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#And given the overall discussion on the site about how to handle contingencies from what's happening over there
maeamian · 1 year
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Not sure I'm the exact right person for this oral history, but since the birdsite is imploding and advertisers might fucking try some shit over here it's a good time for all of us to remember everyone's favorite meme: "John C Miller, CEO and President of the Denny's Corporation, is a Capitalist Running Dog and his wealth must be seized and redistributed to the people”
Back in '16 or so, Denny's had a reasonably large presence on this site, from a non-artistic standpoint it's fair to say that whoever was running that blog did a pretty good job of keeping up to date on the current memes and staying relevant. Many of us, myself included, kinda just got used to them being here and let it happen, gave it little thought, maybe gave it a chuckle from time to time. At some point someone was like 'actually it sucks that a major corporation is trying to hang out with us and be our friend, they were, of course, absolutely right, and their genius response was to create a meme that they couldn't fucking coopt, hence "John C Miller, CEO and President of the Denny's Corporation, is a Capitalist Running Dog and his wealth must be seized and redistributed to the people" became the fun new thing.
"Coopt this you old so and so" was the idea and it worked pretty well, they did try it, but in a way that clearly was dancing around the central premise everyone knew they wouldn't be able to engage with. They stuck around for a little while longer, but it was clearly a major turning point in their ability to use this site to hang out with us, a good thing.
The point, as advertisers try to find new, less feral places to spend their advertising budgets, is that we don't have to just ignore them, that's a good start, but we can bite their fucking hands if they try it. We do not have to play nice with advertisers trying to be our friends, we can be feral.
Anyhow, I definitely am not positive I've gotten every detail right, so if there's any major corrections anyone needs to add, feel free, memedoccumentation had a post about it that helped me refresh my memory although my analysis of aspects differ from this point in history, as it were, but if you want to read up a bit more this is a solid starting point that has some fun examples
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writingsite12 · 3 years
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The Advantages of Great Substance Composing Administrations
Content composing administrations may be a colossal advantage for entrepreneur expecting they don't see exactly how or as of now have the opportunity to make extraordinary, intriguing substance to go with their web website. Organizations that give copywriting administrations can give the standard private company the making and reconsidering skill they should need to permit their locales and composed substance stand out. Through their talented gathering of essayists, copywriting organizations could be prepared to create content material that individuals would be anxious in perusing. The finish of the article by and large accompanies a sort of source of inspiration wherein the peruser is roused to check out alot more site pages or potentially to an item that the review is straightforwardly or in a roundabout way underwriting. This might seem as though the kind of administration that any promoting business might offer in any case, there is an unmistakable divergence if using composing subject matter experts. Coming up next are a few attributes that you could just find in the absolute best article composing offices. 
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Regarding the matter of creating article content for web sites, copywriting experts should consistently comprehend Google's each change. Google freely reports large amendments on their web crawler calculations to guarantee prevalent inquiry questions while changing their own directions to ensure remarkable website admins don't get influenced. Odds are good that they ought to positively realize the most ideal approach to assist with keeping the page positions cutthroat, notwithstanding what to stay away from to try not to encounter Google raise any kind of warnings. The great organizations know about the correct method to adjust to just as absorb these alterations as they emerge. 
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An effective website page ought to never be self-satisfied. Watchers may get exhausted sooner or later and in the end go to a really engaging page. A page lives on steady site guests and the more the webpage guests towards the site, the better. You'll have the option to for the most part accomplish higher guest volumes by adjusting to ongoing prevailing fashions according to your own substance. For instance, individuals don't utilize the term self-representation any longer, they regularly use "selfie". Article journalists should be aware of these new words just as a few other current news with the goal that a website page's allure may get more energetic perusers just as twenty to thirty year olds. 
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You might discover the need to enlist a marketing specialist given that your blog website looks a bit exhausting. All things being equal such requests can expand when you completely handle the benefits of article showcasing overall. With regards to distributing posts in different other sites including webpage web catalogs, an assortment of necessities should be noticed. Copywriting specialists appreciate how to utilize these sorts of generally utilized dissemination channels and they guarantee that what they compose follows the rules. Contingent upon a singular's independent venture and your internet based website, you may encounter a few advantages through determined kinds of articles including official statements or assessment pieces. Virtually completely qualified substance composing administrations will be ready to adjust and create content custom to your necessities with out nervousness or exhausting your wallet.
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moversdevelopment · 4 years
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The pros and cons of IT outsourcing for movers
Businesses need to constantly search for new ways to reduce their operational costs while improving their productivity and performance. Professional movers looking for new ways to establish an online presence need to look beyond simply advertising their moving company through various channels. Instead, you need to also consider the appeal of implementing technological innovation and software in your everyday efforts to generate leads and schedule moving jobs. In this article, we discuss the appeal of IT outsourcing for movers in comparison with having in-house IT support. Keep reading to learn more.
Pros of IT outsourcing for movers
What are the upsides of turning to third-party IT service providers
#1: External knowledge and experience
When you have an in-house IT team to support your website, you are limited to their own knowledge and experience. And this can cause delays when you encounter issues or obstacles that they have no past experience with. IT outsourcing can provide moving companies with a wider scope of solutions, and more experience when it comes to dealing with unexpected moving company website issues. After all, such companies tend to constantly invest in new ways to build and develop the performance of their website and other software that can make life easier for customers.
#2: Adaptable work schedule
Having an in-house team of web design specialists means fixed working hours and schedules, unless you want to waste additional resources on paying for overtime work, hiring additional staff, etc. Outsourcing your IT needs to a third-party agency can provide you with 24/7 availability and fast response to resolving the issues you come across. With modern consumerism and technological advancements, timing and responsiveness play a key role in maintaining authority and competitiveness in your industry.
#3: Security benefits
Given the knowledge and familiarity with on-going trends in the IT world, a strategic IT partner will be better apt to recommend the most adequate solutions for your moving business. They understand the current scope of offers when it comes to meeting user experience standards and ensuring the security of your website.
