An overlooked reason to do drug testing is to help identify employees who may be struggling with addiction.
Many people assume the motivating factor behind drug testing employees is to “throw the bum out”. Nothing could be further from the truth for a variety of reasons.
If an employee is a valuable and productive employee in your organization, why would you want to potentially lose them to a drug addiction. We believe it makes economic and moral sense to help the employee overcome their addiction and become a productive member of your workforce, their family and the community.
A study published by the Defense Resources Management Institute authored by Stephen Mehay and Natalie Webb found that U.S. Military’s policy of immediate dismissal of those who tested positive for drugs had a negative effect on military resources.
Their conclusion “Indeed, rehabilitation normally will be more cost-effective than a zero tolerance policy because a major portion of the benefits of rehabilitation are avoided replacement costs.” They found that the primary cost component of a zero tolerance policy was the cost of replacing individuals dismissed for a positive drug test. It makes more business economic sense to attempt to work with a current employee to rehabilitate rather than attempt replace them.
Emphasis must be placed on the assumption that your employee, who would otherwise be terminated under a zero tolerance policy, represents value to your firm.
Don’t miss this overlooked reason to do drug testing.
There are many other good reasons to have a drug free workplace policy in your work environment including but not limited to:
Protect clients, employees, and other third parties, and protect the security and finances of a company.
Provide a layer of protection against negligent retention torts.
James P. Randisi, President of Randisi & Associates, Inc., has since 1999 been helping employers protect their clients, workforce and reputation through implementation of employment screening and drug testing programs. This post does not constitute legal advice. Randisi & Associates, Inc. is not a law firm. Always contact competent employment legal counsel. Mr. Randisi can be contacted by phone at 410.336.0287 or Email: info@randisiandassociates.com or the website at randisiandassociates.com.
