The Importance of Employee Drug Screening

Substance abuse results in increased absenteeism, crime, violence, theft, and decreased productivity. Accidents and workers' compensation claims also increase as a result of substance abuse. An estimate by the US Department of Labor projected that drug abuse at workplace costs employers $75 to $100 billion annually in lost productivity. Another study conducted by the American Council for Drug Education concluded that employees who abuse drugs and/or alcohol are:

10 times more likely to be absent from work.
33% less productive than others.
6 times more likely to file for workers' compensation claims.
Directly responsible for 40% of all industrial accidents and fatalities.

Given the enormous cost to organizations, pre-employment drug testing and ongoing employee drug screening are becoming an important health and safety issue in the workplace.

Drug testing has become a permanent feature of the pre-employment screening process. One misguided employee can severely damage the image of an organization and also result in loss of productivity. Guided by the philosophy “precaution is better than cure”, some employers even screen temporary workers for drug and alcohol abuse to avoid any problematic incidents. Drug screening is used by employers to weed out applicants with a history of substance abuse, as well. This helps employers avoid costs for treatment, rehabilitation, replacement, and costs which can put a conscientious organization in a tight financial position.

Most employers use a host of comprehensive testing options which include 5 and 10 panel drug examinations. Drugs that are tested in the 5 panel option consist of Marijuana (THC), PCP, Amphetamines, Cocaine and Opiates. These drugs are commonly known as “street drugs”. A ten panel drug test includes prescription drugs, which in most cases are legal to use. However, these are tested to make sure the applicant is not abusing prescription medication that was not prescribed to him/her by a medical professional. Most drugs will stay in the human system for about 2-4 days after consumption. However, some drugs can be detected up to two weeks after being consumed. Highly sophisticated drug testing methods such as hair testing can even detect drugs for a period of 90 days but is expensive and seldom used.

There has been evidence of tampering with test samples by applicants to avoid detection. Some applicants wait for a stipulated period of time before appearing for a test to avoid testing positive. Therefore employers incorporate random drug testing during the pre-employment screening process to ensure that such applicants can be identified positively.

Drug testing programs can be initiated with little efforts and low cost. Employers have already seen the positive aspects of including drug testing in the hiring process. They also view it as a cost effective solution in eliminating future risks and litigations. Drug testing is set to become a matter of routine and should be devoid of any exceptions. Any exception made could have disastrous consequences.

Info Cubic is a nationwide, one-stop pre employment screening company providing drug screening  with high value intelligence delivered through automation and transparent technology, direct access to information, and unparalleled customer service.