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Pre-Employment Drug Screening
Pre-employment drug screening can save time and money; and maintain safe working conditions.
Employment drug screening is becoming increasingly common in the workplace. While the practice may be criticized by many as an invasion of privacy, employers are obligated to ensure safe working conditions; therefore drug screening can be a necessary precaution.
Substance abuse in the workplace costs employers over $81 billion annually in lost productively. It also increases the number of workplace accidents and fatalities, absenteeism, workers' compensation claims, and health benefit costs. By conducting a drug screening before making a final offer to a candidate, companies can avoid the potential of making a costly mistake.
Additionally, pre-employment drug screening is less expensive than random screening, as it is administered only once per employee.
The two most common testing methods are urine drug screening and hair drug screening.
Urine drug screening
A urine drug screening, or “urinalysis”, requires a sample of urine. After a sample is given, it can be immediately analyzed using a test card; or sent to an off-site lab to undergo gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (also known as GCMS), high-performance liquid chromatography, or immunoassay analysis.
If your company uses urine drug screening, be aware of commonly used evasion tactics. Firstly, individuals who feel they cannot pass the test can have someone else provide a sample for them just prior to arriving at the test site. This can be prevented by requiring a witness to be present when the sample is given. Secondly, some people may attempt to “doctor” their test results with diuretics and herbal extracts like goldenseal which have detoxification characteristics. Make sure to utilize a urine drug test that is able to detect these “detox” products.
Hair drug screening
Urine drug screening only works when traces of drugs remain in the body. If a drug user abstains for a certain length of time (depending on the drug, this can range from two days to three months), he or she can rid their systems of all traces and produce a negative test result. In some circumstances, and for some occupations, it is crucial to know if a person has a long-term history of drug abuse; therefore a hair drug screening is the more accurate option.
In this type of drug screening, testers cut a few strands of hair from the back of the head at the root line. Detection of historical drug use depends on the length of the sample starting at the roots. The average growth rate of hair is one-half inch per month; therefore a one and one-half inch lock of hair would reveal an approximate 90-day history of drug use. Drugs which are ingested into the body circulate in a person's bloodstream which nourishes developing hair follicles. As a result, trace amounts of the target drug, or drug metabolite, are deposited in the hair follicle and become trapped in the hair shaft as it grows out from the follicle.
Companies that implement a drug-free workplace program usually deter substance abusers, who instead go to work for businesses without such a program, where they can remain undetected. Bottom line: pre-employment drug screening helps reduce workplace accidents, production and costs, workers compensation premiums, turnover, theft and shrinkage. This in turn boosts employee morale and company loyalty.
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