BENEFITS OF DRUG TESTING

Urine drug screen: Uses, procedure, detection times, and results

WHY EVERY COMPANY SHOULD DRUG TEST

Each year drug and alcohol abuse costs U.S. companies billions of dollars, which includes turnover rates for employees, unexcused absences, lower productivity, accidents, and increased workers’ compensation claims.  According to the National Safety Council, employees who abuse prescription drugs are two to five times more likely to take unexcused absences, be late for work, be injured or violent at work, file workers’ compensation claims, and quit or be fired within one year of employment.

  • The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependency (NCADD) reports 70% of the 14.8 million Americans who abuse drugs are employed.
  • More than 74% of all current illegal drug users are employed and cause up to 40% of industrial fatalities in the US according to the National Drug-Free Workplace Alliance (NDWA).
  • 50% of workplace accidents and up to 40% of employee theft is caused by drug abuse according to the U.S. Department of Justice. 

DRUG TESTING BENEFITS

Testing your current and potential employees can help prevent and detect workplace drug abuse. The most common drugs at the root of the substance abuse issue include marijuana, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, methamphetamine, and opioids. Employers with a drug-testing program in place report:

  • Reduced employee healthcare costs
  • Improvements in employee morale, productivity, and performance
  • Decreased absenteeism, accidents, downtime, turnover, and theft
  • Compliance with state or federal regulations
  • Being able to identify and refer employees who have drug and/or alcohol problems
  • Providing a safe workplace for employees

Use DISA’s “Cost of Drug Abuse” Calculator to estimate the cost of drug abuse at your company!

TYPES OF DRUG TESTS

There are a variety of employment-related drug and alcohol tests used by employers. For more than 30 years, DISA has worked to make the drug testing process easier and more streamlined for customers. 

Regardless of your industry or unique requirements, DISA has the tools, and best-in-business practices necessary to help you create a drug-testing program that will work for you and your company. Before making a decision, we encourage you to research the benefits of each type to determine what best matches your company’s needs.

Contact us for more information.

Why Drug Testing Is Important

Although many aspects of society are harmed by illicit drug use and abuse, it is especially detrimental in the workplace. Not only can it lower the productivity and revenue of a business, but it can also place employees at risk. In fact, depending on the line of work, the drug abuse of an employee could have fatal consequences. Luckily, employers these days are able to test for illicit drug use and implement strategies to pursue drug-free workplaces. Today we’re discussing why drug testing is important and how to employ it effectively.

Why Drug Testing Is Important

Why Drug Testing Is Important

Drug Testing – National Research

Safety. Drug use can impair a person’s judgment and increase safety risks. This is especially concerning in certain industries, such as construction, in which using drugs or alcohol at work could cause an injury or even a fatality. As employee drug abuse causes as much as 50% of all on-the-job accidents (source), this is not a matter to be taken lightly. Plus, drug testing can improve the quality of life of employees and their families.

Performance. Workers under the influence of drugs may struggle to stay on task, letting their minds drift toward problems that aren’t related to their work. Drug testing allows employers to target those employees who aren’t reaching their full potential due to illicit drug use, removing weak links and improving their company’s performance overall.

Productivity & Profits. Substance abuse or addiction can lead to missed deadlines and decreased attendance. Dwindling productivity will result in lower profits as well—after all, if your company isn’t producing work at a steady rate, how can you expect to maintain consistent profits? Finally, it’s important to note that drug abuse also causes up to 40% of employee theft (source), an additional drain on profits.

Turnover Rates. Pre-employment drug testing is a great way to find employees who fit your company’s goals and standards. In addition, it reduces the likelihood that you will have to fire a new employee down the road, allowing you to retain valuable workers and decrease your turnover rate.

Medical Costs. Substance abuse can dramatically increase a person’s medical costs. In fact, business owners lose an estimated $140 billion annually due to drug use (source). Workplace drug testing allows employers to decrease their health insurance premiums and health costs by reducing on-the-job accidents and drug-related illnesses. It’s a win-win situation, improving the health of employees and reducing costs for employers.

Although most employers focus their drug testing efforts on job candidates, more and more employers are testing current employees as well through random programs. Although 10% of employed Americans between the ages 18 and 49 admit to illicit drug use (source), with the right resources and programs, this persistent problem can become a thing of the past.

If you’re looking to implement a drug-free workplace through pre-employment or random testing, contact us.

DOT Modifies Employee Drug Testing for Truck & Bus Drivers

COVID-19 leads to changes in drug testing rules that give employers more flexibility. David Sparkman APR 02, 2020

Because of the Coronavirus epidemic, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has made changes in its drug and alcohol testing regulations regarding employees in safety-sensitive positions, including interstate truck and bus drivers.

On March 23, DOT issued a guidance saying, “The nation’s transportation industries, which are not immune to the impacts and disruptions resulting from the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S., are playing a vital role in mitigating the effects of COVID-19. DOT is committed to maintaining public safety while providing maximum flexibility to allow transportation industries to conduct their operations safely and efficiently during this period of national emergency.”

The department’s guidance states that while DOT-regulated employers must continue to comply with training and testing requirements, DOT recognizes that compliance may not be possible in certain areas due to the unavailability of program resources. These may include access to collection sites, Breath Alcohol Technicians (BAT), Medical Review Officers (MRO) and Substance Abuse Professionals (SAP).

“You should make a reasonable effort to locate the necessary resources,” DOT says. “As a best practice at this time, employers should consider mobile collection services for required testing if the fixed-site collection facilities are not available.”

