If you run a business, one of the things you’ll want to maintain is a drug-free workplace. With this kind of environment, you get more efficient, productive work results, but you also provide a safe environment for your employees. This is a win-win situation for both management and labor as long as it’s done right.
One of the key people that can maintain this policy for you is a designated employer representative. But why is this such a crucial role?
A Full-Time Expert
Businesses that thrive do so because of specialization. A company that repairs plumbing, but also handles accounting for people is not going to do as well as a dedicated plumbing or financial service. In the same way, companies with internal specialists also do get better results. A company with an IT or finance expert attains better results than giving these responsibilities to someone with no experience.
The same is true for maintaining a drug-free workplace, which is where a designated employer representative or DER comes into the picture. Though the name may not indicate it, a DER is the “drug-free policy expert” for a company. This is the person that comes up with the policies for maintaining a drug-free workplace and ensures they are followed.
When Do You Need A DER?
A designated employer representative holds this title because this is the person that is the point of contact for other parties when it comes to all things drug test related. Part of maintaining a drug-free workplace is not just drawing up rules and hoping everyone will follow. There is a management and admin aspect to it, and the DER also handles this.
When it comes time to order a drug test, for example, a specimen collector will arrive at a workplace to create a collection site. The DER is the liaison that the specimen collector works with. When the samples go to a lab and are tested, it is the DER that the results go to first. And when it comes to hearing supervisor concerns about whether an employee is suspected of taking drugs, and may need testing, it is the DER that is authorized to manage this.
Professional Requirements
In some cases, a company may be legally required to have a Designated employer representative if the work they do falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation and its various agencies. If this is the case, then certified professional training should be acquired for people tapped for this position
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