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Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Different Types of Pressure

When encountering day to day tasks and responsibilities, you may begin to equate one pressure with another. This is dangerous, because you can end up spending a great deal of time on a less important task, and not enough time on a very important one. Let’s look at the different types of pressure you may encounter on a daily basis.

First and foremost, we have the time sensitive pressures. Anything which is on a deadline and which requires you to get it done on time or all of your work will be wasted…is important. This is what you should be focusing on more than anything else. When the time sensitive tasks are out of the way, you can more leisurely work on less time sensitive objectives.

Secondly, we have person sensitive pressures. These are pressures which relate to a specific person, whether it is a client, a boss, a coworker, or a subordinate. People skills are needed, and this is the second most important objective because it is dependent upon the needs or desires of someone else. It is not just numbers. This is definitely a task which requires priority. Someone is being kept waiting, after all.

Thirdly, you have the self fulfillment tasks. These are goals or pressures which will, in the end, be better for you. However, if you find yourself putting these tasks off for more mundane ones, then you may be looking at giving too much of your energy away, and not restoring that energy enough. Employee drug & alcohol testing definitely falls in this category. Alcohol testing in Australia is based upon an agreement between a business and their client and the fact that drug screening protects everyone. Now, obviously onsite drug and alcohol screening cannot actually come off of the page and keep people from doing stupid things, but it can help you to evaluate and detect dangerous employees in your midst. This is how alcohol and drug testing can be beneficial for your business.

The last pressure is just everyday mundane pressures, which you really should be used to, anyway. Typically, people who abuse drugs or alcohol are overwhelmed by those, though, as well. For more information on our onsite testing services, call Mediscreen today.

This article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/?p=2020

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Cutting Costs Is Not Always The Right Answer

The economy around the world certainly has been through some tough times the past few years. Businesses and families have taken more of a toll than anyone could have ever imagined. With such massive amounts of layoffs and plenty of businesses closing their doors, a dark cloud of uncertainty, fear, and anxiety has made its way across plenty of cities and nations.

Cutting costs is not always the right answer when it comes to business. Let’s take the cost associated with drug and alcohol testing. The cost that a business owner puts into such testing is well worth the outcome. For example, let’s say an employee at a company is addicted to cocaine. He continually gets high in the bathroom during his shift as a stock person at a department store.

One evening he gets high and because he is not clear in his mind, he runs into a co-worker with the fork lift and she falls down and breaks her arm. This accident will cost the company a great deal of money in the long run and it might have been prevented if the company did random or mandatory drug testing every so often.

The employee with the addiction to cocaine could have been caught through drug testing and could have either been let go, reprimanded, given leave without pay, forced to get addiction counseling if he wanted to stay employed with that company, and so on.

Random Drug Alcohol Testing is well worth the investment in the long run. One accident due to the use of drugs can cost thousands and thousands of dollars. Additionally, those that use drugs tend to be less productive and reliable when it comes to work, so little by little money a business owner is losing money.

For this reason, Mediscreen assures you that the cost of Onsite Drug & Alcohol Testing is worth well more than the information you get regarding your employees. Cutting this particular cost will not save you in the long run. Allow Mediscreen to take care of all of your alcohol and drug screening and alcohol testing needs today.

This article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/?p=2016

Coping With the Stress of Life Using Illicit Drugs on the Rise

Drug and alcohol use in Australia has been steadily increasing through the years. There are masses of people who use and abuse drugs to escape from reality, numb the pain they struggle with, succumb to peer pressure, and a host of other reasons. In fact, the age at which kids are beginning to experiment with alcohol and drugs is at the alarming young age of 12. With the risk of addiction quite high in Australia, this has many parents and drug and alcohol professionals concerned.

