Drug Testing in the Workplace is a Delicate Matter for all Involved

The workplace is no place for drugs, yet employees regularly think nothing of taking illegal substances before coming to work. No one should have to be fearful that the person they rely on for a safe work environment is actually compromising it. As an employer, you can take it upon yourself to engage in drug testing in the workplace to ensure safety is seen to.

Ensuring safety by engaging in drug and alcohol testing is sometimes difficult. There are employees who feel their privacy is being violated by having urine testing, and indeed, where is the line drawn? There are those who drink alcohol off the job, in their own time, and nowhere near when they should be on the clock. Drugs are a different matter entirely, but caution needs to be considered when testing due to the fact that prescription medications occasionally create a false positive. Introducing drug testing in the workplace requires tact and a measure of leniency to ensure that employees understand the reasons behind the need for testing.

Ultimately, employees should not be using any kind of illegal substance while they’re on a job. It’s even more important when operating heavy equipment. No coworker should ever have to feel like their life is at risk due to someone else’s poor habits. Someone who makes it a point to have a “liquid lunch” is a friend to no one.

The goal is to find a laboratory that can do testing for a broad spectrum of drugs and alcohol. You want to work with a lab that has tests that are sensitive enough to catch traces of substances while keeping up with the latest twists in the alternative substance scene.

The other part you need to consider is discretion with testing. The testing itself is a sensitive issue, and one of the worst things that can happen is if a test gets mixed up with another, or the test takers do not maintain an appropriate sense of decorum. Privacy is of the utmost importance for all who are involved, and tests need to be keep confidential, to be exposed only between employer and employee.