Companies have disciplined or dismissed employees for substance misuse without appropriate policy in place.

An independent survey carried out by Antrim-based global diagnostics company Randox Laboratories has revealed that 37% of Irish companies have disciplined or dismissed an employee for substance misuse without an appropriate policy or testing procedure in place to support their decisions. 

Dr Mark Piper, Toxicology Manager at Randox, warns that if an employer dismisses an employee for such a misdemeanour without following necessary procedures they are likely to find themselves in a difficult legal position.

“Failure to implement proper policy heightens the risk that an employee might be unfairly accused of misuse, leaving companies vulnerable to legal proceedings,” explains Dr Piper who says both employers and employees will benefit from watertight policy and procedures.

Dr Piper says that a comprehensive drugs policy should set out a clear objective, explain what is considered to be drug misuse, outline the testing process and the disciplinary action that may result from a positive test.† It should also provide details of the support available to drug misusers.

“It is crucial that organisations, particularly those in safety critical industries, have in place robust substance misuse policies which leave employees in no doubt as to what is, and what is not, acceptable behaviour. Such policies must ensure employees are treated fairly and that any disciplinary decisions are based on solid facts.”


He added that regular drug and alcohol screening is one component of such a policy and enables employment decisions to be based on firm scientific evidence.

“The implementation of routine and random testing produces reliable results, discourages misuse, and ultimately provides a safer workplace, which of course is of benefit to employers, employees and customers alike.”

Home Office statistics show that 74% of substance abusers are in full time employment, creating problems for their employers such as lateness, poor discipline, loss of productivity, and absenteeism.

“Given the potential repercussions, it is clear that management of drug misuse in the workplace needs to become more of a priority for all HR professionals,” says Dr Piper.