There are plenty of reasons why people abuse drugs, but relationship break ups oftentimes cause a great deal of stress and heart ache that prompt such use. In fact, to combat feelings of pain, emptiness, hurt, anger, etc., many people resort to using drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism. Though not a positive coping method, many people perceive it as a chance to numb the pain temporarily rather than face it head on. With more than half of relationships and marriages doomed to fail, the chances of one using alcohol or drugs to cope is quite high.

This is one reason why workplace drug testing ought to be mandatory for a new job. First, it will eliminate the chances of hiring one that is addicted to drugs and that fact alone will assure you higher safety ratings. Second, it may give the person applying for the job the nudge he needs to take a look at how drug use is contributing negatively to his life. Perhaps he will stop using drugs, clean up his act, and move forward seeking a job in which he can be fully present under no influence of illicit drugs.

A recent Australian survey of adolescents reported that at least 90 percent of adolescents have drunk a full glass of alcohol and at least 38 percent of Australians 14 years old and older have used an illicit drug at least once, with 15 percent using within the last year. This is exactly the reason employers ought to have drug screening before hiring an employee.

Along with drug screening, random drug alcohol testing ought to be done throughout the year utilizing onsite drug and alcohol screenings. Finding out that an employee is using drugs can enhance safety for your company and also force that employee to take a look at the effects of his actions. You can offer several options for that employee, including substance abuse counseling, time off with no pay, termination, or whatever other measures you believe will be helpful.

It is quite easy to schedule and set up such tests and Mediscreen can certainly help you out.

This article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/?p=2012

Monday, February 11, 2013

Budgeting for Onsite Testing

While we do not pretend to know everything that there is to know about drug and alcohol testing, we do know about as much as one company can, and we are here to offer you some tips on budgeting for your drug screening and alcohol testing.

Workplace alcohol drug testing laws have made it so that certain industries MUST test their employees, but the truth is, you can implement drug screening any time you want, in your own company, for any reason. Now that you have determined that you wish to go ahead and hire a company to provide this service, consider the benefits of onsite drug and alcohol screening.

It is fast, efficient, cheap, and has incredibly high standards.

When budgeting, remember that you must make this a regular expenditure of your company’s finances. You cannot add it on as something which you will do if you have the extra money for it. It must be a regular occurrence, and you must plan on setting the money aside for it. If you do not, then you may run up against a wall concerning your drug testing schedule, and it is imperative that you be able to test your employees, no matter what. You never know when you will need to look at someone’s track record to make sure that they are living up to the company’s codes.

Alcohol and drug testing is very important in many circumstances. You must be able to know what is going on. Therefore, the second step for budgeting should be to allow for a little more testing or testing for a few more employees, just in case. There should be some room for movement in your budget. Onsite drug and alcohol testing will, generally, be cheaper than regular laboratory testing, since you are not paying for overhead costs.

However, whatever form you choose, remember that many companies under-budget for their requirements. We at Mediscreen urge you to choose us for your drug & alcohol testing, and to remember that our onsite drug and alcohol screening services will make your endeavors much easier and more much efficient and smooth running.

This article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/?p=2009

Brave New World

It is impossible to wake up every morning and see it the same way as we did yesterday. There is so much to do and so much to enjoy, that it seems as if the years of our lives are barely able to contain all of the things which we desire to accomplish each year. This really is an amazing existence that we lead.

In onsite drug & alcohol testing, there is a commonality which you may find intriguing. There are certain types of employees who are more likely to need drug screening, and certain types which are more likely to test positive during alcohol testing. We do not mean to generalise or to point fingers here. Instead, we are looking to identify some of the traits which are common in repeated abusers.

Dissatisfaction is one of the most common traits in people who frequently test positive in workplace drug testing. Dissatisfaction and discontent are high because abusers often over-stimulate their brains with drugs which cause abnormal levels of serotonin and other feel good hormones. This makes daily life a bore, and it soon becomes almost painful to live without these drugs.

Another common trait is an overly subjective point of view. Rather than taking reality at face value and determining the best course of action from that data, abusers often express opinions and high subjective views of reality, without actually touching upon what is really there, as if their opinion is the truth of the matter.

