Since March, it has become an offence to drive while over a specified limit of drug use. This is similar to the drink driving laws and means police no longer need to show an impairment to driving due to drugs, simply that the driver is over the limit. Employers should ensure that any drivers who use a vehicle for work purposes are aware of this change to the law, and understand its implications. The offence carries a mandatory disqualification from driving and a maximum of six months’ imprisonment. Such a controversial issue needs to be handled sensitively and many employers find it difficult to know what they can or should do when faced with an employee with a substance misuse problem.
W. Barry Nixon is the COO, PreemploymentDirectory.com the leading background screening information portal and online worldwide directory of professional background screening firms and Suppliers to the background screening industry. He co-authored the landmark book, Background Screening & Investigations: Managing Hiring Risk from the HR and Security Perspective. He also is the publisher of award winning newsletters, The Background Buzz and The Global Background Screener, and the author of the Background Checks column in PI Magazine.
In addition, Barry is a past recipient of the elite ‘Top 25 Influential People in Security’ by Security Magazine and past Co-Chair, International Committee for the National Association for Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS). He currently serves as a Global Ambassador for NAPBS.
You can contact Barry at 1-949-770-5264 or online at wbnixon@preemploymentdirectory.com