Understanding Reasonable Suspicion in Workplace Drug and Alcohol

Identify impairment early. Have the conversation confidently. Take fair, lawful action to keep people safe.

When someone presents to work affected by alcohol or other drugs, supervisors are often expected to act fast—without escalating the situation, breaching privacy, or “going on gut feel.” This online program gives you a clear, practical process for observing, documenting, communicating and responding when you have reasonable suspicion of impairment.

• Recognise behavioural, physical and cognitive indicators of impairment
• Use fitness-for-work observation tools (evidence-based, not assumptions)
• Follow a step-by-step reasonable suspicion response plan: assess → prepare → talk → act
• Understand testing pathways (breath/oral fluid/urine), chain of custody basics and why photo ID matters
• Know what to do after a non-negative / positive result (support, process, next steps).

Built for Australian workplaces where supervisors must follow workplace policy and reasonable safety procedures.

You can’t ignore suspected impairment—but you can’t guess either. 

If you act too slowly, you risk injury, incidents and serious consequences for workers and the public. If you act too quickly (or without evidence), you risk complaints, conflict, and an unfair process.
Supervisors need a simple approach that’s safety-first, documented, consistent with policy, and respectful of employee rights and privacy.

This is one of the hardest conversations a supervisor will ever have.

Most supervisors aren’t trained to spot impairment—and even fewer feel confident holding a calm, professional conversation when someone may be intoxicated or under the influence. This course shows you how to:

• focus on observable behaviour
• keep the conversation constructive
• protect confidentiality
• take action that is fair and defensible

Training built by specialists in workplace drug & alcohol risk and fitness for work training .

KINNECT Training supports organisations to manage drug and alcohol risk with practical, real-world processes—especially when supervisors must respond quickly and consistently.

What “success” looks like after this suspicion training for supervisors

• Supervisors act quickly without overreacting
• Conversations stay calm, factual and respectful
• Decisions are based on observable evidence (not assumptions)
• The organisation responds consistently with policy and privacy expectations

What You Will Learn

What you’ll learn in this Reasonable Suspicion course

By the end of the program, learners will be able to:

• Explain key legal and ethical considerations in managing drug and alcohol risk
• Interpret workplace drug & alcohol policies and definitions (including “under the influence”)
• Identify observable signs of impairment and respond safely
• Apply assessment tools, documentation and reporting that support a fair process
• Follow a practical reasonable suspicion procedure including communication principles and privacy
• Understand testing options (breath, oral fluid, urine), the role of trained collectors, and why standards matter
• Manage follow-up steps: support pathways, escalation, investigations, and safe return-to-work decisions.

Course modules

Module 1 — Reasonable Suspicion & Reasonable Belief (and why it matters)
Module 2 — Legal and ethical considerations (rights, responsibilities, fairness)
Module 3 — Policies & definitions (“under the influence”, breaches, support pathways)
Module 4 — Recognising impairment (behavioural/physical/cognitive indicators + safety-first response)
Module 5 — Fitness for work tools + documentation (evidence, reporting, consistency)
Module 6 — Supervisor response process (assess → prepare → talk → act → connect)
Module 7 — Testing pathway overview (methods, collectors, photo ID, process basics)
Module 8 — After the result (immediate actions, support, follow-up steps)
Module 9 — Scenarios & decision practice (case studies and supervisor decision-making)

WHY STUDY WITH US?

HOW TO GET STARTED