What Do You Want from Your Drug Testing Program?

There are many reasons to have an employment drug testing program. Some are mandated by the government, some are required by your customers, and some give you a benefit with your insurance company, but the underlying reason in all of the above is to keep drug abusers out of your workforce. Studies have shown more than half of workplace accidents involve drugs and/or alcohol. This does not include theft, from co-workers or employers,  which can be attributed to substance abusers. When employers look at all the reasons to drug test, it is apparent they would want to design the most effective program possible.

Unfortunately, companies will do a form of pre-employment drug testing and nothing else. Companies need to recognize that urine or saliva testing only gives about a 3-day window of detection. Experienced users can time his or her drug use and defeat that 3-day window. In companies with no post-hire testing, the abuser knows that once they have passed the pre-employment test, they can go back to their substance-abusing ways.
Another area for employers to consider for those who do not do post-hire testing is the failure to recognize that life changes. One day a good employee is doing well and living a good life, then the next day, a serious illness hits their family, or a divorce comes into play, or they find their house is now worth less than they paid for it. Pressure begins to mount and people will look for an escape, something to help them cope with whatever issue they are facing. All too frequent, they will turn to drugs for some temporary relief.

Unfortunately this temporary relief can become its own problem. No one starts down this path hoping to become addicted, but it happens.  As an employer, ignoring this evolving issue and hoping that nothing happens could be risky? What if the employee becomes more of a burden than an asset? This is why employers need to have some form of post-hire drug testing. Post-hire drug testing programs, from random to reasonable suspicion to post-accident testing, are designed to put employees on notice so they will hopefully make better life decisions. It is the deterrent that companies look for in a program.

Looking at the various forms of post-hire testing, they each bring their own benefits:

Random Testing - This is not designed to be a “gotcha” program hoping to catch employees, but is a tool to help employees make better choices. Adults can be subject to peer-pressure just as teenagers are. Having a random program helps employees resist temptation by allowing them to assert they cannot try a drug because they could be randomly tested at work.

Reasonable Suspicion Testing - The idea here is to keep someone from getting hurt. It is better to take someone off the job for a test, before an accident, than to wait until an accident happens. Trained supervisors, given the knowledge to recognize impairment and the confidence to take action, are key to this program.

Post-Accident Testing -  This type of testing program gives some protection to both the employer and to the employee. If the test is positive, the employer can take direct employment action to help prevent further accidents. The employer may also be able to deny a worker’s compensation claim, based on the relevant state law. If it is negative, the employer will know to look for other causes for the accident. Also if the test is negative, it gives the employee some protection from false claims of impairment.

In summary, a pre-employment drug test is a good start, but does not address the realities of life. Best practice is to motivate employees to help create a drug-free workplace through post-hire testing.