More Americans using illicit drugs - How to keep your workplace clean

Based on a survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the overall rate of illicit drug use in the United States rose from 8% in 2008 to 8.7% in 2009 (among Americans aged 12 and older). The higher numbers are believed to be the result of greater marijuana use.

The annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) shows that other forms of substance abuse are on the rise, too:

Nonmedical use of prescription drugs - 2.8% in 2009 (from 2.5% in 2008)
Number of past-month ecstasy users – 760,000 in 2009 (from 555,000 in 2008)
Number of methamphetamine users - 502,000 in 2009 (from 314,000 in 2008)

Drug-Free Work Week is October 18-24, the perfect time to build awareness and take specific steps that will positively impact your company’s safety and productivity. Here are some ways you can make the most of it:

• Implement a drug-free workplace program – Make this the week you launch a program, if you don’t already have one. Employee handbook software can help you develop a solid, legally approved drug-free policy. You’ll also want to let applicants know your workplace is drug-free by applying drug-free applicant stickers to your job applications.

• Promote your drug-free workplace program - Once you have a program, you’ve got to get the word out and get employees involved. Hand out substance abuse fact sheets to remind employees about the effects substance abuse can have on the workplace.

• Train supervisors on their role in the workplace - Ensure supervisors understand your policies for handling substance abuse with a supervisor-specific handbook that outlines what they can and cannot do if they suspect abuse among their employees.

• Remind employees about the availability of employee-assistance services - These free, confidential services can help employees get the help they need to overcome substance abuse problems.

• Offer health screenings - Let employees know about the resources available to them to evaluate whether they have a substance abuse problem. Also, consider giving employees disposable alcohol detectors during holiday breaks when alcohol consumption is more likely, and encourage them to test alcohol levels before driving.

• Review your health insurance policy - Employees are more likely to seek help if your policy includes coverage for substance abuse treatment. Consider the cost benefit of adding such coverage over the cost of an accident and lost productivity.

• Create a drug-free workplace display - Dedicate an area of your workplace, such as a breakroom bulletin board, for raising awareness of your drug-free workplace policy with substance abuse posters.

• Feature Drug-Free Work Week in the employee newsletter or intranet - This feature can contain helpful information about the impact of drugs on the workplace, sources of help, and things workers can do if they think a colleague may have a substance abuse problem.

• Distribute a payroll message listing helplines or a reminder about Drug-Free Work Week for employees – Let employees know about Drug-Free Work Week with a notice that includes a list of resources available to them.

• Hold a social event celebrating safety and health - Put together a pizza lunch or other worktime activity to help blow off some steam … and reinforce the message that drugs and alcohol aren’t necessary to relax.

• Allow employees time to volunteer in community drug-prevention efforts - Organize a team of volunteers to help support local drug-prevention programs, or grant time off for employees who are involved in other drug-awareness and prevention efforts.

More Americans using illicit drugs - How to keep your workplace clean

Caution! Pulling back the social media curtain could lead to hiring discrimination

The social networking explosion has created an “Age of Transparency” for individuals who share their lives – the good, the bad and the ugly – for the entire world to see. As of January 2010, there were more than 500 million global subscribers to Facebook, with 103 million residing in the U.S. – a leap from 43 million a year earlier or an annual increase of 145 percent! Even more astonishing: The growth rate within the 35-54 age bracket is up 328 percent in the U.S. over the same period. It’s safe to say nearly everyone is doing it.

The ubiquitous use of Facebook and other social networking websites creates opportunities for hiring managers and HR professionals to “peek behind the curtain” with potential hires. While a helpful resource, social networking sites may also pose an HR risk if discrimination comes into play during the screening process.

To make sure you don’t cross any legal lines, consider these tips before scouring social networking sites:

1. Don’t judge a book by its cover. Photos appearing on social networking sites often depict individuals having fun with friends and family and may not always be flattering. Judge candidates on how they present themselves during face-to-face interviews. It’s their professionalism in an office environment that you are concerned with most.

