Craftsmanship

You do not often hear the word “craftsmanship” anymore. It is not something that tends to get thrown around, unless you are in advertising or you live in an Amish village and actually “craft” things by hand.

Today, we say things have a nice, sleek design or are very modern and cool looking. There is no artistry behind the object, or none that we can see. The word “craftsmanship” has an artist behind it. It tells us a story. It is indigo and red granite. It is that time you stayed up all night and watched the sun rise. It is that kick in the heart when you hear the national anthem sung by forty thousand people in unison.

 Craftsmanship is honor earned. It is true, because it is human. It is ours.

Today, craftsmanship does not have a reputation anymore. Today, we look at the numbers, notice our employee turnover and demand more drug testing. We demand to know why so many of our retained employees have tested positive once or twice on their screening tests. Should we change company policy in order to reduce employee turnover? Would that increase the turnover rate, instead? 

Perhaps we need to use different drug test kits. Let’s look online for a good company which distributes drug test equipment all over Australia.

 And we get on the computer. And we look up a company which might bring us better numbers. Craftsmanship? We turn our heads away and think about alcohol breathalyser devices. Who offers a breathalyser recalibration service? We’ll go with CMM Technology. They seem like a good company.

We ignore the word “craftsmanship.” It means nothing to us. We believe in our charts and our expense reports and our business bottom line and who is taking a vacation on what days. Is there someone who can come in and cover for them? Sure, there are few employees who can take their place while they are away with their families. What about the company taxes? Where is the latest tax report?

And little does anyone guess what craftsmanship was put into the drug testing products which will be delivered to your door from CMM Technology.

This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/craftsmanship/

Circles of Blame

During the course of your career, you will find many people who blame you for things and who you blame, as well. Now, blame is in itself not a bad thing. Sometimes, you need to hold people responsible for their actions and to make sure that they do their work and do not leave you in the lurch. Also, you may need to understand how your actions have affected others, so blame may be applicable to you.

However, many people, especially in leadership roles, view teams as teams, and they do not wish to hear how someone did their job while other people did not. Often, it is clear if there is an obvious winner or someone who has done a particularly creative thing, and this will come out over the long haul. The little things, however, need to be tamed into submission. There must not be pettiness and silly rivalries within a team. Each member must contribute what they do best.

In the case of our drug test equipment, CMM Technology feels like a member of a global team. We provide high quality drug test kits, like our Medix integrated pro-split cup 6+6, and alcohol breathalyser devices, such as our Lifeloc FC10 breathalyser, to businesses all over Australia. With our drug test equipment, these companies perform great transactions with other companies all over the world. There is a great spirit of trust and teamwork and leadership and self accountability which takes place. There is a lot of work that gets done. Time and labor and products are traded back and forth. The global community as a whole is well taken care of. Isn’t that what open trade agreements and cultural fellowship are about? Isn’t that what makes living in this unique world so wonderful? There are so many things to explore and do.

Let us make your business a safer place to work and to interact with other cultures from. Allow us the honor and privilege of helping you hold on to your way to further growth and more revenues. We are one of the leading companies in Australia dealing in drug testing equipment. 

This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/2013/circles-of-blame/

Be a Team Player

In every big movie hit about any type of group effort, there are always problems between individuals until the team captain or office manager or whoever is in charge actually starts building the team together as a single unit.

Teams are powerful tools to utilize, since they can do what individual people cannot. The saying that two heads are better than one is almost always true, and team efforts can be really functional or really dysfunctional. When sending your staff in for employee drug testing, you obviously are not going to make many friends doing this. There is an inherent human resistance to being told what to do, and it is part of our culture to have a problem with too many privacy violations. However, it is still one of the most effective ways to cut down on liability due to employee negligence. For this reason, you would be hard pressed to find a better solution to accidents and injuries on the jobsite.

Our Medix integrated pro-split cup 6+6 is a great urine drug test which has an adulterant test built right in. This cuts cost and time when evaluating for any adulterants used when giving a urine sample. It’s an automatic test for cheaters.

You want your staff fit for duty. You want to be able to administer your saliva drug tests and breathalyser devices without worrying about the consequences. For that, you need reliable testing devices. Administering these tests is definitely part of being a team player. You are protecting a group of individuals who rely upon you to keep things neat and orderly. You make a difference in their lives in a positive way. This is part of working with a team, instead of against it. You cannot do better than that.

CMM Technology provides this high quality drug test equipment for your business, and we ship all over Australia. Any time you are looking to be a team player you are protecting and guarding company assets. Such active choices involve careful planning and forethought. In order to make things a little bit easier on yourself, call CMM Technology today and let us help with the equipment delivery. 

