has to be overcome. The difficulty lies in determining the level of impairment and if the compulsion or dependence actually has been overcome. If the medical community or the government cannot define this measurement then how are employers expected to do so?

The Human Rights Commission makes it clear that some cases of addiction will be covered by the DDA, but that the addiction does not bestow rights in itself. Discrimination must be proven and is intricately connected to the job requirements, unjustifiable hardship and a reasonableness element. Is it reasonable to expect the person to manage a job given an addiction or treatment course? Also, addiction to legal or illegal substances may lead to continual decline in physical and mental capacity meaning discrimination would apply as it would in any case where the impairment affected the ability to do the job. Substance use in itself is not a disability according to the federal law.

Interestingly there is legal recognition of addiction through the Social Security system. According to the Social Security Act, a person can collect a Disability Support Pension for dependence on alcohol or drugs if that dependence causes long work absences. In 2009 there were 143,000 treatments approved for people with substance addictions, but the agency will not say how many people in total receive pensions for addiction.

It is easy to be confused at this point as to how the law will interpret each case. It is not possible in limited space to explore all the case details. It is clear the employer should continue to focus on two things as the laws unfold: 1) workplace safety and adherence to policies and procedures, and 2) the employee’s ability to be productive and accurately manage the duties job required. By focusing on job performance and adherence to zero tolerance drug and alcohol policies, an employer does not have to be overly concerned with the question of whether an addicted employee or one in treatment is disabled. The random drug & alcohol testing program will tell the story as to whether a drug free workplace is being maintained.

Mediscreen consultants can provide service and guidance to employers interested in establishing a quality alcohol drug testing program. State-of-the-art testing equipment and Drug Testing Equipment provides the tools needed to maintain a drug free workplace.