Pre-employment Drug Testing

Recreational drugs are chemical substances that alter the mind and affect the body, and are taken for enjoyment and leisure purposes. While some states are legalizing certain recreational drugs, reducing government costs and raising tax revenues, it is sure to increase substance abuse. There is the notion that use of marijuana can lead people to experiment with harder drugs, and as a business owner, that’s a risk I would not want to take.

There are benefits to drug testing that I take into consideration when I agree with the importance of pre-employment drug testing. Though it brings a wave of debate, the most popular argument against drug testing states time-consumption and costs. It costs about $75 per applicant and the time it takes to put policies in place and conduct extra training is a small price to pay when I compare it with the time it takes Human Resources to bring corrective action against an employee as a result of the types of offenses that become more common when employees are using drugs.

Understandably, it depends on the size of the organization and the type of effort demanded by its employees, nonetheless I do believe that drug testing reduces absenteeism, accidents, workers compensation claims, loss of productivity and employee turnover. Lost time is more costly as it is the scarcest resource and if I take time and spend money to recruit, train and hire new employees, the cost of the drug test is completely justified. Moreover, legislation across all of the U.S protects companies that choose to drug test, as long as drug testing plans are laid out in advance to employees.  

Ironically, the legalization of marijuana might actually hurt most those who depend on it for their current livelihood and support its consumption. Additionally, making people pass a drug test before receiving welfare and government assistance justifies pre-employment drug testing.