Drug testing

What does drug abuse cost the American workplace?

• Increases the number of reportable on-the-job accidents by 50 percent or more
• Turnover is 30 percent higher
• Absenteeism is 10 percent higher
• Drug abusers are responsible for 30 percent or more of total losses related to job site theft and up to 60 percent of cash theft
• An estimated 10-14 percent of the American workforce abuses drugs and costs the economy $140 billion per year

Organizations need to be proactive to protect themselves against employee drug abuse by creating an effective drug testing program.

You can establish a program by clearly communicating your drug-free workplace policy to every employee. Then name a medical review officer who will monitor the program and promote an employee assistance program.

You must determine how you are going to drug test and when. Most organizations test post accident and pre-employment but random testing has proven to be a significant deterrent and can be implemented in conjunction with pre-employment and post-accident testing.

The federal government and most states support drug-free workplace programs, but there are differences in statutes, so check your state’s guidelines before starting a program. The key is to have a well-documented and well-communicated policy that is applied in a fair, unbiased manner. (adapted from an article in Industrial Hygiene News)