In-house IT teams are rarely able to maintain a 24/7 overwatch of your company assets for any potential threats or issues. And securing your website can prove crucial in building long-term trust with customers and avoiding any loss of moving leads to system glitches. All this will only result in increased productivity and revenue for your moving company due to the high performance of your website and other IT assets.
#4: Emergency response
IT issues can happen due to unplanned circumstances. Whether your SSL certificate expires, your hosting provider experiences issues or your website goes down, you need to have a contingency in place. More often than not, an in-house IT team won’t be able to act in the middle of the night, during the weekend, or on a national holiday. On the other hand, IT outsourcing removes such concerns because you will have a team that will be able to effectively respond to emergencies.
If not handled correctly, you risk losing hours of downtime and a lot of data, in addition to the devaluation of your website and drop in revenue. And if this should incur any legal issues, the financial penalties could set your business back a lot. Having a third-party team of IT specialists on stand-by can make sure that all your bases are covered, and reduce any afore-mentioned risks to a minimum.
#5: Predictable cost and billing
Although having an in-house team might seem predictable in terms of billing, the truth is that you need to manage it a lot more. Turnovers, vacations, sick-leave – all these are just some of the variables that can influence the expenses of having an in-house team. Additionally, in-house IT teams are more focused on maintaining current systems and operations than working on upgrading them through proactive solutions. IT outsourcing brings moving companies a chance to get a professional consultation with experienced IT agencies that can offer tailored solutions. And in most cases, it comes down to a fixed subscription plan or a billing-per-user type of system.
#6: IT outsourcing CAN lower operational costs
Having an in-house IT team with monthly salaries is challenging enough. When you add to that the expenses of training, health insurance, employment taxes, it all adds up in time. With IT outsourcing, movers can completely eliminate these additional expenses from the equation. With a monthly, quarterly, or annual subscription plan, you don’t need to worry about salaries.
Investing in your IT department is certainly a smart business plan for movers, but it is also something you should approach strategically. Choosing a third-party IT agency can offer you the foundation for building your own in-house team later once your company becomes established and profitable enough to expand.
#7: Maintain singular role devotion within your company
It’s not uncommon for local and small companies to rely on one person to handle multiple roles, one of which involving IT support. As a result, functionality is spread wide and thin, resulting in loss of productivity. By outsourcing your IT needs or moving company SEO efforts, or any other function that you currently don’t have a specialist for, you can boost your overall performance. Additionally, it will put less stress on your employees, improving morale, and leaving more time to work on self-improvement and additional training.
Cons of IT outsourcing for movers
Even outsourcing IT has its downsides.
#1: Onboarding costs
Third-party companies have their own standards and requirements when taking on clients. Going to a professional marketing company and expecting to appear on local search results without having done any on-page or off-page optimization in the past won’t happen as easily. They will insist on redesigning your website, optimizing it, creating a GMB account for your moving company, investing in keyword research, link building, content creation, etc.
The same applies when it comes to IT agencies. If you have outdated moving company software and equipment, they will certainly insist on changing that. That initial onboarding process to match the standards that the IT company uses might end up costing you. However, considering that you would’ve been forced to go about doing that makeover sooner or later, it is not something that would make much of a difference. In fact, it will only speed up your moving company development process.
#2: Unsatisfactory service providers
IT outsourcing for movers doesn’t carry with it a guarantee of success and profit. A lot will depend on your choice of IT service providers. After all, the tech industry is a highly competitive one, with countless companies that offer their services, good or bad. That is why you need to take all the precautions necessary to avoid low-quality of fraudulent IT support:
Do your homework and research dozens of companies.
Go through the reviews and testimonials for that company.
Schedule a consultation or request an audit of your website before making your decision.
Discuss the terms of hiring that specific IT company
Make sure to draw up a contract, where all the expectations and terms are clearly stated.
#3: Shared support
Having an in-house IT person right across the hall might be more convenient in terms of communicating urgent issues or requests, but it is not always effective. On the other hand, IT outsourcing for movers can bring a very organized approach to any potential issues with an established ticket system, which most IT support companies tend to use.
The issue here is the fact that you are not the only client, and tickets tend to be resolved bases on order and level of urgency. As a result, you might come across a delay in getting a resolution to your issue if it is a minor one and your IT service provider has a plethora of other requests from clients.
#4: Remote work
Local businesses or smaller businesses tend to be more comfortable with a hands-on approach to tasks. Therefore, having to rely on a remote IT service provider can be a difficult adjustment for companies. However, with the ever-growing tech advancements today, remote working condition can deliver the same level of quality as on-site technicians.
Moving business growth & brand development is dependent on technology
IT outsourcing for movers is a cost-effective strategic decision that can help you save time and ensure a more proactive long-term productivity for your business. As a B2B business, Movers Development understands just how valuable an asset it can be to rely on other companies to help your moving business grow. Contact our team today to learn more about how outsourcing certain activities can help your online presence.
The post The pros and cons of IT outsourcing for movers appeared first on Movers Development.
from The pros and cons of IT outsourcing for movers
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drugtests0 · 6 years
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Drug Addiction Impact, Testing and its Solution in the Workplace
Drug addiction is a very complex disease and drugs even change the brain in ways that make quitting hard, even for those who want to.
 Drug addiction also affects employers and according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), more than 70 percent of people with a substance use disorder maintain employment in some form, which means that employers are being impacted by this disease and its consequences.
Depending on the state law and company policy, employers may do drug testing either prior to making a job offer or as a contingency for an offer. Employees may be tested for drugs or alcohol in the workplace, where permitted by state law.
In this post, we will discuss all the impacts of substance abuse and addiction which happens in any workplace, costs of drug testing and what to do after an employee tests positive for a drug test.
 The Impact of Substance Abuse and Addiction in the Workplace
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  People often think that people with substance abuse or addiction issues are outliers, people who live in squalor and who cannot keep a steady job. But the reality is that the majority of people struggling with addictions hold down full time jobs, just like you and me.
We tend to think that identifying people with drug or alcohol problems is easy, but many successfully hide their afflictions from family members and employers. However, if you suspect that one of your employees may have an issue, there are some things you can look for.
