The Need for Reasonable Suspicion Training
As drug positivity in the general U.S. workforce remains at a twenty-year high, many employers are seeking ways to safeguard their job sites from drug use. Providing your supervisors with Reasonable Suspicion Training is an efficient and effective way to keep your team safe from substance abuse.
What is Reasonable Suspicion?
Reasonable Suspicion is the belief that someone is under the influence of drugs or alcohol based on their appearance, behavior, and other observable factors. Recognizing these signs of impairment in employees is a vital tool for maintaining a safe workplace, and that’s exactly what Reasonable Suspicion Training provides. After completing training, supervisors can properly identify, execute, and manage Reasonable Suspicion testing situations.
An effective Reasonable Suspicion training course covers the following:
- The negative impacts and costs of substance use in the workplace
- How to accurately identify the signs, symptoms, and indicators of possible illicit drug use or alcohol misuse
- How to initiate, document, and manage Reasonable Suspicion testing situations
Who Should Complete Reasonable Suspicion Training?
Reasonable Suspicion Training can benefit any workplace regardless of industry. Giving your supervisors the ability to identify impairment on the job can help protect against safety incidents and prevent costly time loss, turnover, and medical expenses.
DOT Requirements
Employers under the U.S. Department of Transportation are required to include Reasonable Suspicion Training in their workplace drug and alcohol program. There are also specific requirements for the training, such as a minimum course time of 120 minutes and a mandatory topic list.
Risks of Forgoing Reasonable Suspicion Training
Depending on your industry, choosing not to implement Reasonable Suspicion Training could be dangerous and costly. Per the latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health, it’s estimated that substance use can cost a company an average of $250,000 a year: $70k for lost time, $100k for turnover and training, and $80k for medical costs.
Failing to know the proper Reasonable Suspicion criteria and accusing someone who isn’t impaired of being impaired, or confronting an impaired employee aggressively, could also result in lawsuits.
DOT Non-Compliance
Reasonable Suspicion is especially important for DOT employers due to the requirements outlined in Part 40. Failing to follow these regulations can result in non-compliance and additional enforcement, as the Department of Transportation decides.
Implementing a Reasonable Suspicion Program
Interested in adding Reasonable Suspicion Training to your workplace? TEAM offers both general and DOT-compliant reasonable suspicion training. Learn more at our Training page or Get Started with a TEAM representative today.
