The Importance of Employee Drug Testing via a Trusted Provider

Unfortunately, we live in an era of prevalent alcohol and drug abuse problems. The reality as an employer is that when you hire an employee you are engaging in an extreme version of trust. That employee will not only be dealing with your customers, but he or she will also be given access to many of your mission-critical resources, such as access to credit card processing, cash, merchandise, and even confidential customer information. As part of a comprehensive background check system, you should engage in systematic testing for drug problems, especially within certain industries. Indeed, certain industries such as those in the medical profession or in financial services often have more stringent standards in terms of employee background checks. To learn more about drug testing procedures, take a look at this useful guide from Lpath. Drug tests can detect a wide range of drugs. Marijuana, opioids, and methamphetamines can all remain in the body for a prolonged period of time and so in some cases it is also necessary to take into consideration when any drugs were initially used. Want to learn about how long marijuana can stay detectable within the body? Click here to discover more.

Why Employee Drug Testing is Important

Photo credit: Dr PS Sahana * Kadamtala Howrah via Source / CC BY

Photo credit: Dr PS Sahana * Kadamtala Howrah via Source / CC BY

Why is it important to test your employees for drug use? The obvious reason, and the one that comes most frequently to mind, is that an employee with a drug abuse problem may steal from you. Drugs cost money, of course, and a person with a severe drug or other substance abuse problem will invariably be extremely interested in extra cash. That is, however, only the most common reason to test your employees for drug use. Secondly, employees often have access to sensitive information, and in today’s information society that information itself can be sold for money. It is well-known that many incidences of cybersecurity breaches have behind them employees who act implicitly with the criminals. Third, and perhaps most importantly, your employees expose you to liability problems. You may not think that your employees’ drug problem is your problem, but if an accident or other type of incident happens those problems may indeed become your problem. Ironically, even a worker who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs who has an accident in the workplace may be entitled to workers’ compensation and other types of government, regulatory programs at your expense! Even if none of these issues arise, it may be a good idea for an employer to hire a session with a psychologist every now and then to ensure that they receive the necessary assistance. As a result, you will be able to establish a positive work environment. This could be beneficial for both of you. You could even decide to get your employee enrolled in a medical detox at Arista Recovery or similar facilities, which can help them better themselves by sorting their problems.

It is obvious, therefore, that any serious employer should at least investigate the need for potentially drug testing his or her employees. As part of our comprehensive employee background check services, our expert consultants can work with you to inventory your needs and give you advice as to what you should test for in terms of drugs, or alcohol, and how potentially testing employees for drug use should fit into your larger system of background checks for your employees.

So much of what we do is to relieve the pressure on employers to provide comprehensive background checks on their employees, but we also serve as an external voice that can help you create that systematic plan in the first place.


Photo credit: Dr PS Sahana * Kadamtala Howrah via Source / CC BY

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