How to Identify an at Risk Employee
Keep in mind that addiction is a condition that requires treatment, and we should be mindful of how we approach an employee we think is dealing with a substance abuse problem. You want to do all you can to confirm your suspicions and be aware of the following warning signs.
Has the quality of the employees work diminished, are they late in completing assignments, or do they appear distant or withdrawn
Do they seem anxious, and do they struggle with concentrating on their work
Are they gone for long periods of time, or do they take long lunches or break
Does the employee react harshly or with aggression when given feedback
Is there a noticeable change in their appearance or hygiene
 Potential Impact of an Impaired Employee
An employee that is dealing with a substance abuse issue can have an impact on the quality of work, and even on other employees. This can present both a financial and human resources situation that may have a significant impact on your employees.
Impaired employees are at a higher risk for both workplace accidents and violence. Employees that come into workplace high, or drunk, can make your other employees uncomfortable or even fearful of the person depending on the level of inebriation.
Left unmanaged these employees can damage your reputation and even result in unwanted legal consequences.
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  Overall Cost of Addiction or Substance Abuse in the Workplace
According to the NCADD (National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence) 70% percent of the estimate 14.8 million Americans who use illegal drugs are employed, additionally the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) estimates that $120 billion dollars is lost to productivity, and an addition $11 billion is spent on healthcare costs.
Dealing with employees who are dealing with a drug or alcohol addiction present risk in a variety of areas, but the financial impact of lost productivity and higher absenteeism can have place a significant burden on your company and cause stress for not only you, but also for your employees.
What can you do?
If you do not have a current substance abuse management or prevention policy in place, that would be the first place that you should start. It is important that you have a clear policy that outlines the consequences for substance abuse in the workplace.
You will also want to incorporate a drug testing option in your policy. Whether you want to take the employee to a lab, or collect a sample in house, you want to make clear that you do not, and will not tolerate substance abuse.
A strong policy will make it clear to your employees that you take their safety and security seriously, it will also ensure that should you encounter an employee under the influence you have a rock solid plan for how to deal with. Regardless of the size of your organization, a comprehensive policy will save you money and time.
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 One other thing that you can do to support your employees is to add an addiction treatment option to your benefits package. Many people dealing with an addiction are great people who have just found themselves in a bad place due events in their lives that they aren’t able to handle.
It is important to show people who are struggling a path to recovery. Many people who go through a recovery program can return to their workplaces as hard working dedicated employees who are grateful for the help they were given. By adding a recovery option you may not only save a valuable employee, you may also save a life.
Okay, so your business has assessed the pros and cons of drug testing for employees, and it has been given the green light by your executive team. Now what? Let’s see what will be the costs of drug testing.
 Have You Weighed the Costs of Drug Testing Lately?
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 Your accounting gurus have determined that paying for a drug-testing service can save money in the long run by minimizing accidents, injuries, and product loss or damage, not to mention customer-relations foibles.
By implementing drug testing, your business can also qualify for incentives, if not reductions in rates, when it comes to Workers’ Compensation and insurance premiums.
It all sounds too good to be true. But, wait!
What type of drug testing is best?
What kind of drug testing do you actually need?
And, how much do the various methods cost?
 These are all great questions. It would be easy to say that the cost of one method of drug testing compared to another is a lot like buying anything else — you get what you pay for. However, this is only slightly the case because each business’s needs differ.
What a business will pay for a drug-testing service depends on the type of test conducted (e.g., blood, urine, saliva, hair).  There are basically two ways to administer a test and receive results: off-site and on-site.
 The type of test most suitable for your business depends on a host of conditions:
How much do you have budgeted for drug testing?
How fast do your results need to be ascertained?
Does your business intend to conduct random drug testing?
Do you prefer an on-site or off-site process?
 Saliva tests. Businesses that experience a high employee turnover, such as grocery stores or restaurants, probably want a drug testing method with a short turnaround, such as the saliva or swab method of testing.
Because saliva samples can be collected in less than 10 minutes and the results are returned within the same day, it is quite appealing to a grocer or other business that hires a lot of young, seasonal employees or people who will be working with or around mechanical devices and vehicles.
After training and equipment facilitation, provided by the employer’s chosen testing provider, the mouth swab or saliva method usually runs from $1 to $10 per employee. It is completely administered and processed on-site, which is an attractive feature of this test.
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 Urine tests. These are most suitable for determining drug use as opposed to alcohol use, but they are very reliable if the person tested does not find a way to fake or falsify their sample. Because the person tested must urinate in private, he or she can use a substitute sample from someone who doesn’t use drugs or can dilute their own urine to circumvent detection.
Urine testing, which can be administered on-site, is one of the least costly of all methods, coming in at anywhere from $3 to $50 per test.
Blood tests. This method reveals the amount of alcohol or drugs in the blood at the time of the test. The window is a short one, since drugs are quickly cleared from the blood and deposited into the urinary tract.
Because blood tests are considered the most reliable in court cases, it is the method used when an incident results in serious injury or death. It is otherwise unpopular among employers because of its instantaneous window and expense.
Blood tests are the most expensive to administer, usually around $120-$150 per test, and must be processed off-site.
Hair tests. These are the most accurate and dependable tests because they cover the widest window of usage, but only in the case of drugs. They cannot be used to detect alcohol use. It is the least invasive form of drug testing regarding privacy concerns, but its results take longer to arrive than other testing methods; indeed, sometimes over a month. Hair test costs are comparable to blood tests—ranging up to about $105-$125 per test.
According to the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM), employers on average pay anywhere from $30 to $50 per drug test, including the acquisition of the needed equipment. Given this general rate, drug tests prove extremely cost-efficient for most businesses when considering the potential costs of product damage or an accidental injury on the workplace floor, especially regarding litigation and insurance premiums.
Weighing the cost of drug testing in your specific field is a must, and in most cases, many companies cannot afford not to test.
But now the question is, what to do if your employee gets a positive result after a drug test. Let’s see the procedures for helping your employees through addiction.
