Recent statistical data show that around seventy percent of 14.8 million Americans who are considered drug abusers are gainfully employed. An estimated 60 percent of the world’s supply of illegal drugs is consumed in the United States.
The figures mean that, despite all antidrug measures by the government and nonprofit organizations, the drug problem persists. That is why it is unavoidable for employers to encounter such a predicament in maintaining a drug-free working environment. While most companies require drug testing as a precondition to employment, it does not eliminate the possibility of having a drug abuser working for you.
The war on drugs is not just the problem of the state. It requires every citizen’s employment. To completely deter drug use, the economic sector wields significant power and influence in reducing the drug problem through preemployment drug testing and random drug testing and imposing punitive measures on employees, including dismissal from employment.
No person can diminish the importance of drug testing in employment. For one, it is a necessary measure to prevent business losses and impairing workplace productivity. As a prospective employee, you need to be clean from drugs to be employed. It requires serious efforts to be cleared, like using the Macujo method, which has a strong record of success.
Avoids Fatalities and Accidents
Generally, employers bear responsibility in indemnifying workers who may have encountered accidents while in the occasion or by reason of employment. It is undisputed that employees who abuse illegal substances have higher tendencies to encounter accidents that may lead to injuries and, worse, fatalities on the account of their negligence.
As a businessman, it would not be ideal for you to be confronted with this kind of situation. In addition to the legal consequences, your business will also suffer devastating effects on its reputation and operational delays. To avoid such circumstances, periodic drug testing is a solution to reduce the risk of encountering these problems.
Increases Workplace Productivity
Hiring drug abusers is costly and reduces business profits. Dee Mason, a consulting firm president in Ohio, once said that drug abuse in workplaces basically lowers productivity.
With drug abusers under your employ, you will expect higher incidents of tardiness and absenteeism. And even if you give the employee a chance to reform, it may require the employee to undergo rehabilitation, which means that your employee may be gone for days, months, or even years.
Work productivity keeps the business going, and employers do not want an unproductive workforce. By conducting drug tests, you will be able to identify the employees to be retained and nurtured and those employees who need to leave. These drug screenings will also help your company take a more proactive stance on the hiring process rather than a reactive and more expensive one.
Complies with Legal Requirements
Except for medicinal uses of marijuana and other allowed substances, no jurisdiction allows recreational use of drugs. The implications of anti–drug use are far-reaching, as every person, whether natural or juridical, is required to follow the laws of the land.
Having drug users at work does not only mean having unfocused employees, but also the possibility of consummating drug transactions within the premises of work. As drug abusers want more substance to take, it may require them to do some sideline jobs to increase their source of purchase, and it may include selling drugs to coworkers. As a businessman, you do not want to appear to be a consenting employer to such illegal activities. Investors, partners, and customers do not want to be associated with a company that has a shade image and questionable business practices.
