For those working in law enforcement or government transportation industries, pre-hire drug testing is mandatory, but even if you run an unrelated business, testing has its benefits. Every employer wants their workplace to be a productive and safe space for their workers. When employees come to work high on illegal drugs, it can quickly become a dangerous situation. Even if they are not aggressive, they can have a negative impact on morale and productivity by committing crimes or calling in sick on a regular basis.
Because of these issues, many companies are implementing pre-employment drug screening for new employees or testing current workers. By identifying drug users, you have a better chance of maintaining a safe workplace free from crime and tragic accidents. If you are thinking of performing drug tests on current employees or a pre-employment drug test for your potential hires – consider these four benefits.
Protecting Your Company From Workers’ Compensation Claims and Lawsuits
Your business may be liable if an accident occurs due to drug use because you will have failed to provide a safe working environment. By requiring your potential employees to go through pre-employment drug screening, you can identify those that are a threat to the safety of themselves and others and protect your company from damaging lawsuits.
Normally, if a worker is injured on the job, he or she will be entitled to claim workers’ compensation for medical bills and to cover lost wages. However, if you can prove that the employee is a drug user and that is likely the cause of the accident, the injured employee may not be entitled to those benefits. This can save your company money.
While you may be worried about getting sued for wrongful termination after firing an employee who fails a drug test, know that the test proves that the termination was justified. It may save you from an expensive lawsuit.
Random Testing Is Often a Deterrent
You can keep your business environment safe by randomly performing drug tests. Once workers know that they can be tested at any time resulting in disciplinary actions or termination, they may think twice about using. If it comes down to a choice between their livelihood and their recreational drug use, hopefully they will make the right decision.
Reduce Employee Turnover
Because drug users are often unable to perform their duties at work, many end up fired or they quit. It costs your business money to find new workers to replace them. By sending applicants for a pre-employment drug test, you’ll be sure you are hiring reliable employees so you can lower your turnover rate.
Testing Can Help Users Get Treatment
If you’re testing current employees, you may be tempted to immediately fire workers that test positive for illegal substances. However, some employers take the opportunity to help get these workers into treatment centers. They offer compassion instead of punishment. These companies may also help the families of employees with drug problems by locating the resources they need to cope.
If you would like to reduce crime and accidents in your workplace while raising morale and productivity, consider calling Edge Information Management. We can walk you through the pre-employment drug testing process so you can hire reliable and efficient workers and filter out those that could cost your business money.
Contact Edge Information today for a free demo of our drug and background screening solutions. We are integrated with most leading applicant tracking systems!
