Jacqueline McClure, Genesis Background Screening Services
You might be surprised to find out how many people, that are either on staff or contractors that support your company, come to work impaired. Maybe you drug tested them during your pre-employment process and you think that is enough to ensure that your workplace is free of illegal substances. But with statistics showing that illicit drug use is up at the highest level in 12 years, it is quite likely that you may have employees right now that are abusing drugs.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), more than 70% of people with a substance abuse problem do manage to be employed and the problems they cause cost employers upwards of $81 Billion each year! This means that as an employer, your company will take a monetary hit from the negative effects of having employees with drug addiction issues. This can include higher turnover rates, absenteeism, productivity reduction, customer loss, theft and even violence.
Drug addiction most certainly will affect your company’s culture and employee morale. Absenteeism and erratic behavior is going to cause resentment when other employees are forced to “cover” for impaired staff. Customers will be affected as well and may decide to move on to another company with more professionalism and less drama.
A company with employees that have drug problems has more risk of occupational injuries and legal issues too. Healthcare costs for employees with drug addictions are estimated at twice the amount of your typical employee, so over all they are a major cause of increasing health care premiums.
Although it may be hard to ascertain the exact monetary loss to your company, you can be certain that it is a much higher cost than it would be to adopt a drug-free work environment policy. If you already do pre-employment drug testing, you are halfway to your drug-free environment already. Most state laws allow employers to randomly drug test employees ongoing after employment, but the guidelines vary by state. For more help to make sure your company’s policy is in compliance with the laws and regulations for your state, you can consult with an experienced CRA (Consumer Reporting Agency) that has the services you need to fill in your HR gaps. The right partner can help you recruit, integrate your system, perform background screening, drug testing at convenient locations, and provide support throughout the process. Not only can you feel confident that you are bringing the best hire into your company, but you will know that you have done due diligence both legally and ethically for your employees and customers. In addition to accomplishing this at a price that fits your budget, a professional CRA partner pays for itself by avoiding costly hiring mistakes. For more information, contact Genesis Background Screening Services at 866 944-0041 ext 101, email getstarted@gbsspro.com or visit www.gbsspro.com
Genesis Background Screening is not a law firm and provides our blogs for informational purposes only. These blogs should not be considered as a substitute for experienced legal advice. Any laws or regulations mentioned in our blogs need to be researched by your company and any questions you have need to be answered by your legal counsel to be sure your organization is within the law and compliant with regulations.
