Drugs in the Work Place

Under what circumstances should employers conduct drug testing? Should testing be done on an intermittent, random basis or should they be mandatory, and for whom? Which industries should require drug testing? Does the government mandate testing for any industry? If an employee tests positive, what should the employer do? What does drug abuse in the workplace cost business and industry annually? Which drugs are commonly abused by employees? What are potential ramifications of that abuse for the employer?

Drug abuse by employees in the workplace is a major concern for many employers Approximately 16.4 million drug abusers and 15 million heavy alcohol users are employed full time.(www.samsha.org.gov/newsroom/ advisors/070713survey0610.aspx) 8 % of full time employees and 10.2 % of part time employees abuse drugs in the work place. (drugrecognition.com) Employers in the private industry are not required to have a drug free workplace policy. If an employer does adopt a drug free workplace policy, they should follow typical policy guidelines and make sure to implement the policy without jeopardizing employee’s legal rights. If an employer does implement a drug free work place policy, they are face with many issues such only having a written policy or including a drug testing policy. Including a drug testing policy raises questions on how to test, who to test, what drugs should be included for testing and how to enforce the policy per guidelines when issues arise. Consequently, employers are faced with whether or not to have a drug free work place policy and issues implementing policies if they choose to adopt a drug free workplace policy.

There are several circumstances in which an employer may want to adopt a drug free work place policy including drug testing. First, employers may want to test potential new hires. If an employer tests potential new hires, they reduce the risk of