There are many reasons companies follow through with a pre-employment drug screen for the top prospects. Safety would be at the highest level of reasoning in a company. One of the highest costs for companies is Worker’s Comp Insurance.
Drugs can alter the senses and cause the best workers to falter. It is cheaper for a company to pay for a pre-employment drug screen than to pay for injuries or lawsuits where drugs were a factor. Many issues are resolved before they even become a problem within a company by performing drug screens for everyone they hire. The most common type of pre-employment drug test is the 10 panel drug screen. Some companies will pay half the cost or the entire amount to save their company as an investment.
All of the critical reasons as you will see in this article revolve around safety.
Job Performance
A company and employer wants workers they can rely on when needed. Catching a drug problem in a prospect at the beginning will eliminate the situation in the bud.
A good worker can be defined as punctual, reliable, present, and have a good product turnover. Drugs will alter every one of these listed. The company’s goal is to make money, and they cannot make money with an employee who will falter on production or carry on with unsafe measures. Safety is the number one factor in every sector, and eliminating the issue before it is a problem, will keep injuries and accidents relatively low.
The upside to keeping all workers safe through a pre-employment drug screen, the Workers’ Compensation rates will remain low, allowing more profit for the company. Catching the problem early will also help keep a drug free environment in the workplace.
How Does a Pre-Employment Drug Screen Work?
When an applicant is narrowed down to the position after the interview, paperwork is drawn up from the company to send the applicant to a medical facility to deliver a sample of hair or urine. Once the applicant is sent to a medical facility, the company pays for the drug screen through their account. Some situations are different where only a urine sample is needed, while others will include a hair sample for further drug use. Hair samples also go further back in time for testing results. Results can take anywhere from one to three days, depending on the type of test requested.
If the test is found positive, there are certain situations where prescribed medication may show up positive. It is up to the applicant to disclose all medications taken before the samples are taken. If the test is positive, the Medical Review Officer will review the results to let the company know whether the results are acceptable for employment.
Consequences for Failed Tests
There are penalties for applicants who fail to pass a pre-employment drug screen. If the employer paid in full for the screening, the employee might be required to pay back the company’s funding. In most cases, that would be the least of the applicant’s worries.
If the results come back as positive, some states require the company to disclose the information to the FCRA where fines and penalties, including jail time, maybe in the works. Certain narcotics found in a person’s system can call for desperate measures where the law takes over from that moment.
Another problem the applicant may face is they will be blackballed from the company. Some companies allow six months or more to apply, but the chances are not in the applicant’s favor.
The Adequate Investment
When dealing with the public, it is always a gamble. Many people may come clean and admit they have used drugs, while others think they can beat the system.
The pre-employment drug screen does not lie, and it safeguards the company from making the mistake of hiring unqualified workers. However, if the applicant passes the pre-employment drug screen, it is considered an investment by the company and a tax deduction. It is a small price to pay for well-qualified workers.
Once again, the main goal in mind is to keep the company safe and secure. In doing so, companies that use pre-employment drug screens will never go wrong in the adequate investment.
