Evaluating Employee Awareness of D&A Policy Once an employer has communicated a drug and alcohol policy and begun a testing program following legal and established procedures, there is one more step – evaluation of worker awareness. Without the evaluation step, there is no way to know if the message is reaching everyone it should reach and how well the program is keeping the workplace free from drugs and alcohol. It is all too common for employers to institute a variety of policies and procedures and not follow-up with routine evaluations to determine if they are accomplishing what they intended on accomplishing. In fact, it is financial considerations that finally get management attention. A drug and alcohol policy that is not working will lead to higher rates of absenteeism, lower productivity, higher health costs, increased overtime pay (to cover absent employees), and so on. Instead of waiting until there is a problem, it is better to routinely evaluate the program in terms of whether it meets goals and objectives and that begins with determining employee awareness. The evaluation process will tell the employer if the communication program is effective and what needs changing. When evaluations prove program effectiveness, the success story can be integrated into drug and alcohol education programs or sessions offered by the employer. Information can also be incorporated into emails, employee newsletters and brochures. For example, a low rate of positive results from random drug and alcohol testing confirms that workers heard the message and support the policy. No Need to Over-Complicate One of the best ways to evaluate whether the policy has been communicated throughout the workforce is simply by doing a periodic survey. The survey can test awareness about the policy, the dangers of the misuse of alcohol and drugs, and availability of referral, counselling and support services. The intent is to gather information that provides valuable feedback which can be used to tweak the policy communication strategies or testing program administration. The survey does not have to be complicated, and employers do not need to get bogged down in trying to collect data that can be converted into complex metrics (a propensity due to technology). The goal of the survey is simply to find out: • •
Is the worker aware of the alcohol and drug policy? Does the worker consider the policy important to the workplace? (if not, ask why)