2. Check out LinkedIn for the professional point of view. While Facebook is a friends and family communication portal, LinkedIn is its professional counterpart. Reviewing LinkedIn content will give you a much better perspective of an individual’s career history, skill set and professional presentation.

3. Avoid out and out discrimination. Some managers may dig deep into a prospect’s past, and, in turn, uncover spiritual, political, social or sexual preferences in the process. Using this information and other protected categories to discriminate in the hiring process is unlawful. Some states, like California and New York, have privacy laws preventing employers from interfering with employees’ private lives.

4. Social networking sites don’t always present the facts. Many people provide inflated details about their personal lives to hide certain information or to paint a desirable picture to friends and family. Focus your hiring decisions on resumes, interviews and references to avoid relying on disinformation.

5. Add social networking rules to your company policy. The best practice to avoid misuse of social networking sites is having a written policy that clearly informs hiring managers about what information can and cannot be considered in the review process.

Caution! Pulling back the social media curtain could lead to hiring discrimination

When "fun in the sun" dampens work productivity

While the beach, backyard or neighborhood barbeque may beckon during the sunny days of summer, the fact remains that you’re running a business and the work must get done. Don’t wait until you have an attendance problem on your hands before taking a stand.

Your employee attendance policy should be in writing, included in your employee handbook and communicated to all employees so it can be enforced. Clarify when chronic lateness and absenteeism are cause for discipline, and outline how many absences or instances of lateness are acceptable.

Your company's attendance guidelines also must comply with the FLSA, which governs minimum wage requirements, overtime, timekeeping practices, child labor laws and other pay-related issues.

Finally, be certain to enforce the policy consistently. You may be courting a discrimination lawsuit if you only discipline some employees for poor attendance, while ignoring the time-management habits of others.

When "fun in the sun" dampens work productivity

Home Depot employee fired over "politically driven" pin that violated dress-code policy

In yet another real-life reminder of why it’s so important to maintain an employee handbook with crystal-clear workplace policies, a Home Depot employee claims he was fired for expressing his personal beliefs though an American flag button he wore on his apron. The former cashier of the Okeechobee, FL, store says he had the right to wear the “One nation under God, indivisible” button, while his employer argues that he DID NOT – and the reason being the company’s written dress-code policy forbidding it.

Whether you feel the pin and its message was religious, political or just patriotic (and as such, acceptable in the workplace) is a matter of interpretation. And it’s because of this sort of interpretation that employee policies exist.

“The issue is not whether or not we agree with the message on the button," says
Craig Fishel, a Home Depot spokesperson. "That's not our place to say, which is
exactly why we have a blanket policy, which is long-standing and
well-communicated to our associates, that only company-provided pins and badges
can be worn on our aprons."

While the employee’s lawyer is suing Home Depot for religious discrimination, the case probably won’t go very far. As Michael Masinter, a civil rights and employment law professor at NOVA Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, explains:

"Because it's a private business, not one that's owned and operated by the
government, it doesn't have to operate under the free speech provisions of the
First Amendment."

He clarifies the matter of religious displays and expression, too, for those who feel Home Depot’s pin-banning action was a form of religious discrimination:

“But we're not talking about religious displays here," he said. "This sounds
more like a political message ... Wearing a button of that sort would not easily
be described as a traditional form of religious expression like wearing a cross
or wearing a yarmulke."

As a private business, Home Depot has a right to protect its image by not promoting different employee opinions via pins and badges - opinions that might offend customers who are as diverse as the employees serving them.

Some important details in this case: The employee was first asked to remove the pin. He refused. He was also offered a company-approved pin that said, “United We Stand,” but he declined.

It would appear that Home Depot did everything right, from an HR standpoint, in this situation. They based their actions on company policy, they confronted the employee first (and hopefully documented the exchange) and when all was said and done, the employee refused to cooperate with policy. Thus, the employee was fired.

What do you think? Do you agree with Home Depot’s actions? Please leave a comment - I’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter!

Home Depot employee fired over "politically driven" pin that violated dress-code policy