What To Do After An Employee Tests Positive for a Drug Test
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 Drug testing days are an exciting time as potential hires and returning employees anxiously await their turns to test, and anticipate the results. Even if someone is not on drugs, drug testing still causes an air of nervousness, since some common cold and sinus medicines, vitamin supplements, and foods can cause a false positive result on an instant drug test.
How do you know if the drug test is a false positive? Sometimes a second test provides the added assurance, but sometimes there is no easy answer, and further investigation is required. It is necessary to notify the employee of the results of their drug test, regardless of the result.
Notifying an employee of a positive drug test result is something that must be done in a uniform manner according to your company’s written policies and procedures.
The Importance of Policies and Procedures
Having these policies and procedures in place for handling both positive and negative results are an important part of having a successful drug-free workplace.
In the event that you are faced with a positive result in a drug test, helping your employees navigate through the company’s procedures to treat illicit drug use or addiction, and getting them help they need it (if they accept the help) must take place in a way that is legal, humane, respectful, and in many cases allowing for the employee to return to the workplace once rehabilitation is complete.
Here are some guidelines for handling positive results for a drug test. Your state may have certain laws and guidelines concerning drug testing in the workplace.
For instance, it is illegal in some states to discharge an employee for their first offense by failing a drug test. Implementing statewide policies along with what your company values will help these procedures run smoothly for both testing administrators and those being tested.
 The Likelihood of False Positives
No one looks forward to delivering or receiving the news of a positive drug test. The good news is YES – sometimes these results are explainable for those who are not on drugs. Some cold medications, foods, and even vitamin supplements contain traces of the very same substances found in illegal drugs.
Common cold and sinus medications, for example, contain traces of the same ingredients found in methamphetamines.
Poppy seeds, while a wonderful addition to muffins, scones, and bagels, can cause testers to test positive for traces of opiates. Foods and supplements containing high levels of riboflavin may find a positive testing result for marijuana, since many of these riboflavin-rich foods use hemp oil, which registers on a drug test for traces of THC.
How can someone who is NOT on drugs avoid losing their job due to a false positive result? By notifying testers upfront about any and all medications, prescriptions, or potentially questionable foods you’ve had in the past 30 days. Providing this information upfront will allow the testing administrator to confirm that whichever traces do appear will be accounted for without question.
Notifying the employee
Consulting a lawyer is a good idea if your company is relatively new to company-wide drug testing. Having the layer review your policies and advise you on what actions to take (since laws change over time) will ensure you are properly adhering to your state’s laws regarding the handling of drug tests, employee terminations, and probational rights.
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 If you find yourself in the position of having a positive result, even after testing twice, you will need to notify your employee(s) immediately and remove them from the work area if they are currently at work.
You can anticipate that the employees who are using drugs will likely have an explanation (excuse) as to why the results came back as they did.
Ask the employee first if there are any medical explanations. Sometimes employees are taking prescribed medications that are within reason if your employee can present the prescription.
Listen and carefully write down the feedback you receive. If a faulty test is to blame (this is why you should test twice for best results), it is very important to record as much as possible to demonstrate how the results of the test were handled.
Sometimes a person takes a cold or sinus medication without knowing that they will in turn create traces of substances on a drug test similar to methamphetamines. It’s important that test administrators are aware of these common trace elements that influence testing as well, so that responses can be easily validated.
For example, if an employee tests positive for THC, and they claim that a poppy seed muffin was the culprit, a savvy testing administrator will know that this excuse is not a valid excuse, since poppy seeds are known to produce traces of opiates, not THC. Proper training of testing administrators is the key to making such assertions.
If you didn’t happen to do two tests the first time around, and you see a positive result, now is an ideal time to retest before notifying the employee, preferably with the very same specimen.
It is NOT advisable to allow the employee to be tested on a completely new sample or at a later date, as allowing notification and time between a retest could give the employee an opportunity to get their hands on an adulterant or other means of manipulating the next drug test taken.
Offering Employees a Chance to Come Clean
Once you notify the employee of their test results, and all other external factors have been ruled out, your company might then provide the employee with a document explaining their options as a result of testing positive, and some possible next steps to take.
It is possible that your employee may choose to abandon their job. However, if given the chance to get help and resume working when they are rehabilitated, many employees appreciate the opportunity to keep their job, and are willing to seek counseling for their drug problem.
Some employees may challenge the results of their tests. When such cases arise, the employee can have another test done at a laboratory at their own expense, using the original specimen. Time is of the essence in such cases, which is why having quick turnaround on testing result is such a benefit.  
Perhaps the most important factor in handling drug tests results is the way in which procedures are followed. The procedures for handling a positive drug test result should remain absolutely consistent for each and every employee, regardless of their position, length of time with the company, performance, or closeness to fellow employees.
When writing your company’s substance abuse policy, options for getting your employee help, in addition to offering resources throughout the year, are a great way to spread the awareness about resources that employees could take advantage of before a test date.
If termination is not the immediate course of action to take after a positive result (and some states prohibit immediate termination for an employee’s first offense, so be sure to review laws carefully before writing your substance abuse policy), then refer the employee to the assistance programs in place.
Having these employee assistance programs in place in advance of testing dates will prevent your company from losing an otherwise good employee due to a drug problem. Investing in an employee’s well-being and health makes for a more supportive work environment.
A typical course of action is to first remove the employee from the working conditions, for the safety of both the employee and fellow employees. If the employee accepts the company’s policies regarding probation and rehabilitation procedures, a probationary period can be initiated, during which time the employee is required to get help whether by visiting a rehabilitation program, or by obtaining professional support from a counselor to work through their reasons for taking drugs.
When the employee returns to work
Upon completing on the required probationary period and rehabilitation process, an employee should once again be tested before returning to work. In instances where companies partner with agencies that provide these rehabilitation services, and such companies will notify employers when the employee is able to return to work.
When the employee returns, it is cause for celebration, since overcoming a drug problem or addiction can be a big challenge. Perhaps your company has a support group for employees who have overcome addiction, where the employee can feel supported at work.
