Drug abuse is a real menace to society, but its devastating effect is felt more in the workplace, where breadwinners of families thrive. It is so devastating that it destroys not only the addicted workers but their families and the company they work for. It diminishes the productivity and profitability of your company, places your other employees at risk, and increases your medical costs.
According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependency (NCADD), 70% of all American drug abusers are employed. They are also the leading cause of 40% of industrial fatalities in the country, according to the National Drug-Free Workplace Alliance. It is also the trigger of an estimated 40% of employee theft in the U.S., the Department of Justice added.
Drug and alcohol abuse is one of the top triggers of unwanted company costs. It literally costs U.S. companies billions of dollars in terms of employee medical expenses, turnover rates, lost productivity, and workplace safety incidents. It is, in fact, the number one cause of employee absences, tardiness, workplace violence, and employment termination in the American business sector.
This havoc can go on and on if companies like yours don’t take action to prevent drug abusers from penetrating their ranks. Luckily, the concept of drug testing came to be, which gave rise to a number of drug testing service providers. This gave business owners and managers a breath of fresh air, knowing that there’s now a way to identify drug users and prevent them from causing harm to companies.
How Drug Testing Benefits Your Business
With drug testing in place in your hiring process, you can be sure of an effective workforce that can deliver a fruitful return on investment (ROI). Having a drug-free work environment can ensure you of a safe and productive workplace where people work to the best of their abilities.
When you adopt drug testing in your business’s systems, you and your employees can certainly get lots of advantages and benefits. These are:
- Reduced healthcare costs
- High employee morale
- Improved productivity and performance
- Decrease in safety incidents, theft, and employee turnover
- Improved employee attendance and reduced downtime
- Increased potential for profits
- Better relationships among employees
- Peace in the family of your employees
- Reduces employee turnover rates and medical costs
Currently, a majority of employees require drug testing only from job candidates they are about to offer the job to. However, more employers have appreciated the usefulness of random programs because of their ability to deter current employees from using prohibited substances. If more employers implement random drug testing, the number of employees who are into illegal drugs will certainly reduce.
The use of illicit drugs has become rampant all over the world. Both the government and business sectors must work hand in hand to combat it before it can create total havoc. As an employer, you can do your part by identifying drug users in your workplace with the help of an effective drug testing service.