If an employer is unable to conduct training or testing due to COVID-19-related supply shortages, facility closures, state or locally imposed quarantine requirement, or other impediments, it must continue to comply with applicable agency requirements to document why a test was not completed.

If training or testing can be conducted later (for example, supervisor reasonable suspicion training at the next available opportunity, random testing later in the selection period, follow-up testing later in the month), you are to do so in accordance with applicable modal regulations.

If employers are unable to conduct testing due to the unavailability of testing resources, the underlying modal regulations continue to apply. For example, without a “negative” pre-employment drug test result, an employer may not permit a prospective or current employee to perform any DOT safety-sensitive functions. In the case of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the individual cannot be hired.

DOT said it is aware that some employees have expressed concern about potential public health risks associated with the collection and testing process in the current environment. Employers should review the applicable DOT agency requirements for testing to determine whether flexibilities allow for collection and testing at a later date.

DOT reminds employers that it is their responsibility to evaluate the circumstances of the employee’s refusal to test and determine whether or not the employee’s actions should be considered a refusal under the regulations.

“However, as the COVID-19 outbreak poses a novel public health risk, DOT asks employers to be sensitive to employees who indicate they are not comfortable or are afraid to go to clinics or collection sites,” the guidance says. “DOT asks employers to verify with the clinic or collection site that it has taken the necessary precautions to minimize the risk of exposure to COVID-19.”

DOT also urges employers to revisit back-up plans to ensure the plans are current and effective for the current outbreak conditions. For example, these plans should include availability of collectors and collection sites and BAT, and alternate/back-up MRO, as these may have changed as a result of the national emergency.

Employers should also have regular communications with service agents regarding the service agent’s availability and capability to support their drug and alcohol testing program.

Drug testing service agents—test result collection sites, BAT, laboratory, MRO, or SAP—should continue to provide services to DOT-regulated employers if it is possible to do so in accordance with state or local mandates related to COVID-19. 

“Should you have concerns about COVID-19 when testing or interacting with employees, please follow your company policy, directions from state and local officials, and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),” DOT recommends.

Truck and Bus Drivers

In accordance with these guidelines, DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has made changes to its regulations applying to drug and alcohol testing for commercial drivers that are scheduled to remain in place until June 30.

FMCSA said it is aware that “disruptions caused by the COVID-19 national emergency are interfering with, and in some cases, may be preventing, employer and driver compliance with current drug and alcohol testing requirements.”

These are the actions recommended by the agency for FMCSA-regulated employers who employ truck and bus drivers in interstate commerce and are unable to conduct certain kinds of testing because of the demand for transportation of essential supplies:

Random Testing. Employers are required by federal regulations to ensure that the dates for administering random alcohol and controlled substances tests are spread reasonably throughout the calendar year. DOT guidance further recommends that the employer perform random selections and tests at least quarterly.

If, due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 national emergency, you are unable to perform random selections and tests sufficient to meet the random testing rate for a given testing period in order to achieve the required 50% rate for drug testing, and 10% for alcohol testing, you should make up the tests by the end of the year.

In addition, FMCSA says employers should document in writing the specific reasons why you were unable to conduct tests on drivers randomly selected, and any actions taken to locate an alternative collection site or other testing resources.

Pre-Employment Testing. If an employer is unable to conduct a pre-employment controlled substances test, in accordance with federal regulations, it cannot allow a prospective employee to perform DOT safety-sensitive functions until having received a negative pre-employment test result, unless the exception in the regulations for trip lease drivers applies.

A trip-lease driver is generally a driver employed by one carrier, but who is temporarily leased to another carrier for one or more trips generally for a time period less than 30 days. This also applies to volunteer organizations that use loaned drivers.

Post-Accident Testing. Employers are required to test each driver for alcohol and controlled substances as soon as practicable following an accident. However, if the employer is unable to administer an alcohol test within eight hours after an accident or a controlled substance test within 32 hours following the accident, due to disruptions caused by the national emergency, the specific reasons why the test could not be conducted must be documented in writing.

Reasonable Suspicion Testing. The employer should document in writing the specific reasons why the test could not be conducted as required. Make sure to include any efforts made to mitigate the effect of the disruption, such as trying to locate an alternative collection site. FMCSA says this documentation should be provided in addition to documentation of the observations leading to a test, as required by agency regulations.

Follow current regulations addressing situations in which reasonable suspicion testing is not conducted, set forth in FMCSA’s guidance in regard to this part of the regulations.

Return-to-Duty (RTD) Testing. In accordance with current regulations, an employer must not allow a driver to perform any safety-sensitive functions until the RTD test is conducted and there is a negative result. Nothing is changed in this regard.

Follow-Up Testing. If testing cannot be completed, the employer should document in writing the specific reasons why the testing could not be conducted in accordance with the follow-up testing plan; you should include any efforts you made to mitigate the effect of the disruption, such as trying to locate an alternative collection site. You should conduct the test as soon as practicable.

RESEARCH PAPER TOPICS: 50 IDEAS TO GET STARTED

Happy female college student working on research paper topics.

Last modified December 10, 2020.

You’ll most likely be writing a lot of research papers while in college, so it is important to master the skill of finding the right research paper topics. Unfortunately, not all the topics you are interested in maybe that easy to write about. It becomes even more difficult if there is not enough research material about the topic you’ve chosen.

