Employee Drug Screening : A Definitive Guide

Employee drug screening is a simple procedure followed by organizations to determine whether a candidate / employee is in a sober state without any traces of drug in their body. To determine that they take the help of an effective background screening vendor, who conducts drug tests using breath, sweat, blood, urine and hair samples of the person. Drug tests can be conducted prior to employment, under reasonable suspicion, following an incident or on a random basis.

The Need for Employee Drug Screening

According to SHRM, 57% of American organizations need candidates to pass a drug test. In Canada, the number is even lower, approximately 10% and is constrained to businesses where safety is a primary concern.

According to Marijuana Business Daily, roughly 60% of the US population lives in the state of some form of legal Marijuana. Eight states plus the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for adult use. Despite these recent changes, employee drug screening still remains unaddressed from a state or federal level.

Employees who are part of a federally regulated organization still require employee drug testing before getting hired irrespective of whether marijuana is legal within the state or not. They even conduct drug testing regularly throughout the employment tenure in the organization. This policy is quite prevalent in Fortune 500 companies and has even become a state legislature as a requirement for unemployment benefit eligibility.

Benefits of Employee Drug Screening

But, do employers get long term benefits from these tests?

By conducting employee drug tests, employers try their level best to make their workplace drug-free which makes them save lots of insurance amount and decrease in drug-related insurance claims. Industries that indulge in safety-sensitive positions wherein employees operate heavy equipments like manufacturing plants or construction, the risk of having drugs in the employee’s system can be more prominent.

In this guide we take a deep dive into the world of drug testing and understand all its aspects from the drug screening point of view. It is a must have resource for HR managers and policy makers for understanding the nuances of employee drug screening in the US.

What does this eBook cover?

• What is employee drug testing?
• Types of employee drug tests.
• Importance of employee drug screening.
• Best practices to carry out drug screening.
• The usefulness of employee drug testing, employee vs. employer’s perspective
• Misconceptions about drug testing
• Prerequisites for conducting legal random drug screening
• Legal implication for conducting employee drug screening
• Can drug testing results be unreliable
• The prospect of fingerprint employee drug testing

Note:- This article was originally published on - https://www.cfirstcorp.com/employee-drug-screening-definitive-guide/

How Important is Drug Testing for Screening Candidates?

An organization that tries its level best to keep its workplace drug free is the place that consumers trust. According to the 2017 Employment Screening Bench marking Report, drug testing is becoming a crucial aspect of pre-employment background check of employees. Without conducting drug tests for background screening and re screening of employees, organizations can face serious repercussions.

According to 2017 Employment Screening Bench marking Report, drug tests remain a prominent part of the background check process and the percentage of organizations that avail of drug testing services has remained relatively consistent over the last 10 years (66%) with an increase in drug testing in 2012 and 2013 (78%).

Let us now look at the reasons that makes drug testing an important component for screening candidates.

Reduces regular cases of unpunctuality and absence from work duty

Due to chronic use of illicit drugs employees resort to unpunctuality and absence from work duty. This addiction leads to a regular pattern of substance abuse to the point that the employee is not able to perform his regular work duties properly. When the entire life of the employee resolves around the use of drugs or substances, they lose the motivation to continue the career dreams. This results in neglect of daily work duties. Hence, drug testing is very important to select an employee who is sober.

Reduces legal liability of employers

With the help of workplace drug testing, employers ensure a safe work environment for other employees. It assists in identifying those who might be using drugs during the work. Any incident that occurs in the office premise puts the employer in legal problems.

Increases productivity of employees

When the employer ensures safety in the workplace, it results in increased productivity. The use of drugs has a direct impact on the decision-making capability of the employee which also affects their productivity and efficiency. When there is no threat of meeting with accidents in the workplace as a result of substance abuse, employees can perform better resulting in less absenteeism.

Lowers recruitment cost

Employers have to take prompt decision when they find an employee using drugs in the office premise. This often results in firing the employee doing drug abuse. But hiring new applicants also means incurring additional costs. With the help of workplace drug testing, employers can save their time and money by selecting only those candidates who have a sober history.

Increases employee morale

By keeping only those employees who are sober, the rest of the employees who are sober feel that their safety is being valued by their employer.

Useful criteria for hiring

Although several employers might think pre-employment drug testing as a costly affair, it acts as a crucial factor in eliminating those applicants who have a history of drug abuse problems.

Boosts the brand image of the employer

When an employer goes out of the way to ensure a healthy and safe work environment for their employees, it shows their commitment to their employees. This increases the brand value of the organization, thereby inculcating customer trust.

Conclusion

Drug testing has become a necessity in today's workplace. Although, drug testing is not seen as an important part of pre-employment background screening by several organizations, it is a vital step in the overall selection of a good employee that meets the organizational goals. 

Vivek Asrani is a content specialist at cFIRST Background Checks, a leading service provider of background screening services including drug testing services. Vivek writes about the various aspects of recruitment technology.