INSTRUCTIONS: The objective of this exercise is to give supervisors the opportunity to familiarize themselves with, and to practice techniques on, approaching an employee who may be a candidate for a reasonable suspicion drug and/or alcohol test. The most appropriate approach is one that minimizes the potential for conflict while still being respectful of the employee’s right to privacy and confidentiality.
Use the checklist provided to identify the actions taken in each scenario presented below, and then indicate whether that action was taken correctly or incorrectly. The instructor may then ask class participants to role-play and act out each scenario in a manner in which they would have handled the situation, correcting any “faux pas” made.
| | INTERVIEW CHECKLIST | | |
| | IDENTIFY THE ACTIONS TAKEN IN EACH SCENARIO | Was the action? |
| | (More than one may apply) | VALID | INVALID |
SCENARIO 1 | c Be confident, diplomatic, polite, and respectfully mindful of the dignity and confidentiality of the employee. | | |
| | c Give the employee an opportunity to describe and explain the events from their perspective. Expect denial. | | |
| | c Waiver from your referral determination. | | |
| | c Recommend strongly that you accompany the employee to the collection site. | | |
| | c Inform the employee that they are being removed from their safety-sensitive position. | | |
| | c Be accusatory, judgmental, or condescending. | | |
| | c Diagnose the employee’s problem/behavior. | | |
| | c Allow the individual to show up for a test on their own. | | |
| | INTERVIEW CHECKLIST | | |
| | IDENTIFY THE ACTIONS TAKEN IN EACH SCENARIO | Was the action? |
| | (More than one may apply) | VALID | INVALID |
SCENARIO 2 | c Be confident, diplomatic, polite, and respectfully mindful of the dignity and confidentiality of the employee. | | |
| | c Give the employee an opportunity to describe and explain the events from their perspective. Expect denial. | | |
| | c Waiver from your referral determination. | | |
| | c Recommend strongly that you accompany the employee to the collection test site. | | |
| | c Inform the employee that they are being removed from their safety-sensitive position. | | |
| | c Be accusatory, judgmental, or condescending. | | |
| | c Diagnose the employee’s problem/behavior. | | |
| | c Allow the individual to show up for a test on their own. | | |
SCENARIO 3 | c Be confident, diplomatic, polite, and respectfully mindful of the dignity and confidentiality of the employee. | | |
| | c Recommend strongly that you accompany the employee to the collection test site. | | |
| | c Give the employee an opportunity to describe and explain the events from their perspective. Expect denial. | | |
| | c Waiver from your referral determination. | | |
| | c Inform the employee that they are being removed from their safety-sensitive position. | | |
| | c Be accusatory, judgmental, or condescending. | | |
| | c Diagnose the employee’s problem/behavior. | | |
| | c Allow the individual to show up for a test on their own. | | |
SCENARIO 1
You, the supervisor have observed a bus driver on a bus while in service blowing smoke out of the driver’s window. At the stop, you board the bus and smell the odor of marijuana. With passengers still on board, you immediately confront the driver and accuse him/her of smoking an illegal substance while on the job. You ask the driver to leave the bus and return to the bus yard for the remainder of his/her shift. After arranging for a substitute driver to take over the remainder of the route, you return to the bus yard and call the driver into your office where you advise him/her that they are being referred for a reasonable suspicion test, and that they must accompany you immediately to the collection site for testing. Startled by the operator’s refusal to take the test, you inform them that their refusal is tantamount to a positive test result, and you are left with no choice but to remove them from driving detail and assign them to administrative duties until further notice. Upon hearing this, the operator suggests, and you readily agree to meet him/her at the test site first thing tomorrow morning.
SCENARIO 2
You, the supervisor, have walked into the busy locker area and observed (via the concave mirrors) a train operator placing a needle and a vial into his/her locker. You decide that a reasonable suspicion referral is warranted and without explanation, you ask the operator to accompany you to your office. You proceed to tell him/her of your observation, and also that you have heard through the office grapevine that he/she has been exhibiting signs which in your opinion, and based on personal experience, could be diagnosed as manic depression. You begin to ask the employee specific questions, the answers to which would either support or refute your assessment. You believe the employee’s explanations and justifications to be honest and rational. Against your better judgment, but given that you have no tangible evidence, you end your discussion with a simple warning, and recommend treatment centers in the metropolitan area where help is available.
SCENARIO 3
While on your way home from work one evening, you observe an off-duty mechanic purchasing a white powdery substance packaged in a Ziploc bag from a well-known drug dealer. The next day you notice that her pupils are dilated, and that she is having difficulty using a screwdriver while performing maintenance on a 40-foot bus. You approach her in the work bay and inform her that you are making a reasonable suspicion determination and that she should accompany you to the collection site. As you expected, she vehemently denies these allegations and states that unless you are able to prove that she is on drugs, you have no right to request that she accompanies you anywhere. In a calm manner you explain that you sincerely hope to be proven wrong and that if she is “clean”, then taking the test should not be a problem. She responds that you are in violation of her civil rights, throws down her tool belt and walks away. The following day, she reports to work still adamant about not taking the test, and threatens to take legal action against you and the company.
