What Are the Benefits of Employee Drug Testing Accuracy?
Federal laws require some workers (e.g. Federal Bureau of Investigation agents) to take drug tests before they start work. Additionally, state and local laws also require professionals such as daycare workers to submit to drug pre-screenings. Employers and employees both benefit from accurate screenings. Some of the benefits are financial, while others impact an organization's morale and productivity.
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Federal Grants
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Employers who conduct accurate drug tests can receive federal grants. They must complete certificates that confirm their workplace is drug free. Furthermore, some states like South Carolina will not award employers contracts or grants equal to $50,000 or higher unless the employers certify that they operate a drug-free workplace.
Increased Productivity
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Drug free workplaces experience higher levels of employee productivity. Employees who do not use drugs call in sick from work less frequently than those who do. When absenteeism goes down, supervisors do not have to ask workers who show up on the job to work longer hours so they can complete assignments initially assigned to workers who called out sick. Group and company morale increases as each worker carries his own load.
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Legal Costs
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Costs to discipline employees who use drugs go down when employers' drug testing results are accurate. Not only do employers avoid paying discrimination or harassment court costs when employees and prospective workers take them to court and sue them to fight inaccurate drug testing results, employers avoid breaking Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) laws and going to court due to unsafe working environments.
Lower Worker's Compensation Claims
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Drug testing accuracy ensures that workers who take drugs are not hired, which reduces or eliminates the numbers of drug-related accidents at organizations. The lowered numbers of accidents can also cause an employer's workers' compensation insurance premiums to decrease.
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References
- ABSO: Employee Drug Testing
- University of New Hampshire: Predictive Probabilities In Employee Drug-Testing
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Certification Regarding Drug Free Workplace Requirements
- National Drug Screen: Why Drug Screening
- Find Law: The Facts About Drug Testing During the Hiring Stage
- U.S. Department of Labor: State Laws
- Photo Credit test tubes image by Paul Hill from Fotolia.com