This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/?p=3243

Taking the Negative Out of the Message

A series of studies have been conducted over the last couple years that have dealt with the effectiveness of public and other messaging intended to change behaviours. Targeted behaviours include teenage sex, smoking, binge drinking, youthful alcohol consumption, and of course, drug use. The results have a common theme: negative messaging is not effective. Employers can take away an important lesson from these studies that are applicable to the workplace. The lesson is this: negatively framed drug and alcohol policies are counterproductive.

There are two aspects to this discussion. First, a poorly written policy that is also ill-conceived will not be taken seriously by workers and could make the employer more susceptible to claims that the employer did not exercise proper duty of care should someone get injured or even killed on the job. Second, a negatively worded policy that comes across as threatening, such as implying immediate job loss or loss of pay should someone test positive for a substance as a result of a drug test or alcohol test, will be resented. In both cases, workplace morale is damaged.

Respectful and Helpful

Klinger, Limited in Australia, a manufacturer and distributor of gas and fluid sealing solutions and member of the Klinger Group of Independent Companies, posted their Drug & Alcohol Policy online. It is model policy in tone in that it first focuses on the policy benefits for workers. The purpose of policy begins with the statement that, “Klinger Limited aims to provide and maintain a workplace environment that not only protects the health and safety of all workplace participants whilst at work, but also facilitates a productive workplace.”1 In the next two statements, the policy points out that workers must treat each other respectfully to promote a safe and productive workplace and that workplace drug and alcohol use impairs the ability of workers to perform duties safely and efficiently for themselves and for co-workers, clients, and anyone else they interact with on the job.

The positive message is then reinforced with this statement, “The purpose of this Policy is to reduce the likelihood of injury, damage and/or other negative effects resulting from alcohol and/or drug use and/or abuse in the work environment.” Clearly, the company has developed a drug and alcohol policy that is meant to help workers succeed in the workplace and is not meant to serve as a disciplinary policy.

Interpreting Messages

Intimidating workers or making them fearful is not a good approach. The studies on messaging have proven that people do not respond well to negatively framed messages. A recent study reported in Psychology of Addictive Behaviors scientifically reinforced this fact. Conducted by researchers from Indiana University and Wayne State University in the U.S., neuroimaging techniques were used to examine how the brain of substance dependent individuals respond to public messaging that used negative phrasing like, “Drugs are bad for you,” and “Just say no,”. The researchers wanted to pinpoint how neural mechanisms involved in risky decision making responded to negative messaging. The results indicated that the area of the brain that typically assesses risk is functioning at a lower level in people who are dependent on substances. They interpret messages emphasising loss differently than someone who is not drug or alcohol dependent. The researchers plan on continuing their study of messaging and will now begin working on identifying how positive messaging influences neural mechanisms.2

It is a good idea to regularly review the drug and alcohol policy and ensure that it sends a positive message that maintaining worker safety, health, and productivity is the focus. The research already supports the fact that negative messaging can produce undesirable results and most likely will one day prove positive messaging stimulates neural networks in the right way.

The drug and alcohol policy should be well-written, begin on a positive note, and incorporate policies on random worker testing for substance use. CMM (cmm.com.au/) supplies stringently tested products that build worker faith in testing results through reliability and accuracy.

This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/?p=3238

Making Safety and Health a Priority Promotes a Substance

In this discussion, a different perspective is taken for a moment. Instead of only considering worker behaviours, the discussion centres on employer behaviours. Though using drugs or alcohol in the workplace is a personal decision, albeit a poor one, the employer should understand that a drug and alcohol testing program should be a layer on a foundation of employee respect and fair management practices. The program is not something that is simply added without considering the organisational culture and how the program fits in it as a positive and supportive component to worker and business success.

 

All employers have a duty of care to protect the occupational health and safety of employees through management policies and performance. Many managers tend to view drug and alcohol testing as a legally required, standalone program, when it should be viewed in as a component of a larger safety and wellness program. The broad occupational health and safety (OHS) elements of business success include developing a system for managing OHS, differentiating between a policy and a procedure, integrating OHS planning with the business plan, allocating responsibilities and accountabilities to staff, and developing a system for communicating information to workers.1

A drug and alcohol policy and supporting testing procedures are integral to each one of these elements of business success as pieces of the larger picture. For example, there should be a well developed policy promoting a substance free workplace, a random drug and alcohol testing program that represents administration of the policies, clear definition of the role of drug and alcohol policies and procedures as a component of worker wellness and safety programs, staff training that ensures fair application of procedures and enhances a supportive workplace environment, and a worker training program for conveyance of the policies and procedures.