Research Paper Topics: Find A Broad Subject First Then Narrow It Down

One thing that works when finding the right research paper topics is to think of several subjects that interest you. Try writing down these subjects on a sheet of paper. Choose the one that interests you the most and then break down the general subject into smaller chunks of topics that are related to it. Related Post – 3 Tips to Avoid the High Stress of a College Paper

Narrow down your topics to the most interesting one. If it is a controversial topic, choose a particular perspective that you will develop in your research paper. Read different points of view related to your topic as this expands your knowledge and makes writing your paper easier.

Mind mapping is always a good idea, too. To find out how much you actually know about a topic, make a mind map of it. Put the main concept in the middle of a sheet of paper, then start adding relevant terms around it. By the time you run out or terms that you know on this topic, you’ll see if they make enough for a paper.

Another way to get yourself completely rid of all the trouble is to get a research paper writing service to help you. By delegating your assignment, you will free up some of your time and see how this type of paper is done by a professional. You can stay in touch with your paper writer every step of the way, ask them questions and request drafts. This will allow you to stay on top of the process and see how a thesis statement becomes a full paper.

A helpful way to find a topic that would make writing a research paper easy is to use one you’ve already written about. Take one of the essays you’ve written for this particular subject and see if you can broaden this topic. How much more detail can you add? Has any new research been made on that topic? In academia, it’s quite normal to broaden and deepen your past research, so you might as well start now.

Make Sure You Have Enough Resources For Your Topic

Do a quick computer search on the topics on your list to see which one is widely researched. This means finding a topic that is discussed not just on websites or blogs, but more so in books, articles, and even encyclopedia references. Find a topic that is both interesting and has plenty of published material. Check magazine articles, because these are usually shorter and more updated than those found in books.

Check References From The Library

Once you have chosen your topic, check the internet for references and also try using your school’s library database, which may also be available online. Don’t hesitate to ask your librarian for assistance with an urgent research paper. Other resources beyond the library include research paper websites that provide professional research paper writing help.Related Category – Annotated Bibliography: A Guide to Correctly Citing Sources

Writing a research paper requires a lot of time, extreme concentration, and diligence. And not everyone can cope with this task. Therefore, some people turn to special services for writing student papers. However, we do not recommend ordering this work. It is better to order editing of the writing assignment. In any case, it is always better to analyze both writing and editing services. It is difficult to identify scammers, so it is better to trust a professional like William Grabe. On his website, you will find a detailed analysis of the best essay writing services.

Running out of topics to write about? Check the suggestions below that can help you choose the right research paper topics:

Business Research Paper Topics:

  • Cybersecurity
  • E-business
  • Ethics
  • Glass ceiling
  • Online retail
  • Outsourcing
  • Sweatshops
  • White collar crime

Crime and Law Research Paper Topics:

  • Acquaintance rape
  • Animal rights
  • Assisted suicide
  • Campus violence
  • Capital punishment
  • Civil rights
  • The drinking age, legal
  • Drug legalization
  • Gun control
  • Hate crimes
  • Insanity defense
  • Mandatory Minimum Sentencing
  • Patriot Act
  • Police brutality
  • Prisons and prisoners
  • Roe vs. Wade
  • Serial killers
  • Sex crimes
  • Sexual harassment
  • Three Strikes Law

Drugs and Drug Abuse Research Paper Topics:

  • Alcohol
  • Cocaine
  • Doping in sports
  • Drug testing
  • Drunk driving
  • Heroin
  • Marijuana
  • Nicotine

Education Research Paper Topics:

  • Attention deficit disorder
  • Charter schools
  • College admission policies
  • College athletes
  • College tuition planning
  • Distance education
  • Diploma mills
  • Education and funding
  • Grade inflation
  • Greek letter societies
  • Hazing
  • Home schooling
  • Intelligence tests
  • Learning disabilities
  • Literacy in America
  • No Child Left Behind
  • Plagiarism
  • Prayer in schools
  • Sex education
  • School vouchers
  • Standardized tests

Environmental Research Paper Topics:

  • Acid rain
  • Alternative fuel/hybrid vehicles
  • Conservation
  • Climate Change
  • Deforestation
  • Endangered species
  • Energy
  • Geoengineering
  • Global warming
  • Greenhouse effect
  • Hurricanes
  • Landfills
  • Marine pollution
  • Nuclear energy
  • Oil spills
  • Pesticides
  • Petroleum
  • Pollution
  • Population control
  • Radioactive waste disposal
  • Recycling
  • Smog
  • Soil pollution
  • Wildlife conservation

Family issues Research Paper Topics:

  • Battered woman syndrome
  • Child abuse
  • Divorce rates
  • Domestic abuse
  • Family relationships
  • Family values

Health Research Paper Topics:

  • Abortion
  • AIDS
  • Attention deficit disorder
  • Alternative medicine
  • Alzheimer’s Disease
  • Anorexia Nervosa
  • Artificial insemination
  • Autism
  • Birth control
  • Bulimia
  • Cancer
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19)
  • Depression
  • Dietary supplements
  • Drug abuse
  • Dyslexia
  • Exercise and fitness
  • Fad diets
  • Fast food
  • Heart disease
  • Health Care Reform
  • HIV infection
  • In vitro fertilization
  • Medicaid, Medicare reform
  • Obesity
  • Organic foods
  • Prescription drugs
  • Plastic surgery
  • SARS
  • Sleep
  • Smoking
  • Stem cell research
  • Teen pregnancy
  • Vegetarianism
  • Weight loss surgery

Media and Communications Research Paper Topics:

