Drug Testing in the Workplace: Should Your Business Consider It?
Over 155 million people are working as part of the American labor force right now. With unemployment at just 3.7% and a meager 6 million people looking for jobs, it’s a very hard economy for business owners who are looking to attract top talent.
Given all of the barriers that already exist preventing you from staffing your team, should you forgo drug testing in the workplace to get people in the door?
The answer for most responsible employers who care about getting good returns on their hiring investment is no.
It’s a common debate, whether or not drug testing in the workplace is a good idea.
We’re here to share with you some reasons why we think drug testing is something you should definitely invest in when screening employees. Armed with the insight below, you can better determine whether or not the practice is right for you.
1. A Lot of Companies Do It
A common thing we hear from employers is that as state policies get more relaxed on recreational drug use, the idea of drug testing is becoming progressively void. That’s just not true.
Despite state standards for drug enforcement lowering, company standards have not. To that end, many American companies still incorporate drug screening into their hiring process.
2. It Creates a Safer Work Atmosphere
A workplace can be dangerous as is. This is particularly true when it comes to blue collar jobs that deal with the use of heavy machinery.
Mixing a dangerous work environment with impairment is a recipe for disaster. That’s why it’s important for employers to not only ensure the safety of drug using employees but of those around them by taking a stand against use.
3. It’s Effective
Some employers worry that people have gotten savvy and to that end, will have no problem cheating the results of a drug test. If that’s the case, then what’s the point in investing in them, right?
While that logic would be reasonable if people were really cheating drug tests en-mass, the reality is that they’re not.
Many government institutions rely on drug tests as part of their daily routines and need them to be accurate in order to properly assess things, like parole violations and other important factors.
That need has given birth to a variety of drug tests capable of testing everything from hair to urine, all with very high rates of accurate detection.
Learn more myths about drug testing.
4. You Create a Legally Permissible Workplace
Did you know that if drug use occurs on your property you could be liable for damages? This goes beyond just being liable for injuries that result in your workplace as a bi-product of drug use.
If the selling or exchanging of drugs is happening in your parking lot or in a break room, you could be seen as an accessory to a drug-related felony due to negligence.
That’s why it’s important that you do what you can to show you’re being proactive in your preventive drug measures.
5. You Lower Employee Turnover
People who are frequently using drugs find themselves in less stable living situations than those that don’t. With purchasing drugs often comes financial issues which can lead drug users to displacement and cause them to have to move out of your work area.
Drug use is also associated with a need that prevents people from fully committing to their responsibilities. That means that while your job could be convenient today, the moment it becomes inconvenient to a drug user’s lifestyle, that employee may leave with little or no notice.
Drug testing helps you better ensure the reliability of your team and lower costs associated with turnover.
6. You Get a High Return on Your Investment
Despite the costs involved with conducting employee drug screening, the return on your investment will be high. Not only are you reaping all of the benefits we’ve discussed thus far, but you also better ensure that your employees are performing at 100% when they show up to work with a drug testing in the workplace policy in place.
That heightened productivity means more production for your company which means a better return on your payroll expenses.
7. You Systematically Help Promote a Drug-Free Culture
At the end of the day, the illegal use of drugs or overuse of legal drugs is detrimental to society.
Look no further than the fact that 40% of adult males arrested for crimes test positive for marijuana use. Also, think about the irreparable damage caused by the use of harder drugs, like heroin or cocaine.
You have the power to help curb those habits, keep people alive, and keep families together by declaring your workplace drug free.
If keeping your community functioning better and helping promote the abandoning of drugs in your state and country is important to you, implementing a drug testing in the workplace policy is a great way to do that.
Wrapping Up Drug Testing in the Workplace: Should Your Business Consider It?
So, should you consider drug testing in the workplace? If any of our benefits of implementing a drug policy at your place of employment appeal to you, we recommend taking the leap and beginning to test.
We also recommend making it known to employees that random drug screenings can take place at any time. This way you don’t just get temporary abstaining from drug use but the permanent abandoning of drug-related behaviors.
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