When is it a good idea for an employer to do drug testing in the organization?

Drug abuse by employees is a major problem for many organizations in the United States today. Drug abuse in the workplace affects the organization in many ways, including employee delay, absenteeism, attitude problems, theft, crime, violence and decreased productivity. The Department of Labor estimates that substance abuse at work costs employers about $ 75 to $ 100 billion each year in the form of absences, accidents, medical care and workers' compensation costs at work. EE. UU.

A significant number of illegal drug users are employed in the United States. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 12.9 million drug abusers 18 years or older were employed full-time or part-time in the United States. This means that almost 67 percent of all illicit drug users over the age of 18 were employed. It also states that 74.4 percent of all adult forced drinkers and 74.9 percent of heavy drinkers were employed in 2009.

This alarmingly high number of employees who abuse drugs or alcohol claim that organizations are vulnerable to accidents at work. To ensure a drug-free work environment, employers must consider employee dallas drug testing.

When are these tests performed?
An employer can test employees before naming them. Employers can also test existing employees to ensure that employees remain productive on the job and prevent employees' substance abuse. Some good situations for an employer to test medicine employees in the organization are:

During bonding time
Organizations often use drug testing on employees during onboarding time to prevent addicts from entering the company. Employers can use this "pre-employment" drug test to reduce the risk of a drug addict being hired. It is part of an effective hiring process as it blocks drug or alcohol users who may become future employees and costs the company the amount paid for medical insurance, medical treatment or compensation for labor accidents.

Random tests
One of the effective ways to discourage employee misconduct is by conducting 'random substance testing' in the workplace. The primary goal of a random drug test is deterrence as it forces employees to remain drug free at all times and not just before the appointment. Employers can evaluate their employees at random; an employee or two can be assembled in a random process and tested without giving any prior indication of the test. Workplace accidents can be significantly reduced with this type of employee test. Today, a growing number of organizations, including large corporate offices, small businesses, the military, police and fire departments, public agencies, schools, etc. conduct random drug tests.

Test after accident
Employers may perform post-accident testing after an employee or employees have found an accident or serious injury at work. Generally, a post-accident test is conducted to determine if drugs or alcohol were a contributing cause of the accident. Accident testing protects the company from liability if the employee is under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol at the time of the accident. The company is not responsible for the injuries suffered by the person if he / she was drunk at work.

Scheduled tests
Scheduled tests, as the name suggests, take place at predetermined times. It is usually performed during routine physical tests at the company. By performing regular or scheduled drug tests, an employer can make employees think twice about using drugs as they know a drug test is coming. This can make them make the right decisions about the use of illegal drugs.

Evidence related to treatment.
Treatment-related drug tests are performed by employees who have returned to work after attending a drug or alcohol treatment program. This medication test at regular intervals ensures that employees return to work.