18 questions about AlertMeter® asked by companies during the “Cannabis Testing at Work" webinar.
What Does AlertMeter® Have to do with Cannabis Testing at Work?
Carol: As more states legalize cannabis use, companies are finding it increasingly difficult to hire qualified workers who don’t have THC in their system due to cannabis use in the recent past.
Companies have been calling us and they’re saying that 2/3 of their qualified candidates have THC in their system. However, they don’t care what workers do on the weekends, they just want them to be sober and focused when they come into work.
So, they get AlertMeter® and when they get a worker who’s tested positive for THC in their pre-employment drug test, they tell them: “We have zero tolerance for marijuana here. If you come in one day and can’t pass your AlertMeter® test and a drug-test reveals that you have THC in your system, you’ll be fired immediately.”
Daily impairment testing with AlertMeter® has become the best way to prevent workers from coming into work intoxicated or impaired by cannabis use, without having to place increasingly unsustainable restrictions on your hiring practices.
Is the Fact That THC from Cannabis Use Stays in the System for Up To 3 Weeks Addressed by AlertMeter®?
Carol: The fact that THC stays in the system for up to 3 weeks is what makes traditional drug testing difficult for companies to use, especially as cannabis is legalized in more and more states and countries.
There have been instances of workers successfully suing their companies after being fired for a positive drug-test, claiming they weren’t impaired by THC while at work.
AlertMeter® helps in this regard because its primary purpose is to reveal impairment in real-time. It doesn’t reflect what an employee does outside of work, as long as it doesn’t interfere with their ability to focus and be sober and alert while they’re at work.
Does the AlertMeter® Have to be Taken at the Same Time Every Day To Effectively Address Cannabis in the Workplace?
Carol: No, it doesn’t. It should be taken daily to keep a relevant baseline relative to your current cognitive state. Most people take it at the start of a shift. Others also take it at lunch, during a circadian dip, or towards the end of a shift to assess fitness as they become more fatigued.
Is the AlertMeter® Available in Spanish?
Carol: Yes, the AlertMeter® is available in any language.
Does the AlertMeter® Test Change Every Time You Take It?
Carol: Yes. There are hundreds of different combinations you may see. After a while, you’ll notice that you do better on some shapes than others. This is a factor in how your unique “fingerprint” or alertness baseline is established.
Does AlertMeter® Make Worker’s Comp Costs Go Down?
Carol: It can. One of our customers reduced worker’s comp claims by 70%: 50% the first year, 20% more in the second year.
We have also had insurance companies treat AlertMeter® as a proactive safety behavior that can bring down a company’s risk profile and get them a better cost for worker’s compensation.
Does the Company Need to Provide a Device to Take the AlertMeter®?
Carol: They don’t need to. Some companies get tablets and mount them on a wall or just have them on tables. Other companies allow workers to use their individual smartphones. AlertMeter® is device agnostic so there are many options to implement it in your company.
How Long Does the AlertMeter® Take?
Carol: 60 seconds or less.
How do I Get Pricing Information for AlertMeter®?
Carol: Schedule a demo with us to get a quote and an ROI analysis.
Do You See the AlertMeter® Waking People Up? I(s that the reason for taking the test late in the shift or after lunch?)
Carol: Yes. Based on anecdotal evidence, AlertMeter® has been useful in getting workers to refocus and take adequate countermeasures to be alert enough to pass their test and continue their shift safely.
Does Limited Internet Service Affect AlertMeter® Cannabis Impairment Testing?
Carol: There are ways to work around limited internet service. We have previously helped a company store their tests while without internet service, and then sync the results back up when they are connected to internet.
Are There Comments for Employees While/After They Take the AlertMeter®?
Carol: No, the goal is to keep the test short and efficient enough to get people back to work as soon as possible. If a worker scores outside normal range, then the supervisor can meet with the worker and record his/her conversation with the worker in their supervisor dashboard.
Does Anger Show Up On the AlertMeter®?
Carol: If a worker is angry enough to cause them to be outside their normal range of alertness, then yes.
In one company, employees had been working outside, getting dehydrated and frustrated. The AlertMeter® detected their distress so that they were able to take a break, rehydrate, and continue work safely.
If you’re merely upset, it won’t show up on the test. Only if a worker is dangerously outside their normal range of alertness and can’t focus on their work will a notification be sent out to a supervisor.
In General, Why Do Companies Decide to Investigate the AlertMeter®?
Jeff: They’re trying to deal with legalized cannabis, and they’re looking for a top-level screen.
They want to address their general safety ratings. They’re struggling with safety issues and realizing that many incidents are occurring as a result of distraction, emotional distress, fatigue, and other factors that aren’t reflected in a drug test.
They recently experienced a workplace fatality. They realized that at the time, the worker was going through emotional distress: a divorce, a sick child, or anything that caused them to forget regular safety procedure and make a fatal mistake. They call us and ask, “What can we do to prevent this from ever happening again?”
Do You Provide a Proof of Concept Trial?
Jeff: Yes. We realize that AlertMeter® is a new technology and it’s not something you can just drop into your company. We customize our trials to your environment and needs. If you’re interested, contact us and we’d be happy to discuss.
What About People That May Have Underlying Conditions? (Will AlertMeter® single them out?)
Jeff: No.
When we did a project in Florida, a worker came up to me after the training and said, “I don’t speak English, let alone read English. I didn’t finish school. My phone is old. I’m going to get fired.”
I told him to take out his phone and take the test there. Because the test is shape-based and language independent, he was able to get through it and establish a baseline.
He was one of the workers in Carol’s previous example who later scored outside his normal range after becoming dehydrated and frustrated while working outside on a hot day.
Are There any Legality Issues in Using the AlertMeter® with Our Employees?
Jeff: At the end of the day, it’s a test that tests for impairment. It does not tell you what that impairment is. It’s not any different than a supervisor spotting a worker who’s out of sorts and having a conversation with them. We’ve yet to see any legal action against us and we have thousands of users.
Does AlertMeter® Work on Personal Devices?
Jeff: Yes, it does. You can download it on the app store and begin using it as soon as you sign up and get login credentials.