The employee should be able to resume their regular job duties. If your employee’s position within the company is particularly stressful, perhaps adding wellness programs into your company will help them and other employees manage their stress levels, thereby preventing an energetic meltdown. Many companies now offer breaks for circuit training, yoga, mediation, or other activities which give employees time to unwind and recharge in order to manage the mental demands of their workload. These programs have shown to increase employee well-being, encourage health, and productivity at work.
Avoiding Positive Test Results and Saving Time
The best way to avoid getting a positive drug test result in the first place is to make your “No Tolerance” or Substance Abuse Policy crystal clear to every one of your applicants and employees.
Notifying potential hires upfront, and having them sign an acknowledgement that your company conducts drug testing will dissuade those who use drugs from applying, and will save your company the cost of having positive results and lost time in the hiring process.
For existing employees, positive encouragement by developing wellness programs or organizing a wellness committee is a wise step toward preventative care. Having a company full of employees who feel valued and supported improves your workplace culture, and leads to a safer workplace for everyone.
from https://drugtestsinbulk.com/blog/drug-testing-impact-in-workplace/ from http://drugtestsinbulk0.blogspot.com/2018/04/drug-addiction-impact-testing-and-its.html from http://salivadrugtest0.blogspot.com/2018/04/drug-addiction-impact-testing-and-its.html
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oraldrugtest · 6 years
Text
Drug Addiction Impact, Testing and its Solution in the Workplace
Drug addiction is a very complex disease and drugs even change the brain in ways that make quitting hard, even for those who want to.
  Drug addiction also affects employers and according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), more than 70 percent of people with a substance use disorder maintain employment in some form, which means that employers are being impacted by this disease and its consequences.
Depending on the state law and company policy, employers may do drug testing either prior to making a job offer or as a contingency for an offer. Employees may be tested for drugs or alcohol in the workplace, where permitted by state law.
In this post, we will discuss all the impacts of substance abuse and addiction which happens in any workplace, costs of drug testing and what to do after an employee tests positive for a drug test.
  The Impact of Substance Abuse and Addiction in the Workplace
Tumblr media
    People often think that people with substance abuse or addiction issues are outliers, people who live in squalor and who cannot keep a steady job. But the reality is that the majority of people struggling with addictions hold down full time jobs, just like you and me.
We tend to think that identifying people with drug or alcohol problems is easy, but many successfully hide their afflictions from family members and employers. However, if you suspect that one of your employees may have an issue, there are some things you can look for.
How to Identify an at Risk Employee
Keep in mind that addiction is a condition that requires treatment, and we should be mindful of how we approach an employee we think is dealing with a substance abuse problem. You want to do all you can to confirm your suspicions and be aware of the following warning signs.
Has the quality of the employees work diminished, are they late in completing assignments, or do they appear distant or withdrawn
Do they seem anxious, and do they struggle with concentrating on their work
Are they gone for long periods of time, or do they take long lunches or break
Does the employee react harshly or with aggression when given feedback
Is there a noticeable change in their appearance or hygiene
  Potential Impact of an Impaired Employee
An employee that is dealing with a substance abuse issue can have an impact on the quality of work, and even on other employees. This can present both a financial and human resources situation that may have a significant impact on your employees.
Impaired employees are at a higher risk for both workplace accidents and violence. Employees that come into workplace high, or drunk, can make your other employees uncomfortable or even fearful of the person depending on the level of inebriation.
Left unmanaged these employees can damage your reputation and even result in unwanted legal consequences.
Tumblr media
    Overall Cost of Addiction or Substance Abuse in the Workplace
According to the NCADD (National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence) 70% percent of the estimate 14.8 million Americans who use illegal drugs are employed, additionally the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) estimates that $120 billion dollars is lost to productivity, and an addition $11 billion is spent on healthcare costs.
Dealing with employees who are dealing with a drug or alcohol addiction present risk in a variety of areas, but the financial impact of lost productivity and higher absenteeism can have place a significant burden on your company and cause stress for not only you, but also for your employees.
What can you do?
If you do not have a current substance abuse management or prevention policy in place, that would be the first place that you should start. It is important that you have a clear policy that outlines the consequences for substance abuse in the workplace.
You will also want to incorporate a drug testing option in your policy. Whether you want to take the employee to a lab, or collect a sample in house, you want to make clear that you do not, and will not tolerate substance abuse.
A strong policy will make it clear to your employees that you take their safety and security seriously, it will also ensure that should you encounter an employee under the influence you have a rock solid plan for how to deal with. Regardless of the size of your organization, a comprehensive policy will save you money and time.
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  One other thing that you can do to support your employees is to add an addiction treatment option to your benefits package. Many people dealing with an addiction are great people who have just found themselves in a bad place due events in their lives that they aren’t able to handle.
It is important to show people who are struggling a path to recovery. Many people who go through a recovery program can return to their workplaces as hard working dedicated employees who are grateful for the help they were given. By adding a recovery option you may not only save a valuable employee, you may also save a life.
Okay, so your business has assessed the pros and cons of drug testing for employees, and it has been given the green light by your executive team. Now what? Let’s see what will be the costs of drug testing.
  Have You Weighed the Costs of Drug Testing Lately?
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  Your accounting gurus have determined that paying for a drug-testing service can save money in the long run by minimizing accidents, injuries, and product loss or damage, not to mention customer-relations foibles.
By implementing drug testing, your business can also qualify for incentives, if not reductions in rates, when it comes to Workers’ Compensation and insurance premiums.
It all sounds too good to be true. But, wait!
What type of drug testing is best?
What kind of drug testing do you actually need?
And, how much do the various methods cost?
  These are all great questions. It would be easy to say that the cost of one method of drug testing compared to another is a lot like buying anything else — you get what you pay for. However, this is only slightly the case because each business’s needs differ.
What a business will pay for a drug-testing service depends on the type of test conducted (e.g., blood, urine, saliva, hair).  There are basically two ways to administer a test and receive results: off-site and on-site.