Employees as Stakeholders in Substance Free Workplace and Community

A simple way of looking at this concept is that a wellness program failing to address substance use and abuse as a health and safety issue is also failing to meet the elements of business success. In fact, successful businesses that embrace their duty to promote worker safety use a strategy in which employees act as role models and actively participate on safety committees and accept responsibility for developing and communicating ongoing training programs. The programs include educating workers on the safety risks associated with the use of drugs and alcohol. Engaging employees in a collaborative manner sends a clear message that workers are stakeholders in workplace safety and have a duty to follow safe work practices and procedures, and refusing to use drugs and alcohol in the workplace is one of those practices.

Beyond safety issues, the workplace is increasingly being viewed as a setting in which a large number of people can be exposed to health promotion activities that have community, and not just workplace, relevance. The reason is obvious – a large percent of the population is employed. Proponents of using the workplace as a public information intervention site argue that this approach assists employers with complying with occupational safety and health as much as it helps the broader community.

Taking a Broader View

For example, there is evidence in many cases that workplace factors contribute to high risk alcohol consumption. Employers are interested in exercising their duty of care and minimising harm, whilst public education programs aim to change behaviours and workplace environments. However, there is no single reason that can be named to explain why people over-consume alcohol and no single effective response. Patterns of alcohol consumption are tied to work and personal life; therefore, it makes sense to view the employer’s duty of care and workplace safety in the broadest sense.2

Perhaps in the final analysis, this is merely a sophisticated way of saying that work lives and personal lives intersect, so workplace education measures addressing alcohol and drug use makes perfect sense. The employer fulfils a duty of care, whilst promoting workplace safety and responsible community behaviour. The reward is a healthier workforce and a safer workplace, and both contribute to business success. Workers take their cues from employers, which means employers must clearly convey drug and alcohol policies and procedures which define performance accountability and management expectations. The message sent to employees must be absolutely clear: health and safety is a priority.

CMM Technology at cmm.com.au/ helps facilitate OHS and operational objectives by providing employers with quality drug and alcohol test supplies like the drug testing and the Oraline saliva tests. Random testing programs are simpler to administer when reliable testing supplies are used.

This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/?p=3235

Online Drug Purchases Create New Worry for Employers

Controlling employee drug and alcohol use and developing employer drug and alcohol policies are two activities closely bound to managing worker privacy issues. There is arguably only one subject more complex than maintaining a drug free workplace in an age of high rates of substance abuse by the Australian population. That subject is balancing worker privacy rights with the employer’s need-to-know employee behaviours that may pose a threat to workplace safety. The issue of controlling drug use at the place of employment and maintaining employee privacy has taken on a new dimension in that people, including workers, are increasingly using their workplace internet access to purchase illicit drugs.

Buying drugs online is nothing new for the drug community. The Silk Road website, often called the “eBay for drugs”, and a number of global sites selling pharmaceuticals and synthetic drugs, are increasingly used by substance abusers as sources of illicit drugs. What sets Silk Road apart is the fact it uses masking or encryption software called Tor that makes it virtually impossible to track data. An employee using Tor can order illicit drugs online and have them mailed from overseas or delivered within Australia, and even technology wizards are unable to trace the order.1

Under the Radar

The “dark internet” is a secret network on the web in which people can operate under the radar, so to speak. It is so technologically sophisticated that the Australian Federal Police and a host of global law enforcement officials have been unable to locate the source or the founder who goes by the name of The Dread Pirate Roberts. Recently, a past Silk Road user discussed his experience. In a chilling interview with ABC News – Australia, Ryan West explained he would buy $300 of MDMA and resell it for $2,500 within a day. The drugs were ordered on a computer in his bedroom. The only reason he was caught was due to the fact he had a flourishing business selling the drugs out of his house. If he had bought them online and then posted the drugs when resold, there was a good chance he would have escaped detection.2

If people can simply install encryption software, should employers worry about employees using the workplace as a cover for the purchase of illegal drugs? The sobering answer is: Yes, they should be aware the potential exists. However, employers can protect themselves to a certain extent by developing privacy policies that address anonymous use of employer technology. The privacy policies are then integrated with drug and alcohol policies and strictly enforced using technology, internal controls, and random drug testing.

