Workplace Drug Testing
Employee drug testing programs detect drug users and serve to deter drug use in the workplace. Since employers first began drug testing employees in the 1980s, drug use among workers subject to testing has steadily declined.
Unless a company is federally regulated (e.g. by the U.S. DOT), employers have a fair amount of discretion (subject to some state and local laws), in how they conduct employee drug testing.
About Employee Drug Testing
Pre-employment drug testing is the most common reason, but there are many other very good reasons employers drug test.
- Pre-employment testing is usually performed after a conditional offer of employment. Pre-employment drug testing is a litmus test of sorts. It protects employers from the negative impacts of hiring drug users, not only through test testing itself, but it also deters many from seeking jobs where passing a drug test is required, and many will seek a job elsewhere.
- Random drug testing acts as a deterrent to drug use. Using a computer-generated random selection process, existing employees are selected for unannounced drug testing. A true random selection process ensures that there is no bias and that all individuals have an equal chance to be selected.
- Periodic testing is not the same as random. It is typically scheduled and performed on current employees at regular times throughout the year. Many employers conduct annual or semi-annual periodic testing, and in many cases, combine it with an annual physical.
- Post-accident testing, sometimes called “post-incident” testing, is conducted following a workplace accident. Normally a company drug policy will define what type of accident requires a post-accident drug (or drug and alcohol) test. Some examples may include fatalities, injuries that require medical assistance, traffic citations, or damage to a vehicle or property over a specific dollar amount. OSHA also has some things to say on this matter. Post-accident testing is used to determine whether drugs could have been a factor in the incident.
- Reasonable suspicion testing, sometimes called “for-cause” testing, is conducted when supervisors have evidence or reasonable cause to suspect an employee of drug use. Under DOT guidelines, a trained supervisor must make a determination based on “specific,contemporaneous, articulable observations concerning the appearance, behavior, speech or body odors” of the employee.
- Return-to-duty testing is for employees who have previously tested positive or otherwise violated a company’s drug and alcohol policy. For federally-mandated, safety-sensitive workers, return-to-duty drug testing is a single test that is performed at a scheduled time, typically following the completion of a drug abatement program. Many non-regulated employers who offer second chance agreements do similarly.
- Follow-up testings for employees who have previously tested positive or otherwise violated a company’s drug and alcohol policy. Follow-up testing is performed after an initial return-to-duty test.
Drug Abuse Costs Employers
Alcohol Testing
We use Department of Transportation (DOT) approved Evidentiary Breath Test devices for all alcohol tests. Results are court-admissible if required.
Substance Abuse Costs Businesses Huge!
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LOST PRODUCTIVITY
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ACCIDENT
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ABSENTEEISM
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HEALTHCARE COSTS
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WORKERS COMPENSATION
$0
ANNUAL COST TO AN EMPLOYER