While workplace drug testing laws cover and protect some industries, it is still advisable to use drug testing in Australia, no matter which industry your company caters to. These services can really bring good to your business, as well as to your community. After all, everyone has a reputation to uphold.

Look around you. Isn’t this a beautiful world we live in? When your employees wake up, they should feel that, too, rather than dread about who they may encounter at work. We would like to invite you to check us out. To schedule an appointment or to sign up for onsite drug and alcohol screening, call Mediscreen today.

This article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/?p=2006

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Report Indicates Amtrak Employees Failing Drug Tests At High Rate

Traveling by train is steadily increasing as the cost of flying continues to increase. Many people travel via train due to it being considered a safe and efficient way to travel- especially for those who fear driving or flying. In light of this, it might be fitting to learn that a certain train carrier in America is dropping the ball when it comes to ensuring safety for passengers.

Recently, CNN news reported an increase of alcohol and drug test failures among Amtrak employees. In fact, it has been steadily increasing since 2006. This has caused passengers to question the safety of such travel and other companies are wondering just how much drug and alcohol use is going on with their own employees. Some companies are questioning why they don’t have any alcohol and drug test measures going on at all.

A report by Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General stated that marijuana and cocaine were the top two drugs used by employees who failed Alcohol Drug Testing. Ever since the fatal 1987 Amtrak collision with another train due to an employee high on marijuana, drug & alcohol testing measures have been enforced at Amtrak. The collision with a freight train took the nation by surprise and also took the death of 16 people.

Some officials are questioning Amtrak’s lack of concern for monitoring alcohol and drug use among employees. With Amtrak’s failed alcohol and drug tests at 51% higher than passenger train industry average, the concern is quite legitimate.

The inspector general commented that Amtrak’s senior management had limited knowledge about the high failure rates and encouraged a more serious approach to managing the problem. Amtrak has been advised to increase the frequency of alcohol and drug testing, as well as compare the results with competing industry averages.

If you own your own business or manage employees, it is wise to have your own Drug Alcohol Testing measures in place for your employees. Having such can be beneficial in various ways, including higher productivity and a decreased chance of accidents due to being under the influence of drugs. With the high use of alcohol and drug use among men and women in general, it is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to employment safety matters.

For more information about alcohol and drug testing in Australia, call Mediscreen today and ask about our onsite services.

This article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/?p=2003

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Truth in Advertising: Possible?

Can you really have truth in advertising? It is a much quoted phrase, both for and against the topic, but advertising by its very nature is somewhat manipulative. How can you tell if a company is legitimate or not? The proof is in the pudding, as they say. If the service is high quality and if the products are high quality, then the advertising is running parallel to the truth, if not actually on top of it all the way.

However, many people find that products and services do not actually live up to advertised standards. At Mediscreen, we do a great job of delivering services to companies throughout Western Australia. Drug testing in Australia is easier than ever. Our drug screening practices are so new and innovative, and our teams are such good people that we cannot possible go wrong. If we do, though, we know how to take accountability for ourselves.

At Mediscreen, the innovation of onsite drug and alcohol screening is right at hand. You can call us up or visit our website and learn all about how great our company is. We provide onsite drug and alcohol screening to companies all over Australia.

Of course, the only way to know if there is truth in our advertising is to try us out. If we meet your standards, then you can spread the word about us even further than it already has spread. If our services are not up to par or if our staff is in any way rude or seemingly incompetent, you can call us on it. However, we are confident that none of these things are the case. Drug screening, by its very nature, requires a cool mind and a steady hand. Alcohol testing requires that we know our business, inside and out.

At Mediscreen, we believe that there really is truth in our advertising. However, these are just words until you try us out. Please call our offices and find out what we can offer your particular company and what we can do to make your business a safer place. Onsite drug & alcohol testing is, after all, our specialty.

This article has been taken from http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/?p=1997