Testing employees for drugs before completing the hiring process isn’t a new concept, but it continues to be used for the majority of companies throughout the United States. According to the US Department of Labor, more than 6% of the population has used illegal drugs in the last 30 days, many of which are working individuals between the ages of 16 and 25. It’s no surprise that businesses want to be involved in a drug testing program to maintain a drug-free workplace, but there are more reasons to drug test your employees, aside from the initial testing.
1) Improved Productivity
Implementing a drug testing program at your company can lead to improved productivity for a number of reasons. Employees that are aware of random drug testing are less likely to use drugs or alcohol on the job. Being under the influence of drugs or alcohol at work severely diminishes productivity, but when employees stop this habit, they begin working harder and focus better. You’ll also find that there are less workplace injuries and accidents as a result of a substance-abuse testing program.
2) Decreased Liability
With millions of Americans using drugs on a regular basis, it is becomingly increasingly more difficult to maintain a drug-free workplace. When employees use drugs or alcohol on the job, a potentially much higher percentage of workers are involved in occupational accidents and injuries, along with an increased liability risk.
3) Reduced Health Insurance Costs
A company’s health insurance expenses may be dramatically reduced if the insurance company is aware of a drug testing program, which translates to decreased accidents, injuries, and illnesses on the job.
4) Decreased Workers Compensation Claims
The fewer employees you have engaging in drugs or alcohol on the job, the less accidents and injuries you’ll likely have to contend with. This reduces worker’s compensation claims tremendously as there are fewer employees sustaining occupational injuries. It’s another of the cost-saving benefits of having a drug testing program at your company.
5) Compliance with DOT
The US Department of Transportation (DOT) requires companies that have certain transportation vehicles, such as mass transit, trucking, and aviation, to be drug-free. In order to comply with their drug and alcohol-free policy, your company needs to introduce a drug testing program that not only tests individuals before they’re hired, but also to perform random drug screening of employees with these types of responsibilities.
6) Improved Morale
Individuals that engage in drugs or alcohol in the workplace are also more likely to have a poor work performance, be excessively tardy for work, and put a damper on the company’s daily responsibilities in general.
7) Reduced Labor Costs
When you fire an employee that you have spent time training to do their job, it costs your company money to hire a new and experienced employee. If you are drug testing individuals before hiring them, you can weed out the regular drug users and avoid having to fire them for this reason in the future.
Implementing a drug testing program that tests individuals before they’re officially hired as well as doing random substance-abuse tests for employees will help your company in the long run with reduced labor costs, reduced worker’s compensation claims, and less accidents or injuries overall.
