Random drug test

lhill

How do you generate a list for random drug tests? Ours used to be done by the company that did the testing, but we switched providers and they won't generate the list. I can do it using an Excel formula, but does anyone have a better idea? We have around 100 employees, and I am going to test 10%. Also, if I do it myself do I need a witness when I run the list?

Linda

TN HR

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 06-02-05 AT 12:09PM (CST)[/font][br][br][font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 06-02-05 AT 12:07 PM (CST)[/font]

The best thing to do is to utilize a third party. This eliminates any question of improprieties, etc. The next best thing is to use a random number generator program based on all of your ssn's. I have a module in ABRA that does this for me. Here's a link to a company called Random Ware. They specialize in this sort of software: [url]www.randomware.com[/url]

I suppose that the last thing you could do would be perhaps the most rudimentary form of generating your random list and that would be to draw names out of a hat. This will not pass DOT muster. Make sure you have two members of management present.

Gene

EDIT:

Here are the guidelines for DOT tests:

49CFR382.305 Subpart (i) (Department of Transportation TITLE 49)

(i) The selection of drivers for random alcohol and controlled substances testing shall be made by a scientifically valid method, such as a random number table or a computer-based random number generator that is matched with drivers' Social Security numbers, payroll identification numbers, or other comparable identifying numbers. Under the selection process used, each driver shall have an equal chance of being tested each time selections are made.

dchr9203

Try
[url]http://www.randomizer.org/form.htm[/url]
I generate a list on Excel and sort randomly, then use this website to further random.

pork1

I concur with TN HR. Once a long time ago we used the out of the hat system. It worked for us and management was always a part of the hat drawing. Our employee relations committee recommended that a member of the work force be present. That was easy enough, we encouraged the work force to nominate someone each month, they did and that person was with the employee relations committee, and the issue went away, they were represented and that satisfied the work force for fairness. The random selection for all employees, as well as the Drivers, which was seperate, worked well until the name of the son of the owner was randomly selected and tested positive. The next day that son was no longer working at our location and was transferred to the lower Louisiana distribution plant and random selection within the labor force was discontinued for all but those required by DOT and W/C injury.

In my current company, we only random test drivers. These selections are accomplished by our insurance carrier; we are told who and when to have the test accomplished. We sent out the 3 selection referrals to the management team this morning and these will be accomplished within 24 hours of the individual notifications. Our drivers are in a pool of our drivers located in other states. Which makes our pool much larger, but we still get 2 to 4 selections for out group each month.

I recommend the insurance carrier to play a roll and do it, if you can, it sure gets your company at arms length distance from the action.

PORK

mushroomHR

Agree with TN HR. It's best that you don't do it yourself but if you must, definitely have management present. Our tests are done at the local hospital and they select the names for us using a random selection process.

safety

Try [url]www.random.org[/url]

szemcumo

We do NOT us SS# due to privacy etc. Don't want that # out there unnecessarily. I have a code # for each ee. Example:
SMITH, JOHN would be
SMI1234JO
I send the code name/# to our dr who then sends it to the lab that runs the tests. They put the codes in a computer that spits out the codes. The ees name is never given to the lab for selection therefore completely random in selection as they do not know the name of the ee.
The doctors office then calls me. I pick up the selections and match the codes to the actual name. This has worked great for us but you have to have a lab that can do this for you.

Balloonman1

Where I used to be I used a TI-85 calculator that had a random number generator feature. Would take the master list of employees, and number them, then put the range of random that many number, say 1 to 83 then select hit enter until you have the 3 or 4 randomly generated numbers...........
Did this with a witness who signed off on the form showing numbers picked etc etc.

THe Balloonman

PS Out of the hat works good..........and yes I have and you can manipulate the outcome. :-)

TN HR

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 06-02-05 AT 07:41PM (CST)[/font][br][br]Good point on not using ssn's.

lhill

Thanks for all the input. For this one I made an Excel spread sheet and numbered the employees 1 - 95. Then I used the formula to generate a list of 10 random numbers. A member of senior management witnessed and signed the list. I then took it to another member of management who checked the numbers against the employee list and signed off on it. Hopefully this will do us until we can get another third party to generate the list.

Linda

tfevergrn

If your payroll is out sourced, your payroll company may be able to do it for you. I know years ago ADP did ours and social security numbers were randomly selected.

JM in ATL

We once had a company meeting, which every employee was actually in attendance for.

I had a pretty box and asked all employees to write their names on a piece of paper and drop it in the box.

When the box came back to me I did a drawing. After I pulled the two winning names, they asked me what they had won.

My answer was: An all expense paid round trip... to the Drug Testing Center.

Luckily I had a staff that found that to be sooo darn funny that they didn't mind going.

WT

If you can stand one more post on the subject, Excel has a random number generator that generates numbers between zero and one. Thus, if you have 95 drivers use =INT(RAND()*95)+1. The int function yields integers while the random number generated times 95 drivers can produce an integer up to 94 (since the number will always be less than one. Adding one will give random numbers up to and including 95. When people are hired, leave, or perform another function, numbers on the list will change. Thus, an employee would probably not have the same number year to year.