Having staff members who use illegal drugs is never a good news for any company. These employees can lower the productivity and revenue of a business, but can also put their co-workers at risk.

In fact, in most workplaces, the use of illegal drugs of an employee can have fatal consequences. As a result many business owners look to implement a workplace drug testing scheme. The aim is to safeguard their employees from the dangers of illegal drug use and promote a safe and friendly work environment.

There are plenty of great reasons why managers decide to have compulsory drug testing, but here are the top 6:

1. We want every staff member to be safe.

Being under the influence of drug can impair a person’s judgement and increase safety risks. In some industries, such as construction, being intoxicated while at work can cause an injury or even a fatality.

2. We always want top performance from employees.

Staff members who use drugs may struggle to focus on tasks, feel lethargic during office hours or miss several working days. Workplace drug testing allows managers to identify who are the employees who aren’t performing well at work because of illegal drug use, and replace them with people who can do the task better.

3. We care about profits.

Let’s be honest, increasing the bottom line is what drives most businesses, and drug-using employees can be a road block on the path to big profits. Staff members who use drugs can miss deadlines or take sick days often, affecting the overall staff productivity. Declining productivity will result in lower profits as well.

Also, in some cases, drug-abusing staff members steal from the company coffers to fund their addiction, which is bad news for company profits.

4. We don’t want to fire anyone.

Telling someone they’re fired because of drug use is hard and most managers don’t want to have to go through with that. The best way is to conduct a pre-employment drug testing to find employees who fit the company’s goals and standards. It lowers the chances of having to fire an employee down the road, allowing companies to retain valuable workers and decrease their turnover rate.

 

5. We want to avoid high medical costs.

Drug abuse can cause a variety of illness and therefore increase an employee’s medical costs. Business owners lose a lot of money when they are housing a staff member who uses drugs, because it means companies will have to pay for their medical expenses. Workplace drug testing allows employers to decrease their health insurance premiums and health costs by reducing on-the-job accidents and drug-related illnesses.

6. We don’t want to get sued.

This is related to reason number 1, because work injuries, accidents or deaths can make employers legally liable. For example, if the company work with children, the elderly or patients and the drug-using staff member threatens their safety, the employer can face lawsuits or other legal consequences.

Workplace drug testing brings a lot of advantages to companies and its employees. The upfront costs of drug testing will pay for itself when the company retains focused, productive and drug-free employees.

It can be a good opportunity to reach out to hiring managers and business owners, and discuss the possible implementation of mandatory drug testing in their work place.

If you are interested in making a difference and conduct alcohol and drug testing for companies in your local area – contact us today.