  • Body image
  • Censorship
  • Children’s programming and advertising
  • Copyright Law
  • Freedom of speech
  • Materialism
  • Media bias
  • Media conglomerates, ownership
  • Minorities in mass media
  • Political correctness
  • Portrayal of women
  • Reality television
  • Stereotypes
  • Talk radio
  • Television violence

Political Issues Research Paper Topics:

  • Affirmative Action
  • Budget deficit
  • Electoral College
  • Election reform
  • Emigration
  • Genocide
  • Illegal aliensIllegal aliens
  • Immigration
  • Impeachment
  • International relations
  • Medicaid, Medicare reform
  • Operation Enduring Iraqi Freedom
  • Partisan politics
  • Prescription drugs
  • Social Security Reform
  • Third parties
  • Taxes

Psychology Research Paper Topics:

  • Child abuse
  • Criminal psychology
  • Depression
  • Dreams
  • Intelligence tests
  • Learning disabilities
  • Memory
  • Physical attraction
  • Schizophrenia

Religion Research Paper Topics:

  • Cults
  • Freedom of religion
  • Occultism
  • Prayer in schools

Social Issues Research Paper Topics:

  • Abortion
  • Adoption
  • Airline safety, security
  • Affirmative Action programs
  • AIDS
  • Apartheid
  • Birth control
  • Child abuse
  • Child rearing
  • Discrimination in education
  • Employee rights
  • Gambling, online gaming
  • Gang identity
  • Gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender
  • Gay parenting
  • Gender discrimination
  • Genetic screening
  • Homelessness
  • Identity theft
  • Interracial marriage
  • Poverty
  • Race relations
  • Reverse discrimination
  • Suffrage
  • Suicide
  • Test biases
  • Textbook biases
  • Welfare

Terrorism Research Paper Topics:

  • Bioterrorism
  • Homeland Security
  • September 11

Women and Gender Research Paper Topics:

  • Abortion
  • Birth control and Pregnancy
  • Body image
  • Cultural expectations and practices
  • Discrimination
  • Eating disorders
  • Education
  • Feminism
  • Gay pride
  • Female genital mutilation
  • Health
  • Marriage and Divorce
  • Media portrayals
  • Menstruation and Menopause
  • Parenting
  • Prostitution
  • LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender)
  • Sex and Sexuality
  • Sports
  • Stereotypes
  • Substance abuse
  • Violence and Rape
  • Work

If you need more ideas, take a look at this list of best research paper topics from Paperell

Invisalign near me braces vs invisalign

Invisalign treatment in Virginia Beach

The obsession with having a beautiful smile has driven the dentistry industry into investing and innovating many proper dental treatment techniques and technology. One of the many includes Invisalign treatment. Simply put, Invisalign is an advanced form of conventional braces that use clear tray aligners. They work by putting just as enough pressure on specific parts of your teeth to move them into a better position steadily. The aligner trays are replaced every one or two weeks. And as the treatment proceeds, you will be fitted with differently shaped aligner trays in order to move your teeth slowly into the position and shape you feel strongly confident about.

Generally, before you consider starting an Invisalign treatment, you will be required to consult with your dentist. They will first assess your Health, take impressions of your mouth and check your smile before deciding on the appropriate procedure to follow.

Benefits of Invisalign

While Invisalign treatment is known to be somehow costly, its associated benefits are far more worth the dime spent. The price of putting a beautiful smile on is simply priceless, and once you get it, it lasts a lifetime.

The benefits of Invisalign treatment are as follows.

It takes less time to complete treatment, while normal brace treatment takes longer. Invisalign treatment takes a shorter amount of time before you get the smile you crave for. Ideally, a single treatment takes close to 12 to 18 months, but results can be seen in a matter of a few months prior to the first treatment. On average, some patients may start seeing results from 6 months after the first treatment.

Treatment time may vary from patient to patient because result preferences are not equally the same. These different results take different periods to achieve.

Some other important factors/benefits to consider include:

  • Age – the time taken to straighten your teeth varies depending on the age of the patients. Invisalign treatment in adults takes longer than in younger people because of varied jaw hardness.
  • Compliance with treatment – how you follow the treatment plan greatly influences the time of your treatment. Considering the time used and the cost of this treatment, it is advisable to stick to the schedule for better and faster results.
  • Easy to remove when cleaning your teeth or eating- You can easily remove the Invisalign trays from your teeth whenever you want to eat or clean them. Once you are done, sticking them back does not require you to go back to your dentist, but a little pressure applied fits them back in.
  • Gradually moves your teeth, hence comfortable- Unlike traditional braces, Invisalign trays are designed to move your teeth into position steadily. This way, you do not have to feel any pressure on your jaws that would otherwise make you feel uncomfortable.
  • They are transparent and almost invisible, unlike conventional braces- Invisalign trays are made to be near invisible, and this makes them less conspicuous. So you have less to worry about people noticing them when you smile. While there is no shame in people seeing them, many patients prefer keeping the treatment to themselves.
  • Require fewer visits to the dentist- You will only need to visit your dentist only once a month for a few adjustments and examinations. You will be fitted with a different Invisalign set with varied tray shapes from the previous one. This is done to help force movement and new teeth positions.

Options for Payroll Funding for Staffing Agencies

If you want to expand your recruitment offerings and process to boost your profits by improving your ability to market your business then contract staffing can be a great option for you. But to organize payroll for your contracted staff you will need funds unless you get paid by your clients because payroll funding for staffing agencies is the responsibility of their owners.

