I manage a team in a physically demanding, high-risk job, and lately, I’ve had a serious issue—employees coming to work high. This work involves heavy equipment, large machinery, and real safety risks. A mistake could seriously injure someone.

The team is decent overall—not rockstars, but they get the job done. The problem is, it’s already tough to find people willing to work in our area, so replacing them isn’t easy.

I’ve been avoiding drug testing because I don’t want to police what people do after hours—I just need them to show up sober and ready to work. How have other employers tackled this? Zero-tolerance policies, warnings, something else? What actually works?