Employers have a specific process in place that is used by the HR department in order to conduct interviews and hire employees.
The HR department is responsible for vetting prospective employees to make sure that they meet the established standards of the business and share its overall vision. While there are certain standards that are easier to judge, like a person’s experience and personality, there are other items that can be a tad more difficult to discern. For this reason, employers will look to have the prospective employee undergo pre-employment drug testing as a means of ensuring the right person is being hired. Many business owners might be apprehensive about engaging in such techniques, but there are numerous tangible benefits. This piece will focus on these benefits and illustrate why pre-employment drug testing should be a requirement.
Indicator of Employee’s Habits
Every business’s goal, to make money, can be hampered by hiring an employee who is not meeting the established standards and is bringing the entire team down. For this reason, employers use pre-employment drug testing as a means of assessing an employee’s drug use over a certain time. It can shed light on matters many employers can overlook during the regular interviewing process. It is generally used as the final check mark prior to hiring the employee and working towards bettering the business. While interviewers may be uncomfortable asking questions about a prospective employee’s drug habits, to which interviewees can always give untruthful answers, drug testing is a scientific, less uncomfortable method of finding the answers.
Prevents Misconduct
Pre-employment drug testing can help prevent misconduct in the workplace before it ever has a chance to arise. Removing individuals who are participating in illicit activities helps ensure that the workplace is a safe and secure environment for all hired employees.
Businesses that rely on their employees to ensure the safety of their customers should strongly consider pre-employment drug testing. There is no room for error when employees are handling safety-sensitive transportation vehicles or equipment, and people with a drug or alcohol problem are much more likely to get in a motor accident or file a workers’ compensation claim. Screening for such issues before hiring is the easiest and most cost-effective way to avoid problems related to drug use down the line.
A Requirement for Working With the Government
The Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 requires some Federal contractors and all Federal grantees to agree that they will provide a drug-free workplace in order to be eligible to receive a grant or a contract from a Federal agency. This means that any employer who hopes to work with the US Government has an obligation to ensure that drugs and alcohol are not being consumed by employees at any time, neither at work nor in their private lives, to the best of their ability. One of the best ways to ensure compliance with the Act is pre-employment drug testing for all employees.
Drive Down Costs
Drug users are much more likely to be absent from work, slowing production and dragging down profit for the company. Additionally, businesses will often provide healthcare benefits for employees as a means to boost productivity and loyalty, as well as to comply with changing government health care regulations. Drug users are more likely to require medical attention and to be absent from work as a result, which can be a serious drain on resources for the business that is both providing the healthcare and dependent upon the employee’s services.