  The type of test most suitable for your business depends on a host of conditions:
How much do you have budgeted for drug testing?
How fast do your results need to be ascertained?
Does your business intend to conduct random drug testing?
Do you prefer an on-site or off-site process?
  Saliva tests. Businesses that experience a high employee turnover, such as grocery stores or restaurants, probably want a drug testing method with a short turnaround, such as the saliva or swab method of testing.
Because saliva samples can be collected in less than 10 minutes and the results are returned within the same day, it is quite appealing to a grocer or other business that hires a lot of young, seasonal employees or people who will be working with or around mechanical devices and vehicles.
After training and equipment facilitation, provided by the employer’s chosen testing provider, the mouth swab or saliva method usually runs from $1 to $10 per employee. It is completely administered and processed on-site, which is an attractive feature of this test.
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  Urine tests. These are most suitable for determining drug use as opposed to alcohol use, but they are very reliable if the person tested does not find a way to fake or falsify their sample. Because the person tested must urinate in private, he or she can use a substitute sample from someone who doesn’t use drugs or can dilute their own urine to circumvent detection.
Urine testing, which can be administered on-site, is one of the least costly of all methods, coming in at anywhere from $3 to $50 per test.
Blood tests. This method reveals the amount of alcohol or drugs in the blood at the time of the test. The window is a short one, since drugs are quickly cleared from the blood and deposited into the urinary tract.
Because blood tests are considered the most reliable in court cases, it is the method used when an incident results in serious injury or death. It is otherwise unpopular among employers because of its instantaneous window and expense.
Blood tests are the most expensive to administer, usually around $120-$150 per test, and must be processed off-site.
Hair tests. These are the most accurate and dependable tests because they cover the widest window of usage, but only in the case of drugs. They cannot be used to detect alcohol use. It is the least invasive form of drug testing regarding privacy concerns, but its results take longer to arrive than other testing methods; indeed, sometimes over a month. Hair test costs are comparable to blood tests—ranging up to about $105-$125 per test.
According to the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM), employers on average pay anywhere from $30 to $50 per drug test, including the acquisition of the needed equipment. Given this general rate, drug tests prove extremely cost-efficient for most businesses when considering the potential costs of product damage or an accidental injury on the workplace floor, especially regarding litigation and insurance premiums.
Weighing the cost of drug testing in your specific field is a must, and in most cases, many companies cannot afford not to test.
But now the question is, what to do if your employee gets a positive result after a drug test. Let’s see the procedures for helping your employees through addiction.
What To Do After An Employee Tests Positive for a Drug Test
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  Drug testing days are an exciting time as potential hires and returning employees anxiously await their turns to test, and anticipate the results. Even if someone is not on drugs, drug testing still causes an air of nervousness, since some common cold and sinus medicines, vitamin supplements, and foods can cause a false positive result on an instant drug test.
How do you know if the drug test is a false positive? Sometimes a second test provides the added assurance, but sometimes there is no easy answer, and further investigation is required. It is necessary to notify the employee of the results of their drug test, regardless of the result.
Notifying an employee of a positive drug test result is something that must be done in a uniform manner according to your company’s written policies and procedures.
The Importance of Policies and Procedures
Having these policies and procedures in place for handling both positive and negative results are an important part of having a successful drug-free workplace.
In the event that you are faced with a positive result in a drug test, helping your employees navigate through the company’s procedures to treat illicit drug use or addiction, and getting them help they need it (if they accept the help) must take place in a way that is legal, humane, respectful, and in many cases allowing for the employee to return to the workplace once rehabilitation is complete.
Here are some guidelines for handling positive results for a drug test. Your state may have certain laws and guidelines concerning drug testing in the workplace.
For instance, it is illegal in some states to discharge an employee for their first offense by failing a drug test. Implementing statewide policies along with what your company values will help these procedures run smoothly for both testing administrators and those being tested.
  The Likelihood of False Positives
No one looks forward to delivering or receiving the news of a positive drug test. The good news is YES – sometimes these results are explainable for those who are not on drugs. Some cold medications, foods, and even vitamin supplements contain traces of the very same substances found in illegal drugs.
Common cold and sinus medications, for example, contain traces of the same ingredients found in methamphetamines.
Poppy seeds, while a wonderful addition to muffins, scones, and bagels, can cause testers to test positive for traces of opiates. Foods and supplements containing high levels of riboflavin may find a positive testing result for marijuana, since many of these riboflavin-rich foods use hemp oil, which registers on a drug test for traces of THC.
How can someone who is NOT on drugs avoid losing their job due to a false positive result? By notifying testers upfront about any and all medications, prescriptions, or potentially questionable foods you’ve had in the past 30 days. Providing this information upfront will allow the testing administrator to confirm that whichever traces do appear will be accounted for without question.
Notifying the employee
Consulting a lawyer is a good idea if your company is relatively new to company-wide drug testing. Having the layer review your policies and advise you on what actions to take (since laws change over time) will ensure you are properly adhering to your state’s laws regarding the handling of drug tests, employee terminations, and probational rights.
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  If you find yourself in the position of having a positive result, even after testing twice, you will need to notify your employee(s) immediately and remove them from the work area if they are currently at work.
You can anticipate that the employees who are using drugs will likely have an explanation (excuse) as to why the results came back as they did.
Ask the employee first if there are any medical explanations. Sometimes employees are taking prescribed medications that are within reason if your employee can present the prescription.
Listen and carefully write down the feedback you receive. If a faulty test is to blame (this is why you should test twice for best results), it is very important to record as much as possible to demonstrate how the results of the test were handled.
Sometimes a person takes a cold or sinus medication without knowing that they will in turn create traces of substances on a drug test similar to methamphetamines. It’s important that test administrators are aware of these common trace elements that influence testing as well, so that responses can be easily validated.
For example, if an employee tests positive for THC, and they claim that a poppy seed muffin was the culprit, a savvy testing administrator will know that this excuse is not a valid excuse, since poppy seeds are known to produce traces of opiates, not THC. Proper training of testing administrators is the key to making such assertions.
