Four Reasons Employer Drug Tests are Beneficial

Many employers wonder about drug tests and if they are ethical or beneficial. Requiring routine and random urine drug tests can become expensive and timely for an employer, especially if it is consistently resulting in a loss of employees and high turnover rates. Employers may question how much affect drug and alcohol use actually has on work productivity and if the decrease is worth the process of urine drug tests.

Drug use can negatively affect a business?s profits
High amounts of drug and alcohol use can actually affect a business?s bottom line. When employees are regularly using drugs or alcohol on the job, they are not completing required work tasks. Too much of a decrease in completed tasks and it will eventually have a negative effect on the business and its profits. According to a recent survey on urine drug testing, nearly 75% of adult illicit drug users are employed, which causes American businesses to lose about $81 billion a year. A lot of this cost is associated with reduced productivity.

Drug use on the job can be extremely dangerous
There are many ways that drugs and alcohol on the job can be extremely dangerous. Firstly, employers are responsible for their employees during work hours. This means that if an accident occurs, the employee can file for workman?s comp, costing the business thousands of dollars. Additionally, there are many jobs that require the employee to always have a clear mind to ensure safety. Professions such as school professionals, law enforcement, and even manufacturing industry workers are likely to see an increase in accidents when intoxicated. Rapid drug screens can be especially effective in reducing on the job use and in increased overall employee safety.

Drugs can cost an employer in liability
Many corporate employers offer full benefits to all employees. This means that if an employee develops a drug or alcohol problem, the employer will cover for their treatment. However, if the employer never tests for drugs and alcohol prior to beginning employment, they could be covering the costs of treatment for an employee that already had a problem or one that does not have the desire to quit. For this reason, urine drug tests are important not only throughout employment but also before the employment ever begins.

A poor business reputation can be formed
A high occurrence rate of drugs in the workplace can lead to a poor business reputation. Customers will not trust the business enough to give them their business and other employee candidates will not want to be surrounded by drug and alcohol problems. This can prevent high quality employees from ever applying. Drug and alcohol tests can reduce the occurrence of high substance use in an employment setting. According to the American Management Association survey, approximately 62% of employers in the U.S. implemented a drug testing program with the goal of increasing employee safety, complying with state and city regulations, protecting the business’s reputation and developing an overall drug free environment.

Employee drug and alcohol problems put a huge strain on the U.S. economy and on an individual businesses success. In fact, government studies show that one out of six workers has a problem with drug abuse. The single best way to limit the effects of drugs in the workplace is with both preliminary and random urine drug tests and routine drug test kits. Implementing a drug testing policy in your business will ensure that you keep drugs and alcohol out of the workplace, this increasing employee motivation, and productivity and protecting the businesses profits.