Drug Free Workplace Program: West Virginia

PLEASE NOTE: MANY WORKERS COMP INSURANCE PROVIDERS OFFER A VOLUNTARY DISCOUNT TO COMPANIES THAT IMPLEMENT A COMPREHENSIVE DRUG FREE WORKPLACE PROGRAM.  IN MANY CASES, THIS DISCOUNT RESULTS IN SEVERAL THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN SAVINGS ANNUALLY!!
Five easy steps to implementing a comprehensive Drug Free Workplace program in West Virginia and meeting the public improvement construction contract requirement:
                                       
Scroll down for five easy steps to becoming a Drug Free Workplace and meeting state requirements.  Our 40 yr. old nonprofit agency has helped more than 9,044 companies and organizations achieve certification as a drug free workplace.  Together we can make a difference in the fight against drug abuse in our nation.

If your organization is already certified, we will help you maintain compliance and re-certify each year.
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WV STATE AND FEDERAL CONTRACT & GRANT RECIPIENTS MUST MAINTAIN A DRUG FREE WORKPLACE. TO READ THE LAW, SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE.

Your drug free workplace membership meets all requirements of West Virginia law and includes monthly employee drug education training newsletters.  Membership includes: 

  • One-year subscription to the English version “Drug-Free@Workplace” employee training newsletter. This monthly newsletter provides annual employee drug education/awareness without incurring loss of payroll and productivity while employees stop work to attend training. Drug education provided to employees at work can be taken home and shared with their children to help keep them drug and alcohol free!
  • Free Supervisor Training videotapes or DVDs. Provides annual supervisor training. A critical component of a drug free workplace program
  • Free access to our online Employee Assistance Program (EAP) site.
  • Annual reminder to renew your certification. So that you remain in compliance with W.VA. state contract laws.
  • Free fill-in-the-blanks substance abuse policy. Meets all requirements of West Virginia law and W.VA.state contract law.
  • Drug Free Workplace poster, window and door stickers. Required by law.
  • Free legal updates on policy changes. Avoid legal liability!
  • Discounted rate for Varian On-Site® drug or alcohol test kits: urine based tests. Highest quality, most accurate tests available.
  • Free online training and certification as an onsite drug testing collector. Add "drug testing expert" to your résumé!
  • Free drug free workplace consultation from our nationwide drug free workplace experts.
  • Free Drug Free Workplace stickers for hard hats, vehicles, etc.  Show state inspectors you are in compliance.
  • Safe Driver Policy, Driver Acknowledgement Form, Violence Prevention Policy & Procedures Manual, and Violence Prevention Policy available free upon request.

                                       
Implementing a drug free workplace program results in an annual savings of several thousand dollars for most companies and organizations, and your membership helps our 501(c)3 nonprofit agency prevent drug abuse among children.

Click Join Now above to join the Council’s Drug-Free Workplace program and subscribe to the Drug-Free Workplace monthly Employee Education newsletter.

Please note: We also offer Supervisor Training newsletters and Spanish Employee version newsletters for a small additional fee. These monthly newsletters are the most cost-effective way to meet your drug-free workplace training requirements. In-person presentations and videotape training require that employees stop work to attend training resulting in loss of payroll and loss of productivity. Monthly newsletters solve this problem and save your company thousands of training dollars.

Step 1: SUBSTANCE ABUSE POLICY

Your company must have a substance abuse policy in place that meets all requirements of West Virginia law.

We email you a ‘fill-in-the-blank’ policy in English and Spanish. Simply print the policy on company letterhead and hand it out to all employees. If you have any questions regarding the substance abuse policy, we have drug free workplace experts who will answer your questions at no charge. Sample letters and forms are included in the policy. These should also be printed on company letterhead.

Step 2: SUPERVISOR TRAINING

You should conduct at least 2 hours of supervisor training. The first hour of supervisor training should include a discussion of how to enforce the new company substance abuse policy along with viewing one of our supervisor training videos or DVDs. We will assist you in selecting an appropriate video or DVD for supervisor training. The second hour of supervisor training can be conducted within 6 months. The second hour of supervisor training may be completed by selecting another video/DVD from our video library list, or by subscribing to our Supervisor Training newsletters. Download a sample supervisor newsletter.

  • The supervisor newsletters are the most cost-effective and efficient way to train your supervisors on how to supervise your drug free workplace!