If you didn’t happen to do two tests the first time around, and you see a positive result, now is an ideal time to retest before notifying the employee, preferably with the very same specimen.
It is NOT advisable to allow the employee to be tested on a completely new sample or at a later date, as allowing notification and time between a retest could give the employee an opportunity to get their hands on an adulterant or other means of manipulating the next drug test taken.
Offering Employees a Chance to Come Clean
Once you notify the employee of their test results, and all other external factors have been ruled out, your company might then provide the employee with a document explaining their options as a result of testing positive, and some possible next steps to take.
It is possible that your employee may choose to abandon their job. However, if given the chance to get help and resume working when they are rehabilitated, many employees appreciate the opportunity to keep their job, and are willing to seek counseling for their drug problem.
Some employees may challenge the results of their tests. When such cases arise, the employee can have another test done at a laboratory at their own expense, using the original specimen. Time is of the essence in such cases, which is why having quick turnaround on testing result is such a benefit.  
Perhaps the most important factor in handling drug tests results is the way in which procedures are followed. The procedures for handling a positive drug test result should remain absolutely consistent for each and every employee, regardless of their position, length of time with the company, performance, or closeness to fellow employees.
When writing your company’s substance abuse policy, options for getting your employee help, in addition to offering resources throughout the year, are a great way to spread the awareness about resources that employees could take advantage of before a test date.
If termination is not the immediate course of action to take after a positive result (and some states prohibit immediate termination for an employee’s first offense, so be sure to review laws carefully before writing your substance abuse policy), then refer the employee to the assistance programs in place.
Having these employee assistance programs in place in advance of testing dates will prevent your company from losing an otherwise good employee due to a drug problem. Investing in an employee’s well-being and health makes for a more supportive work environment.
A typical course of action is to first remove the employee from the working conditions, for the safety of both the employee and fellow employees. If the employee accepts the company’s policies regarding probation and rehabilitation procedures, a probationary period can be initiated, during which time the employee is required to get help whether by visiting a rehabilitation program, or by obtaining professional support from a counselor to work through their reasons for taking drugs.
When the employee returns to work
Upon completing on the required probationary period and rehabilitation process, an employee should once again be tested before returning to work. In instances where companies partner with agencies that provide these rehabilitation services, and such companies will notify employers when the employee is able to return to work.
When the employee returns, it is cause for celebration, since overcoming a drug problem or addiction can be a big challenge. Perhaps your company has a support group for employees who have overcome addiction, where the employee can feel supported at work.
The employee should be able to resume their regular job duties. If your employee’s position within the company is particularly stressful, perhaps adding wellness programs into your company will help them and other employees manage their stress levels, thereby preventing an energetic meltdown. Many companies now offer breaks for circuit training, yoga, mediation, or other activities which give employees time to unwind and recharge in order to manage the mental demands of their workload. These programs have shown to increase employee well-being, encourage health, and productivity at work.
Avoiding Positive Test Results and Saving Time
The best way to avoid getting a positive drug test result in the first place is to make your “No Tolerance” or Substance Abuse Policy crystal clear to every one of your applicants and employees.
Notifying potential hires upfront, and having them sign an acknowledgement that your company conducts drug testing will dissuade those who use drugs from applying, and will save your company the cost of having positive results and lost time in the hiring process.
For existing employees, positive encouragement by developing wellness programs or organizing a wellness committee is a wise step toward preventative care. Having a company full of employees who feel valued and supported improves your workplace culture, and leads to a safer workplace for everyone.
From https://drugtestsinbulk.com/blog/drug-testing-impact-in-workplace/
from https://drugtestsinbulk0.wordpress.com/2018/04/16/drug-addiction-impact-testing-and-its-solution-in-the-workplace/
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king2min · 7 years
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The name says it but: A very clever A Very Cleverina
A Very Cleverina, an undergraduate student who’s constantly sharing her knowledge through public speaking.
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Aditya Very Cleverina in Geneva, Switzerland (pic instagram.com/avcleverina)
As a young girl growing up in the city of Kretek, Kudus, Central java, Aditya Very Cleverina was clueless of what she would be in the future. In the early age of her life, her parents had introduced her to many forms of talents. She had dreamed to be a model ever since joined beauty pageant in the elementary school. Later when she was in High School, she believed having a future plan in being doctor was the best scenario that would happen in her life. She was also stung by sudden thought of being a Make-Up Artist as her future career. However, all those dreams were dashed and hadn’t stayed long.
Turns out, a 22 years old Very, as she is affectionately called, is an active public speaker who has given a lot of influences around her surroundings.
Her passion toward public speaking started when she was joining storytelling extracurricular in junior high school.
“My turning point started in junior high school, storytelling gave me a room to improve my ability in speaking and sharing my story to others,” she explained.  Since then, she has been actively speaking in public in many occasions.
Now, very is currently struggling for her final year of college, majoring International Relationship at Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS), Solo. Despite her busy schedule of her college activities, she is respectively being invited to be keynote speaker in seminars, public discourses, and many other events.
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Aditya Very Cleverina when Intership at Kemenlu (pic ask.fm/avcleverina)
 Passionate Public Speaker
Public speaking has always been her favorite thing. Since the early of her age, Very has habituated herself to speak English a lot. Among four skills of learning English; reading, writing, listening and speaking. She found that her ability in speaking is more prominent than other activities. She also believes that other soft skills like communication, working with team, etc, are great. But public speaking is most of her favorite.
“Public Speaking is something I passionate about since junior high school. It gives me feasibility on imagining something when I share through story. I like it when I could understand people perspectives and public speaking really help me to gain that energy,” she said.
It was through her loyal dedication and huge efforts to be a public speaker. And just like in most public speaking books offer a piece of advice, she always practices her speech in front of a mirror.
In her spare times, she enjoys watching videos from TED Talks and gets inspired by the influential speakers in the field of Technology, Entertainment, and Design (TED). One of her favorite role model is Riko Anggara from Kompas TV.
