“Roll model”…not?

Today’s blog comes a bit late, as the original post on online payment systems, especially the new Google Checkout (stay tuned!), is delayed on the heels of today’s shocking news: the subject of last week’s blog, Floyd Landis, tested positive for drugs after his historic Tour de France victory.

This is America, of course, and everyone is innocent until proven guilty. The jury is out, but Landis’ secondary blood test is coming in later this week. Be great if it comes back negative and the controversy can die off, and some experts say there are scientific and medical explanations to justify his positive result. Wait and see.

Either way, when an individual breaks the rules to get ahead, it is disappointing. In the case of drug abuse, it is also illegal. Still, let’s not let it outshine the larger lesson, covered last week, of not giving up when faced with adversity.

But let’s also talk about ensuring that your company isn’t in the unfornutate position of Phonak: in a PR crisis of epic proportions over an employee who may have used drugs.

“Epic proportions,” you ask?

CNN
FOX
The Guardian
The Los Angeles Times
The New York Times
The Wall Street Journal
The Washington Post

Epic proportions.

Phonak, Landis’ sponsor, is not throwing him to the wolves, but they’ve also made it abundantly clear that if his second test comes back positive, they will fire him. Smart. And necessary.

I’d like to think this goes without saying, but you never know, so let’s just come right out with the obvious: If you tolerate drugs at your small business - you’re doing them, or you’re turing a blind eye to employees who are - you might as well count out the register one last time and board up the windows. It won’t last.

But let’s assume that all the time, effort and energy you have put into your business venture is not being squandered by your reliance on drugs. (If this is not the case, I suggest spending more time on a blog like this.)

Now we ask: “Is it OK to test your employees for drugs?” This is a highly controversial issue, and something every business owner needs to decide for him or herself. When hundreds of millions of sponsorship dollars and TV rights are on the line, it’s a pretty easy decision to make, and the shareholders have spoken.

Of course you don’t have this same scale of business, but that means your margin of error is much, much smaller. Ask yourself if your small business could stand up to even a small, localized version of this type of crisis. You can’t risk it.

One thing every entrepreneur committed to success can agree upon is the value in establishing codes of conduct for employees, hiring the right people, and making sure they understand their job.

At the end of the day - and at the beginning - it’s your business, your bread and butter, your family that’s on the line. When someone who works for you threatens it all because of their selfishness or addiction, a zero tolerance policy ensures that you don’t waste time doing something other than running your business. Sure, everyone needs help with a problem from time-to-time, and there’s nothing preventing you from steering someone on the right track. But you don’t have to employ them.

An important part of the Human Resources process is to make it clear before your employees start making calls and interacting with customers on your behalf - actually, before you offer them a job. If they do drugs, they are gone.

It’s competitive enough out there as it is. Don’t hobble yourself with chinks in the armor.
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