Step 3: EMPLOYEE EDUCATION

You should conduct at least two hours of employee drug education annually. Our monthly Employee Education newsletter is the most cost-effective means of conducting this training and is included in your membership fee. Distributing the newsletter to employees once a month provides a total of two hours of employee drug education. The Employee Education newsletters are emailed to you on a monthly basis. We suggest they be attached to your employees' paychecks, but how you distribute them is up to you. Drug education is appropriate and critically important to an employer’s overall efforts to prevent drug abuse in the workplace and protect workers. Drug education received at work can be taken home and shared with the employees' children to help keep them drug and alcohol free. Download a sample Employee Education newsletter (also available in Spanish).

  • The newsletters are the most cost-effective and efficient way to provide annual employee drug education and training.

Step 4: TYPES OF TESTING: (You do not have to drug test your entire workforce).

You SHOULD conduct PRE-EMPLOYMENT, POST ACCIDENT, REASONABLE SUSPICION AND RANDOM drug testing of all employees. Most insurers require these types of testing at a mimimum in order to qualify for workers comp insurance discounts.

  • We offer member discounted pricing on Varian On-Site® testing products. This is an excellent way to save time and money! It is extremely easy to become a certified onsite collector at NO additional cost. Onsite collector certification is included in your $150 membership.

Take the guesswork out of safeguarding your world. Trust On-Site® and OnTrak™, Varian, Inc.'s convenient, cost-conscious drug screens, to deliver rapid, reliable results when and where you need them most. The patented design and careful manufacturing free you from strict test timing and false positives. The urine tests are available in many multiple screen combinations.

Please call our VP of Drug Free Workplace, Leanne Mulherin at (404) 223-2482 for more information.

Step 5: EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (EAP) OR RESOURCE FILE

Certified drug-free workplaces should provide either an EAP (Employee Assistance Program), or a resource list of treatment and counseling centers in their area.

  • We provide you with an online EAP with confidential user ID, password and toll-free number.

After completing the aforementioned five steps, we will issue your organization a DRUG FREE WORKPLACE CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION.

THE COUNCIL ON ALCOHOL AND DRUGS, ALONG WITH THE DRUGS DON’T WORK PROGRAM, ARE DEDICATED TO EDUCATING EMPLOYERS, EMPLOYEES AND THE PUBLIC AT LARGE ABOUT:

(1) the dangers of substance abuse, especially the abuse of illicit drugs; (2) the impact of such abuse on the workplace; (3) the most appropriate, effective and legally accepted means for employers to address their substance abuse in the workplace problems; (4) the rights and responsibilities of employers and employees; (5) the status of legislative, regulatory and legal developments at the state level, and; (6) the very legitimate and necessary - role of employers in our national effort to combat drug abuse.

The Council on Alcohol and Drugs recognizes the threat of drug abuse in the workplace. Among other consequences, drug and alcohol abuse decreases productivity and increases accidents, absenteeism, product defects, medical and insurance costs, and employee theft. Employers and employees have a large stake and legitimate role to play in the "war on drugs." Click on the Join Now buttom below to become a member of The Council on Alcohol and Drugs' Drug Free Workplace Program and qualify fo discounts on your workers' compensation premiums, or download form to apply by mail. Your membership helps our 40-year-old nonprofit agency to provide drug prevention programs to children.

West Virginia Requires Drug Free Workplace Programs for all Public Improvement Construction Contracts.
(Required as of July 1, 2008):

Contractors in West Virginia who have public improvement construction contracts are now required to have a Drug Free Workplace Program in place.  The law is entitled “The West Virginia Alcohol and Drug-Free Workplace Act.” The law can be found in the Code of West Virginia, 1931 §21-1D-1— §21-1D-9. The law is aimed at all businesses who are awarded public improvement contracts with the state of West Virginia. Furthermore, any companies who subcontract with companies awarded public improvement contracts are also subject to the act.

CONTRACTORS MAY LOSE JOBS FOR NOT MEETING ALL OF THE DRUG FREE WORKPLACE REQUIREMENTS.
                                       
The Council on Alcohol and Drugs, Inc.
233 Peachtree Street, NE - Suite 2000
Atlanta, Georgia 30303-1564
Phone: (404) 223-2482 or toll free (877) 778-3490
Fax: (866) 786-9811
Email: lmulherin(at)livedrugfree.org  or sdavis(at)livedrugfree.org