One of the main components of a strong Drug Free Workplace program is training of supervisors.

Whether you are a DOT regulated company or a company looking to take advantage of a state discount, you need to train your supervisors.

Federal regulations require FMCSA Supervisors to be trained for one hour on reasonable suspicion of drugs and one hour on reasonable suspicion for alcohol. Some states require Supervisors to be trained for two hours the first year and 1 hour each additional year and with state programs a Supervisor is also classified as an employee so that can double the training requirement!

Training options vary and each business needs to decide what method or combination of methods work best for them. Below are a few options for training of supervisors:

In-person/onsite training: This can be extremely beneficial however it normally comes with the high cost of a speaker as well as substantial loss in productivity for those having to attend the training.

In-person/offsite training: This has a similar scenario as noted above but you must also add the cost of traveling to the training location and the risk associated with having employees travel.

DVD training: This can be cost-effective however most employees don’t retain as much as they stop/start or don’t watch at all as a knowledge exam is normally not included.

Web based training: Depending on a company business model, this could be a viable option however, manufacturing, construction and similar business types have difficulty with this option due to unskilled workers not having access to a computer and the loss of productivity to pull somebody out of their job to take this course.

Webinar training: This can be a good option and if you have managers who can do a lunch/learn this is an option but it normally will not fit the need of all employees company-wide.

Monthly subscription/publications: This is a good way to stay current with new drugs such as synthetics or new rules and regulations with federally mandated programs.

Language options: Another item to consider is your workplace diversity. Do you need to communicate trainings in English and Spanish?

In addition to the method you choose for training of supervisors, you must also consider the topics. It is a Supervisor’s job to become familiar with the company policy so that they can enforce the policy. It is also a Supervisor’s job to understand how to document and protect the company in relation to reasonable suspicion cases. And of course they need “current” information to stay on top of today’s drug and alcohol problems that can cause issues within a work environment.

Below are some sample topics for trainings:

Reasonable Suspicion
The current status of Synthetic Drugs
Marijuana legalization
Drug testing options
Common drugs of abuse
How to become a certified drug free workplace
Random Drug Testing 101
Designated Employer Representative-DOT
What you need to know about beating a drug test
Signs and symptoms of drug and alcohol abuse
ROI on a drug free workplace
Drug testing and ADA

It is important to provide supervisors with current, up-to-date information in the most cost-effective manner that will allow for maximum retention of the information provided.

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