It can be more difficult to manage the funds for payroll for staffing agencies if the flow of cash is not favorable. Your client may pay you after 30-0 days but you may have to pay your contractors on a weekly or biweekly basis. Even if you have only one contractor, you may need thousands of dollars for his payroll before you expect payment from your customer. The funding of payroll can increase quickly if you have several contractors for your staffing agency.

In order to maintain the profitability of your business, you should not allow the cost of payroll funding increase. As far as payroll funding for staffing agencies is concerned you can use a few options discussed in this write-up.

Options for funding payroll for your staffing agency

The meaning of funding the payroll of contract staff is not confined to their wages or salaries but you should also have funds to pay for several other things like unemployment taxes, liabilities of employer tax and compensation insurance of the workers, etc. Initially, it may look stressful to fund the payroll but you can arrange the things until you are paid by your clients without much effort by following the tips discussed here under.

Line of credit: You can ask your bank for a line of credit for funding payroll for your staffing agency. It is a revolving account that allows you to use it for funding your payroll, unlike a loan. Though it allows you to use funds against some fees but you control its cost by paying off the cash withdrawn from this account with the payments received from your clients.

It is one of the best options for funding payroll for large staffing agencies and companies but you cannot open a line of credit with a bank if the size of your staffing agency is small. Moreover, you will have to pay fees uselessly if you apply for a too small or too large line of credit. Furthermore, it can increase the risk of forfeiture of your assets used as collateral while getting a line of credit from a bank.

Self-funding: For funding the payroll of your staffing agency you can also use your money. You need not pay any kind of fees or take a loan for this purpose if you use your own funds.

You will have to plan your budget to organize payroll for your staff from your own funds. From the profits of your placement or staff recruitment business, you will have to put some funds aside. But it can be a bit difficult for you to fund the payroll for your staffing agency if you have just started it.

You may not be able to run your business of contract staffing unless it becomes profitable, you have large savings in your account, you already have a successful business of direct hiring staff or you have some other income source.

Outsource contract staffing back-office: The provider of back-office contract staffing will not only take care of funding your payrolls but also control the task of processing payrolls. In this way, your contractors will legally become the employees of the provider of Back Office Staffing Solutions The back-office provider will handle all the responsibilities of the contractors including negotiating the contracts, unemployment insurance, worker’s compensations, background checks, administration of benefits, as well as making invoices and collection of payments, etc.

When you use the option of contract staffing back-office then you can get more the just funding payroll for staffing agencies as it will also allow you to earn a considerable amount of profits per hour on your works of your contractors.

Moreover, you will not only get rid of the problem of funding payroll but also save a lot of time to do some more fruitful tasks by outsourcing your payroll to the provider of contract staffing back office.

Payroll factoring companies: Another option for funding payroll for staffing agencies is to use factoring of invoices. Asset financing services are offered by the companies dealing in payroll factoring or funding. The invoices of the client due to be paid within 90 days are purchased by the factoring companies and give you cash immediately.

The amount of invoice will be paid by the funding company in two installments. One installment will be paid in advance and a percentage of it will be held by the company as security until the invoice is paid by the client. And you will have to pay a percentage of the invoice as fees for factoring invoices.

The process of approval for factoring invoice moves faster than funding by banks but you should keep in mind that the credit of your client will be considered by the company factoring invoice. An agreement is signed between you and the factoring company if your invoice is approved by them. You will be paid advance money as soon as you sign this agreement. This advance money can be 80% of the amount of the invoice or can vary depending upon the factoring company.

It is up to you to inform your clients about the factoring of their invoices so that they can directly pay the invoice to the factoring company. You will receive the amount withheld by the factoring company when the invoice will be completely paid by your clients to them.

The fees of factoring invoice will a percentage of the total amount of the invoice which can be influenced by the time taken in making the payment as well as the soundness of the client. Some of the factoring companies may charge some extra fees like fees to check credit, transaction, or for opening an account, etc. from you.

Thus, you can organize payroll funding for staffing agencies by using any of the options discussed in this write-up.

DOT drug Consent Form Image

What is Dot Drug Testing

Several millions of individuals rely on public transport all over the world. People use this public transportation to go from one place to another, be it within a city or state. Our families, friends, co-workers, and other acquaintances safety are dependent on the person who operates the public vehicles. They must be therefore ensured of not being drug addicts or from any criminal background. This is why drug testing is critical in the public transport industry. A DOT drug test is one such test that is government regulated to ensure the safety of the citizens. Contant NTA,Inc for DOT Drug Testing.

What is the DOT drug testing?

DOT or Department of Transportation has regulated a drug test to ensure this industry to be alcohol and drug-free, referred to as the DOT drug test.

US congress regulated an omnibus transportation employee testing act in 1991. This act directed the department of transportation and its agencies to implement alcohol and drug testing for their employees. This was in view to sustain the travel safety of the workers and the public.

The procedures and rules of drug screening are listed under CFR-Code of federal regulations Title 49 or Part 40. US coast guard and DOT has specific regulations that are valid to the industry. It clearly states the person who has to be tested, under what circumstances, and when.

Difference between a DOT drug test and a regular drug test

The two primary differences are:

  • DOT tests use urine samples, while a regular drug test can be carried out using hair, urine, or saliva.
  • DOT test makes use of the Federal drug testing CCF, also known as Control and Custody Form.

Who needs to get DOT test?

Anyone who is “safety-sensitive” and is an employee of the department of transportation should get tested for alcohol and drugs, according to DOT regulations.

Who is a safety-sensitive employee?

Any employee who has a job with DOT and can harm the safety of himself and the public is a safety-sensitive employee.

