Why Are Pre-Employment Drug Tests So Important For Employers?
Owning and running a business can be a great and rewarding thing. However, there are risks that are associated with this as well. Workplace injuries are not an uncommon thing and they can be quite costly.
Sure, you can train your employees to take safety precautions. You can supply them with all the safety equipment that they need. You can even hold weekly classes informing them about the risks they are exposed to and how to avoid them, but you will never prevent every case. T
his is especially true if drugs and alcohol are thrown into the mix. This is why more and more employers are opting to testing their employees before hiring them. This will not only increase safety, but it will help maintain a drug-free workplace.
What Is The Pre-Employment Drug Test?
When you hear someone talk about the pre-employment drug test, you should think about a drug test that is issued before and individual is granted employment with a certain company. Not all companies require testing, but more and more are adopting the procedure, there is a list of companies that do pre employment drug test. Drug testing policies might change time to time, so I suggest you to check out the drug testing policy before applying for a position.
That being said, you need to know that pre-employment tests come in many different forms. The urine test is the most popular because it is cost effective, quick and accurate. However, the only downside to the urine drug test is that it is a short-term test. It only dates back to thirty days or less.
There is another test available that can date back much longer: hair follicle drug test test.
It is also important to note that different tests can screen for different drugs. Most employers will just stick with the standard 5-plan drug test, which tests for the five most commonly abused drugs. These drugs usually include THC, cocaine, opiates, phencyclidine and amphetamines.
Why Would Employers Test Employees Before Hiring Them?
It is important for employers to test employees before hiring them because it can reduce their risks, as well as increase their overall productivity. You don’t have to be a scientist or doctor to know that drugs and alcohol affect the concentration and judgment of the user.
With accidents, injuries and missed days a heavy abuser could potentially cost your company a lot of money. Just imagine if an employee in a drug induced stupor kills a number of the public. If it was discovered that the individual was on drugs, your company could be facing a major lawsuit.
Promoting a drug-free workplace can also really increase the overall productivity of your employees. Drug induced employees usually drag down progress and leave other employees to pick up the slack. This not only puts more work on that other employee, but it strains them.
What Is The Legality Of Pre-Employment Drug Testing?
There are no doubt a lot of businesses that are testing employees before hiring them, but can they legally do this? Of course, they can! However, in certain states the employers might have to meet certain standards.
- The applicant might need to be notified ahead of time about the test.
- The applicant might already need to be guaranteed the job before taking the test
- All applicants tested for the same positions must be tested in the same manner
- All tests must be conducted by a lab that is state-certified
