Statistics reveal that the Americans make up for merely five percent of the world's population, yet buy or consume more than 60 percent of the world's supply of illicit drugs. Moreover, 77 percent of the illicit drug abusers in the U.S. are employed on either a full-time or a part-time basis, posing a huge threat to the workplace culture and safety.
Drug screening programs help hirers sift out the drug abusers from the non-users, creating a safe work environment for everyone. Here are five ways in which corporate drug screening programs benefit the employees and the employers, enabling them to enjoy a drug-free and a healthy lifestyle.
1. Creates a Safe and a Healthy Workplace
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) states that substance abuse is the number one contributor to workplace accidents and safety risks in the United States. Thus, the unlawful use of drugs at a workplace can be extremely detrimental to the employees' lives and the organization's productivity.
Several studies have shown that corporate drug testing programs reduce the incidence of workplace accidents and injuries, giving both the employers and the employees an increased sense of security and well-being while they are at work.
The enhanced workplace safety creates a healthy and a positive working environment for all and saves organizations from increased healthcare costs. This is especially true in scenarios where the organization deals with machinery and tools that must be used with caution and could pose a danger to the lives of the staff involved.
Quite a few businesses use drug screening programs to identify and help troubled employees, offering solutions and treatment options to help them overcome the addiction and improve their quality of life.
2. Reduces the Costs and Enhances Productivity
Substance abuse is associated with a high incidence of absenteeism, injuries, and workplace accidents and increased healthcare expenses, impeding the productivity of the organizations. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), American companies lose billions of dollars each year owing to workplace issues related to drug and alcohol abuse.
Managing a functional drug abuser at work also puts a financial burden on the organizations, negatively affecting their bottom line. In fact, the Department of Labor has shared that treating and converting an employee who is a substance abuser, costs the organization an average of $11 thousand each year.
For employers, drug screening programs help reduce the absenteeism, the overall healthcare costs related to workers' compensation and disabilities, and the substance-abuse-related damage caused to the property and the other employees. Random as well as pre-employment drug testing programs help organizations improve their turnover rate by hiring the most efficient and focused workforce.
Moreover, by complying with the local and the federal drug testing regulations, organizations in the American states such as Arizona, Alabama, Florida, Georgia and others are able to avail of discounts and workers' compensation benefits. Health insurance providers and drug testing firms also offer corporate discounts to organizations that adhere to these drug testing policies.
Employee safety also plays a crucial role in improving the staff retention rate at the workplace. Workers feel safe working in organizations that implement drug screening programs, boosting employee satisfaction and morale and their ability to contribute to the productivity of the organization.
3. Assists in Hiring the Most Fitting Talent
Pre-employment drug assessment helps employers find the right candidates and minimize the risk of bad hires, optimizing the costs associated with recruiting, training, and rehiring candidates.
Moreover, adhering to the drug testing policies and standards makes an organization a desirable place for the top talent in the industry and deters inapt candidates from applying for the job positions. This saves the employer's time and money with respect to interviewing and screening the candidates. Hiring the most fitting talent also helps build strong teams that work together productively in order to achieve the organizational objectives.
4. Boosts the Organizational Reputation
An organization's reputation heavily depends on its employees' attitude and performance. In almost all industries, customer service is the key to the success of an organization. When employees indulge in out-of-the-character activities such as drug and alcohol abuse, the organization earns a bad reputation, severely affecting its customer loyalty and subsequently its bottom line.
The legal suits and penalties that follow in cases of non-adherence to the drug testing regulations can also cause an irreparable damage to the organization's reputation.
Implementing drug screening programs demonstrates the organization's commitment to maintaining a safe and productive workplace for its employees. This improves the firm's standing amongst its customers, shareholders, vendors, and competitors, earning the trust and the loyalty of its key stakeholders.
Moreover, adhering to state and federal drug testing regulations enables an organization to exhibit its integrity and keep penalties at bay, helping them position themselves as a drug-free and safe workplace.
Workers too feel secure and satisfied and take great pride in working with a reputed and a drug-free organization that offers a safe working environment, enabling them to contribute to the company's success in the long term.
5. Reduces the Crime Rates
According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD), at the most intense levels of substance abuse, drugs and crime are highly correlated. Moreover, a few drugs hold the potential to amplify and perpetuate existing criminal activity. Drug abuse at the workplace is associated with a variety of crimes such as violence, thefts, blackmailing, and frauds that threaten the health and the safety of the organization.
Drug screening programs help organizations reduce the incidence of drug abuse and the ensuing crimes, making the workplace safe for the employers and the employees.
Every business is socially responsible to contribute towards building a society that is free of crime and drugs. Drug testing not only brings down the incidence of workplace crimes but also helps in identifying and rehabilitating the substance abusers, contributing towards a safe and healthy future for all.
Substance abuse can negatively affect an organization's safety culture, placing an enormous burden on the society at large. The above-mentioned points will help you appreciate how drug screening programs help improve the workplace environment, benefiting both the employees and the employers in the long term.
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Nicole Kolly is a digital content manager at TestCountry. She is involved in drug addiction support groups for recovering addicts and their families. She is passionate about living a healthy lifestyle and helping others do so as well. When she isn't working she enjoys hiking, reading