Which departments of DOT can come under these positions?

  • Federal aviation administration- Employees include flight attendants, ground security, flight crews, dispatchers in aircraft, and so on.
  • US coast guard- All crew members who run a commercial vessel.
  • Federal motor carrier safety administration– Employees include CDL-commercial driver’s license holders operating CMVs-commercial motor vehicles, automobiles transporting inflammable materials, and carrying over 16 passengers. They need a DOT placard.
  • Pipeline and hazardous materials safety administration– Workers involved in maintenance, operations, and emergency services.
  • Federal transit administration-Mechanics, vehicle drivers, armed security, and controllers.
  • Federal railroad administration-Workers are operating train and engine, signal service, train dispatchers, and others.

Why only industry-specific employees for the DOT drug test?

When taking public transportation to visit someone or for work or flying from one coast to another for any business meeting, you keep your life’s safety in the hands of the operator of the transport and other people of the department. This test assures travelers that they are safe traveling with them, and they take it as their responsibility.

What is DOT drug testing, and what do they test for?

DOT test requests your employer to carry out a drug screening while you have to undergo physical DOT. A DOT drug test makes use 5-panel test. These drug test screens for drugs such as methamphetamines, cocaine, phencyclidine, opiates, and marijuana. Amphetamines that include MDMA and methamphetamine, Opioids include morphine, codeine, hydrocodone, heroin, hydromorphone, oxymorphone, and oxycodone. DOT drug tests are regulated to be carried out by using urine samples.

What is DOT drug testing- How is drug test administered through urine?

There are three steps involved in a DOT drug test. These steps are:

  • Urine collection
  • Lab testing
  • The medical officer did review

DOT drug testing includes the following steps.

  • A specimen collector will check for a photo ID that is valid and current. It can be the employer issued ID, driver’s license, or passport. This is to verify your details.
  • Secure the collection area by access restriction, water sources accessibility, and securing cleaning fluids.
  • Privacy to specimen unless any rule exception to adulteration.
  • Check for unnecessary items or garments by emptying your pocket.
  • A sealed collection kit is handed over after opening it in your presence.
  • After collection, pour it into two different bottles and seal them in front of you.
  • Details of name, DOB, time are provided by you.
  • Finish the documentation.
  • Give you a CCF copy and ship the sealed bottles to CCF.
  • Send it to the lab for tests
  • Once the medical officer receives the report, paperwork is accurately checked.
  • For a negative result, report to a DER-designated employer representative.
  • For a positive result, an interview is set up with you for any legitimate reason medically and, if not, send the report to DER.

What is DOT drug testing- When should the employees take this test?

A DOT drug test is carried on safety-sensitive employees. It is taken:

  • Before beginning your job or pre-employment.
  • When there’s a cause or suspicion that you may be under drugs influence.
  • When any of the trained supervisors suspects or believes the influence.
  • Any observations of concerning behavior, smell, speech, or appearance.
  • Random tests on each of the employees through random selection. Usually finished quarterly.
  • When returning to duty after any drug violation or any rules related to alcohol consumption, testing is done.
  • On return to duty, the employee may be subjected to testing without prior information for about 6 times in the initial year. The testing is carried out under observation.
  • SAP-Substance Abuse Professional handles your follow up a return to duty testing. This is done for 5 years. Depending on the substance and times of testing, this testing is done. This is taken along with other testing needed by DOT.
  • When an employee gets into an accident or is involved in any such criteria, post-accident DOT testing is done. A drug test is carried out within 32 hours and an alcohol test below 8 hours of the occurred accident.

Failing DOT drug test

When you fail the regulated DOT drug test, the employer who hired you must eliminate you from any DOT safety-sensitive work. You are not eligible to perform any such job activities. You may lose your license/certification, too, based on your employment agreement or business policy.

Conclusion

DOT drug testing is carried to safety-sensitive employees to ensure the safety of the lives of the travelers of public transportation, flights, and other means. It is regulated and tested by the collection of urine samples. DOT drug testing ensures the safety of the drivers and the passengers who entrust them their lives.

What to Look for in Local Tutors

When you are having a hard time at school, you are certainly not alone. It would be time to enlist the help of a local private tutor when the going gets tough. These people have been there and done that when it comes to studying for exams. They know what they must do in order to prepare you for the hardships of the tests. Since there are many local tut0rs, you must know what you must look for in one. Besides, you would not want to change tutors after every few days as that would not be good for your study habits. You would still need to take time to adjust to the new tutor and that would take a few days. Here are a few things to look for in private local tutors:

Punctual

The tutor should show up on time at the meeting place whether it is at the library or your house. There should be no excuses especially when it happens several times. You know you are not dealing with a focused individual if he or she gets late most of the time. It won’t be long before your patience would grow thin and you would have no choice but to find another one. It is not a good feeling to be waiting at the place you were supposed to meet. You would want to get started with the tutoring session immediately unless the tutor told you ahead of time that you must study the lesson and he or she is going to test you once the tutor arrives at the meeting place. In fact, it would be better if the tutor was there before you.

Smart

You must be impressed by the mental capabilities of the local tutor. You won’t feel the need for the person if you find out you are smarter than that person. The tutor may just be looking for some side income even if the person can’t really back up his or her claims. In fact, you must ask to see the list of accomplishments by the private tutor so you would feel confident that you are being taught by a smart person. You are going to be surprised at how the tutor will teach you. It will be some innovative strategies that are highly effective. It can be things that were not done by other tutors in the past. There is no doubt a smart tutor would impress you many times in ways you would never have imagine. Like they say, it is all in the mind.

