Employment Drug Screening Facts
Fifty-five percent of U.S. companies conduct employee drug screenings, according to 2010 research by the Society of Human Resource Management. The reasons for employee drug screening are numerous---to find the best job candidates, to prevent at-work accidents and to save money on health insurance premiums. There are many times in an employee's career when he may be tested. There are many different types of tests, too.
Other People Are Reading
-
Legality
-
When former U.S. President Ronald Reagan signed Executive Order 12564, Drug-free Federal Workplace, employee drug screening became legal in the workplace. This executive order laid the ground for the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988, which required all employers that received federal contracts or grants to conduct employee drug screening. The trend then moved into the mainstream corporate culture. Each state has different regulations regarding the testing.
Preemployment Screening
-
Pre-employment testing is a common type of drug screening. It's typically conducted after a candidate has been offered, and accepted, a new position, but before she begins work. The offer is dependent on her passing all types of screenings, such as criminal background, credit, reference and education checks as well as the drug-screening test. Most employers clearly state which screenings will be conducted on the original job application.
-
Post-Employment Testing
-
There are other types of employee drug screening after a person has been hired. Random drug screening is commonly used at safety or security companies. Scheduled testing is conducted at preset times and annual company physical examinations. Post-accident drug screening is done after an employee has an accident on the job, such as a fall or forklift accident. This type of screening determines whether drugs or alcohol were factors in the accident, taking liability away from the employer. Employees who attend drug rehabilitation treatments to keep their jobs may be required to submit to regular, after-treatment drug testing.
Types of Drug Tests
-
There are several types of drug tests. Urine tests, which can be done at the employer site, look for a number of illegal drugs. Some urine tests are conducted at professional drug-screening labs. Hair tests, conducted at labs, detect long periods of drug usage. Oral and saliva drug tests are also available.
Disciplinary Methods
-
Disciplinary methods for failed drug tests vary between companies and from state to state. For example, in some states, employees who fail drug screens are immediately terminated. In other states, employees can attend drug rehabilitation treatment and then return to work.
-
References
- Photo Credit drug abuse image by Keith Frith from Fotolia.com
