Workplace drug testing can support safety and regulatory compliance, but testing alone does not determine whether an employee is impaired. This quick guide helps supervisors, safety professionals and HR leaders understand how drug testing fits within a broader workplace safety strategy while balancing compliance, privacy, fairness, and employee wellbeing.
The Guide includes:
- An overview of workplace drug testing, including common testing situations, testing methods and the role drug testing can play within a broader safety and risk-management strategy
- Guidance on substance-based and impairment-based approaches, including the capabilities and limitations of traditional drug testing and emerging impairment-assessment practices
- Key federal and state considerations, including DOT requirements, evolving cannabis laws and important considerations for safety-sensitive roles
- Core elements of an effective drug testing policy, including program scope, substances tested, testing procedures, employee protections, confidentiality and support options
- A practical response framework for positive drug tests, along with best practices for supervisor training, impairment recognition, return-to-duty processes and connecting employees with recovery-supportive resources