Experienced

The tutor must be teaching students for a pretty long time. This would allow the person to be used in dealing with all sorts of attitudes. Some people have attitudes that are hard to deal with. The tutor must be in the industry for quite a number of years. If this is the case, the tutor will feel confident in being able to teach you the lesson in a short and effective manner. It won’t be long before you would want to hire the person again for your kids in the future. The local tutors don’t even need to tell you how experienced he or she is. Just from the way the person teaches you, you will already know that the tutor has been doing this for a pretty long time.

Affordable

The local tutors should not charge too much especially since the person knows you are not really financially capable yet. If you are just a student, there is no reason for the person to charge a hefty amount. You must stay with someone who would not charge a lot of money. Even if the person is affordable, you must still be able to learn a lot from that person or else you will end up wasting your money. You must be getting what you pay for when you are with the tutor. There is no point in discussing about other things besides the lesson. That is what you came there for and that is what you must do. Also, the payment terms that were discussed before the tutoring sessions started should be the ones that will be followed.

Prepared

The tutor must have prepared what you are going to tackle. You can’t afford to waste anytime just looking at each other. No matter how many students there are in the room, the person must prepare things to do for each one. It is possible for the private tutors to handle numerous students at the same time. This just means the tutor is pretty in demand and a lot of people recognize he or she is worth the money. You would have no choice but to be the one to adjust to the tutor. There should never be a time when the tutor would meet you and don’t know what to do. That is just unprofessional and you will end up wasting a few minutes figuring out what to do next. Like they say, time is gold so you must make every minute useful.

Positive Feedback

You must ask the past students of the private tutors you are looking at and they should all have nothing but nice things to say about the person. If that happens, there is no doubt you are going to feel great about hiring the person in the future. You would want to see as many unbiased reviews as possible. Yes, you would want to weigh the pros and cons of hiring that person so you know you won’t be wasting your money. There is no such thing as the perfect tutor as all these people would commit several mistakes somewhere down the line. If you think the pros outweigh the cons, then you should be leaning towards hiring the person.

If the private tutors have all the above qualities, every penny you pay that person will be worth it. In fact, you may even find yourself looking forward to the tutoring sessions once you set a next one.

Advanced Packaging Products – At a Glance

Advanced packaging product involves a standard grouping of various distinctive techniques such as 2.5D, fan-out wafer-level package, system-in-package, and 3D-IC.

Conventional industries depended upon the innovative architectures and conventional chips scaling for a new device. In the case of chip scaling, the notion was to pack additional transistors on a system-on-a-chip or a Monolithic die at every process node. This enabled a faster chip at a lower cost for each transistor. However, the traditional chip scaling was becoming more expensive and difficult at every node.

The driving force for Advanced Packaging Solutions & Products Inc. is positively correlated with the popular Moore’s Law. The wires and transistors shrink, and the length of distance that signals require to travel or to transmit from one part of a chip to another over thin wires increases at every node. These chips are connected together by using thicker pipes that are available in the form of interposers, through-silicon vias, simple wires, or bridges. The signal’s speed can be raised and the energy amount needed to drive the signals can be diminished. Moreover, based on the type of package, there can be lesser physical effects and the components that are produced at different nodes can be combined.

Advanced packaging approaches are being used for wide-ranging products. However, the initial concern about time and cost continues to slow down the process of adoption. EDA firms have developed new tools that automate the process of advanced packaging and OSATs are continually refining these processes, making it less expensive and more predictable.

There are various methods by which a chip design can be implemented using heterogeneous integration. The issue with advanced packaging products is the cost factor since the technology still remains really expensive for various niche applications. The companies mentioned below have introduced new packaging technologies which are most likely to address this problem of high cost and also other challenges in this field –

  • ASE has described high-density fan-out technology which supports HBM or high bandwidth memory.
  • Leti and STMicroelectronics jointly have described the 3D packaging technology by using chiplets. The idea of using chiplets involved a list of modular chips in the library. These chiplets can be integrated into a package by using a die-to-die interconnection scheme.
  • TSMC has described details about the next generation 3D Technology and fan-out Technology.

Flip-chip and Wirebond

There was a time when IC packaging was not popular in the industry of semiconductor. The packaging was simple and the cost of packaging was the lowest. However, the advancements enabled chips to have the smaller form factor and this paved their way to an advanced form of heterogeneous integration. If one wants high-performance, he will require different packages that have more I/Os. Worth mentioning there is no single full package that meets all the requirements of both markets.

There is another way by which one can segment the market of packaging and that is by the interconnect type. This includes flip-chip, wire-bond, wafer-level packaging, and TVS or through-silicon vias.

Wire bonder stitches 1 chip to another or substrate by using small wires. The wire bonding process is used in low-cost legacy packaging, memory dies stacking, and mid-range packages.

For processors, however, the wirebond does not offer enough I/Os. Hence, a flip-chip is more superior than a wire bond when it comes to increasing that number. Fan-out on the other hand is in between the two in terms of the I/Os whereas, the 2.5D and 3D are at a far superior end.

Fan-out, Chiplets, 2.5D/3D

Just after the flip-chip, the next that came in the I/O hierarchy was the fan-out. It has recently gained a lot of attention after Apple started using info fan-out packages of TSMC for their iPhones. The package integrates the application processor of Apple and the third-party memory of the same unit. This enables more I/Os compared to other types of packages.

