Drug Free Workplaces begins with Drug Testing Job Candidates

With more companies increasing their hiring due to a rebounding American economy, testing for drug and alcohol use remains a vital tool in the hiring process for most employers.

Multiple surveys reported that a large majority of American companies performed drug and alcohol testing on their workforce, either through oral drug testing, urine drug tests or saliva drug tests. This increasing trend is likely due to increased education and a better understanding of the negative consequences involved with drug and alcohol use and abuse in the workplace.

The majority of employers start their drug testing on job candidates—an overwhelming majority of employers report that candidates are subject to drug testing. But it’s not only limited to job applicants. With companies looking to minimize risk inside their organizations, more of them are requiring drug tests for current employees.

Due to the increased availability of high quality oral drug tests, urine drug testing kits and saliva drug testing kits, employers responded that current employees are subject to drug or alcohol testing due to strengthened mandates to maintain drug free working environments. And it doesn’t just end when the employee gets the job.

Most employers believe that conducting random drug tests and under reasonable cause enhances the drug free working environments they are promoting, with double digit yearly increases in the frequency of this testing over the past two years.

Urine drug tests remain the most common drug test becasue of the ease of testing, cost- effectiveness, and widespread knowledge by most subjects. Oral saliva drug testing kits and other oral drug testing kits are growing in popularity, with a double digit jump in popularity over the past two years.

Medical Marijuana - An Issue Coming to the Forefront

Medical marijuana continues to be a hotly debated subject for companies. Nineteen states have approved its medical use in one way or another. Washington and Colorado approved the recreational use of marijuana, but since federal law prohibits all types of marijuana use, most companies are continuing their zero-tolerance policies for marijuana, and are hesitant to accept medical marijuana.

The number of organizations that have a medical marijuana policy recognizing the differences between medical and unauthorized use has decreased slightly from 14% to 12% in the past year. This further shows that most organizations are reluctant to demonstrate acceptance of medical marijuana use.