A Fitness for Work policy is a formal statement you make as an employer that staff are not to come to work, or carry out security activities under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. It should state your company’s position in relation to the use of alcohol and other drugs by staff and what the consequences are for breaching the policy, for instance, “Intoxicated staff will be sent home”. This policy should apply to all staff members, including subcontractors.

All Master licence holders are required to have a Fitness for Work policy and to ensure that all Class 1 and/or Class 2 security operatives they provide follow this policy.

We recommend you make the Fitness for Work policy part of your induction process for all new employees and get them to sign a copy to indicate they have read and understood what they need to do to comply with the policy. If you are implementing a new policy for existing staff we recommend you do a brief training session with them and get them to sign a copy to indicate they have read and understood the new policy.