Fan-out does not need an interposer which is why it is much cheaper compared to the 2.5D and 3D technologies. The packaging of the dies is done on a wafer and hence it is known as a wafer-level package. It is split into 2 segments namely, low and high density. The low-density fan-out is used mainly for power management and the high-density fan-out is used for smartphones and servers.

One of the major culprits is the DRAM, the data rates of which seem to have been lacking, especially in the requirements of memory bandwidth. The solution to this problem is HBM or high-bandwidth memory which loads DRAM dies one above the other and connects it with the TSVs. This enables more bandwidth and I/Os.

Generally, the HBM is added in the 2.5D package where the dies are placed of stacked side-by-side on an interposer. The interposer behaves like a bridge between the board and the chips.

Typically, the 2.5D or 3D is very costly the HBM relegated for most of the high-end applications. Moreover, the fan-out packaging with HBM has more advantages over the 2.5D and 3D such as the electrical performance in fan-out which is far superior to the latter.

When it comes to chiplets, there are some challenges too, faced by the industry. The packaging is implemented most commonly in the high-end applications and that has generally brought down the costs.

Integrating the chiplets into the package is not an easy task. The lithography challenges increase as more individual chiplets are used in completing one single package. This leads to interconnect overlays and involves the process of TSV for chip interconnect and the productivity or system throughput which provides the required technical solution at a cheaper cost.

For a heterogeneous integration, the requirements of quality for the devices being integrated are rising rapidly. The requirements are demanding for a more accurate die screening, the value of and the number of ICs put together into a system-in-package is also increasing. For die-level and wafer-level, the subtle or small defects that were previously acceptable have now become unacceptable with the incorporation of the dies in complicated, multi-device packages. The whole heterogenous package can be ruined with just 1 die in the system-in-package.

Small Business Virtual Answering Services

Why Should Your Small Business Be Using Virtual Answering Service like USAnswer? Anyone who has ever owned a business knows and understands that there are only a certain number of hours every day and even fewer hours within a workday. Keeping to the task is important when you are doing your best to get work done within your business. This concept goes for both a business owner and an employee who works for any given business. One of the ways to get more done during your workday is to avoid unplanned disruptions, for some people, this means to close the door to your office and eliminate the background noise of the chitter-chatter of others around your work area. This is not always possible, for example, if you work from a cubicle in a large room and have no office door. However, there are other things you can do to eliminate distractions and things that tie up your time.

It may come as no surprise that so much of a companies time can be tied up in answering questions or dealing with customer service issues on an ongoing basis. We all understand that these things need to be handled and are just part of doing business; however, more and more companies are cutting down their time on the phone by simply using a virtual answering service to handle their calls in a number of ways. We are not suggesting that you step away from your business and just hand all your phone calls to another company to deal with, what we are suggesting is that you use a virtual answering service to run your business so that your business doesn’t run you. Let’s say that you get into the office at nine o’clock in the morning, and you have a project that you want to have finished by noon. Do you really have time to be on the phone with Mr. Brown, who simply doesn’t understand how to use the product he bought three months ago and decided to move to his new office? First, we understand every customer’s needs are important, but now is not the time to handle this customer service issue. You need to spend this allotted time doing the project you need to finish to stick to your deadline. So, by sending Mr. Brown’s customer service call to a virtual answering service who handles it or takes a message, you are free to finish your project in the required time and get back to Mr. Brown, your loyal customer in a timely fashion.

Setting time aside for your customer’s return call is a great way to do business because it tells the customer that you have set aside this time to talk to them and solve their problems. It assures the customer that you care and that you have the time for them and will not have to rush them off the phone to get onto your next project. Using a service to help with calls is a great way to build customer relations on so many levels because it tells the customer that you care about their needs, even when you can not answer their call in person.

If you take some time and research the numbers, you will see that more and more business people are using these virtual services to answer their calls. This applies to both the small business and the large fortune 500 companies. Please don’t think that you have to be a corporate giant to use a service to help with your phone calls; nothing is further from the truth. Small business is the heart and soul of every community, and using a service like this allows you to serve your community both on a local and global level. You’ll be able to get much more done because you have freed up your time.

Because the call service is highly trained to take the calls and gather information, you will save time in the long run. When you return the call to your client or prospective prospect, you will have much of the information you need to help that person. You will know, Mr. Brown called about the product he bought three months ago. It worked fine at his old office, but he needs help with it now because it is not working correctly. You’ll be able to troubleshoot his issue quickly and see if he has it hooked up wrong or if he needs a new part or something else. This will save both you and Mr. Brown in this example a lot of time, stress and perhaps even money. Your small business is almost always guaranteed to gain the respect and trust of that company you are doing business with because you cared about handling their needs, you took time for them when you were busy by providing them an answering service to get the needed information, and you set aside time to return their call and work on their important needs. At the same time, you are able to keep to your set schedule and do your important work and get home to your family on time too. The idea of using an answering service goes so much deeper than just answering a few calls.

Using a virtual answering service with professional and well-trained staff can also save your business money in the long run. Think of it like this, because these service operators are not in your direct employee, you do not have to pay for their phone lines or desks and valuable office space. You don’t have to worry if they call out sick or take a personal day or vacation. Regardless of what happens, your business will have their calls answered without dealing with the financial pressure or other stress of having that same group of employees in your own office. Above all else, you will get the highly skilled operators to handle your calls in the best possible way, quickly and professionally. What could be better? There are so many reasons and benefits to using a service like this to handle your calls, and you’ll be happy you took the time to bring them on to your team.