There is no result deceiving effort. Very admits that her experiences and abilities speaking in public have pretty much helping her to pass the selection of Student Exchange Scholarships, Beswan Djarum 2015/2016, XL Future Leaders, MAWAPRES 3 and also International Model United Nation (MUN).
 In 2011, when she was sitting in high school, she experienced one year living as KLYES (Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange Student) student exchange in Alaska, US. In the beginning of 2014, she also applied to AISEC winter exchange and was experiencing six weeks of teaching and volunteering in Prachinburri, Thailand.
Her active participation in AISEC was then led her to be the President of AISEC Universitas Sebelas Maret 2015/2016.
In her sophomore year, she was also an active member of Student English Forum (SEF) UNS participating in English Debate Society. She had joined several debate competitions in regional and national level like Porsimaptar, ALSA UGM 2014, NUDC national in Batam 2014. She had attained several achievements in debating career, becoming breaking adjudicator of NUDC is one of them.
 As an established public speaker, Very has emerged to be Master of Ceremony (MC). Ever since she becomes an MC, she radiates her confidence when she speaks, engages and communicates with vast audience. One of the prestigious events she has handled is MC-ing National Building Djarum 2016.
Since she always gets excited when speaking in front of the crowd, Very believes there is no such thing that becoming the main challenge in public speaking. One thing that is becoming her obstacle is adjusting her speaking’s schedule and college stuff.
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When she was being a single MC handling an International Conference held by FEB UNS (Pic instagram.com/avcleverina)
The story behind A Very Cleverina
Aditya Very Cleverina was born when the sun was shining brightly on the fourth of May, 1994. That’s the reason why her mother put Aditya as the beginning of her name. In Sanskrit, “Aditya” literally means the Sun (surya/matahari). Meanwhile the middle name “Very” and surname “Cleverina” were inherently adapted from the words “Very” and “Clever” in English. The beautiful name was given from her mother, which is an English teacher of public high school in Kudus. She wished her to be an individual who contributes for her knowledge in the future.
 Having the Aditya between her original names often make people confuses her as a male. People who just get to know her would eventually call her as “Sir”, “Mas”, or even “Masbro” due to the typical male name she has.
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Visiting Basilica S. Pietro, Vatican City – Rome, Italy (pic instgram.com/avcleverina)
“Above all, am so grateful and happy to have this name. Truly, it’s not a curse, but a bless. It just easy to be memorized by others as well” she captioned a picture on her instagram account (avcleverina).
 First time MUN, RomeMUN 2017
The 8th Rome Model United Nation (RomeMUN) 2017 is the very first Model United Nation (MUN) which Very participated in during the past four years of her study in International Relations. Through International Exposure program sponsored by Djarum Foundation, she managed to pass the internal selection conducted in 2016. Out of 522 participants, undoubtedly, she was one of the top 10 delegates who secured the chance representing Indonesia to RomeMUN 2017. The selection was quite advance, participants were required to make an essay and minimum TOEFL score 550.
 That was not the first time Very overtook hundreds of opponents to secure the slot. Prior to that, she had also defeated hundreds of registrars in KLYES, becoming one of the three selected delegates of student exchange in Alaska. Others local and national recognitions that she has are Debate Winning Team Beswan Djarum and Best Paper Award for International studies and Conference in 2016.
Model United Nation, referred as MUN is an extracurricular activity which students typically role-play as delegates to United Nation and stimulate UN bodies (best delegates). The committee set particular topic to be discussed about during the conference which varies in duration. Local MUN typically takes two to three days, but international MUN takes up to six days conference from morning to evening. Every delegate has to make a position paper which states country’s view towards the highlighted issue. Very was paired with partner from Universitas Parahyangan, Bandung. They were in UNESCO council to discuss about Sustainble Development Goal (SDG) number four about Equality Education as a representation of South Korea.
“MUN is a competition to sharpen our soft skills in public speaking, writing, negotiation, and diplomacy and politic which is relatable with my major, International Relation” she explained.
In their opportunity joining RomeMUN 2017, Very and her partner were considered to be one of honorable mention although they didn’t get the award.
“RomeMUN is totally new for me. It’s really amazing feeling to join such International MUN Conference. Surprisingly, MUN was not as I expected to be. The atmosphere was very tense and thrilling. Everybody was serious. Overall, I feel happy because I was surrounded by ambitious people around the world. Moreover, my friend and I were considered as one honorable mention”
The Internal Exposure Program sponsorship by Djarum Foundation was not only to join RomeMUN but also short visit to neighboring country, Switzerland.
Very with the whole contingent of RomeMUN delegates got a privilege to visit popular sites in Italy, KBRI Roma, Colosseum, and Vatican. Whereas in Switzerland, they got chance to visit UN Head Quarter in Geneva, Red Cross Museum, Hollocaust, and any other landmarks.
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Djarum Foundation delegates for RomeMUN 2017 (pic instagram.com/avcleverina)
 Future plan
Back then the question about her future plan never failed on making her confused. But now, she has clear vision of what she would do in the future.
After finishing her thesis defense about Trans Pasific-Partenership (TPP), she wants to start making her own book. The book will be a motivational book that will contain life experiences and stories of the people who have studied abroad and contributed towards the nation.
 “I’m still not really sure about how the concept of the book will be. It may be like 100 letters from the world and later there would be a continuation that will contain 100 letters from Indonesia,” she confusedly explained.
 Another thing, after she gets her bachelor degree. She wishes to continue pursuing her master degree at University of Melbourne, majoring the same subject, International Relation. After graduate from it, she plans sending her curriculum vitae to be a lecturer of International Relation at Universitas Sebelas Maret, Solo.
Even though the background of her family is academy, it doesn’t constitute her decision to be one of them. It purely comes from the willing of her heart and individual choice.
She will also still continue spreading her knowledge to others through public speaking, travel the worlds, and follow the rhythm of life.
“It feels what I gain, is not useless and pointless. But it will grow in others” she said.
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Living in Alaska as an exchange student KLYES in 2011/2012 (pic instagram.com/avcleverina)
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