Small Company Policies Needed to Maintain Duty

Large corporations have the enterprise technology to block employee use of anonymous web proxies and all employee generated data is routinely monitored. Smaller companies often have limited technological capabilities, making it easier for workers to use workstations for the wrong activities. However, all employers need to develop privacy policies that support their duty to maintain a safe workplace. Though there is no common law right to privacy in Australia, the Federal Government has passed a Privacy Act that outlines guidelines for the collection and use of employee personal information and for keeping logs of web browsing activities by staff.3

It is important that smaller companies implement policies that adhere to the highest level the law allows and then train workers on those policies. For example, employees should know that their web browsing activities are logged and that a technical staff member is monitoring the log for all suspicious activity. Though the most technically savvy employees may be able to stay under the radar, most will not have level of knowledge needed to do so. If IT detects suspicious activity, the procedures should require immediate management notification. In addition, the small enterprise needs clear mail monitoring procedures. For example, an employer should retain the right to open any package addressed to an employee with the employer’s address.

Forbidden Activities

Of course, there must be a drug and alcohol policy and random testing program, which are essential to maintain a substance free workplace. As hard core substance abusers look for new ways to buy illegal substances, employers must adapt their policies and procedures. In the case of the dark internet, this means adding monitoring technology when possible and strengthening explicit policies on forbidden activities. Keeping workers informed on workplace monitoring and substance use policies, and potential consequences of policy violations, will promote a drug and alcohol free workplace.

Increasing sophistication of technology creates an imperative for employers, in that they must adapt their drug and alcohol policies to the current state of technology. One of the important steps in this process is adhering to a random drug and alcohol test program, which helps small businesses overcome technology budgetary restrictions. CMM Technology at cmm.com.au/ offers a variety of drug tests that can detect numerous drugs, including amphetamines and methamphetamines.

This article has been taken from http://cmm.com.au/articles/?p=3201

Drug Testing is Equally Important to Small Businesses

Alcohol and drug testing requires an investment in testing kits and screening services, so it is tempting for small businesses to postpone implementation. That decision can be a serious and expensive mistake. As is true for any financial decision, there must be a measurable Return on Investment (ROI). Implementing drug and alcohol test programs can save any size business a significant amount of money in a number of ways.

Not-So-Hidden Costs of Substance Abuse

One of the factors in the calculation of the Return on Investment for drug and alcohol testing programs is worker’s compensation. All businesses must have workers’ compensation. The rates are based on industry claims and wages experience, and in some insurance schemes, the actual experience of employers at each place of business. The exception is that a few jurisdictions allow self-insurance, but most companies that can afford to be self-insured are large employers. In cases where the employer fails to keep a policy of insurance in force, WorkCover will cover the expenses of an employee’s work related injuries or death but will most likely sue the employer to recover those expenses plus penalties and past due insurance premiums.

Workers, and legislatively deemed workers like miners and horse jockeys, are covered by worker’s compensation when at work, journeying to and from work, travelling for the employer, and/or whilst on break at or away from the work premises. Workers’ compensation covers work related injuries or impairment, occupational diseases, and work related death. The number of serious claims with one (1) week or more of incapacity represents staggering financial and productivity losses. In 2008-2009, the statistics are as follows: NSW (42,640); Victoria (24,130); Queensland (31,060); WA (12,670); SA (9,010); Tasmania (3,500); NT (1,290), ACT (1,640); and the Commonwealth (2,660); for a total of Australia (128,600).1

Small Business Workers Can Just as Easily Get Injured

What does this have to do with drugs and alcohol? Employees using drugs and alcohol are more likely to be injured at work. The size of a business has no relationship to the likelihood of a worker, who is under the influence of substances, experiencing an accident. It is estimated that drug-related accidents cost Australian workers approximately half of $1.6 billion annually. It is also estimated that 2% of Australians show up for work under the influence of alcohol.2 Random drug and alcohol testing can reduce the number of worker accidents, which lowers the industry and employer premium rates and increases the ROI.

A business can have 5 employees or 1,000 employers, and each worker using drugs or alcohol is more likely to have an accident, costing the worker and the employer. The cost of workers’ compensation is just one factor used in the Return on Investment calculation for alcohol and drug testing programs. Small businesses can also lower absenteeism rates and increase worker productivity levels by ensuring the staff is substance free.

The size of the staff is not only irrelevant, it is even more financially critical for small businesses to manage expenses as tightly as possible. Implementing a policy for a drug free workplace supported by workplace substance testing makes financial sense. The ROI far exceeds the costs of testing kits and screening costs.

The bottom line is that small businesses cannot afford to not do drug and alcohol testing. That is precisely why CMM Technology at http://cmm.com.au/ offers a variety of affordable testing equipment and screening services to fit all business sizes.

This article has been taken from  http://cmm.com.au/articles/?p=3193