Aiming for Drug-Free Workplaces
Source: CBS News
Date: March 06, 2008
Random drug tests of small businesses' employees are more common now than they used to be, and so is testing of prospective workers before they're hired, and with good reason.
It makes sense for a company of any size, but especially small businesses, to require drug tests for prospective employees.
You may think you know your employees well enough to spot a problem if there is one, but people who are users are less likely to apply to a company that does test. And once a drug user is on your payroll, watch out: the costs can be a lot more than the 50 dollars or less you pay for a drug test.
According to government estimates, drug users are four times more likely to be involved in an accident, five times more likely to file a worker's compensation claim. The government says across the country, companies are losing about 82 billion dollars a year in productivity. Drug users miss more days of work and show up late more often.
You may not want to invade your workers' privacy, but if there's random screening, nobody needs to feel they're being singled out.
Alcoholism is in the same category. You know that if a worker has a drinking problem, it's almost sure to affect their job performance. According to Quest Diagnostics, one of the biggest testing labs, typically almost 6% of employees nationwide test positive for drug use and 4% of job applicants. And Quest says the tests are reliable enough that there are very few false positives.
Insurance companies often charge lower premium rates to businesses that screen for drug use and actively aim for a drug-free workplace. So, if the place you work puts in a drug testing program, no reason for you to feel insulted. It's nothing personal. Just good business.