Delay in getting medical treatment

LindaS

Our Drug and Alcohol policy states that an employee suffering from an injury requiring medical attention and/or missed days from work must immediately undergo a drug and alcohol screen. If the employee is working, they are taken to the clinic by a supervisor and the person at the admitting desk is instructed to complete a drug and alcohol screen.

My question is how to handle the employees who either a) go to the clinic outside of work hours and do not notify management until several days later that they sought medical treatment or b) wait a couple of weeks, come into your office and inform you they hurt themselves "a couple of weeks ago" and are just now telling you they need to seek medical treatment. It seems pointless to send them for a drug and alcohol screen several weeks after the incident but I'm wondering what you guys do.

Thanks.

Balloonman

Still send them. Some substances (marijuana) stay in the system for longer lenghts of time in the fat cells. Besides you don't want them to think that they can avoid the drug test with delayed reporting. Besides if they are dumb enough to be doing drugs, then they may think they are in the clear and have begun using them again. Second I would discipline them for violating company policy on injury reporting as appropriate. Investigate and make sure they did not report a minor injury that seemed like no big deal and did not want treatment right away, that could just be a good employee.
My $0.02 worth.
DJ The Balloonman

Down_the_Middle

LindaS:
Many states permit the employer (and insur carrier) to deny payment for expenses that are incurred either w/o permission, outside of the employer's policy, or subsequently deemed to be frivolous. Billing the employee for those charges might raise the necessary awareness.................