Overview
Drug testing is an important part of the
hiring process. The primary purpose of pre-employment drug screening is
to catch violators at the outset. Four out of five U.S. employers
conduct a pre-employment drug screening.
How it Works
Usually, the hiring company contracts with an independent laboratory to conduct pre-employment drug tests. A potential employee is asked to get a drug test at this particular testing facility.Often, the human resources department gives a handout to the potential employee who will have the directions to the facility for the convenience of the potential employs. It will also contain instructions for the facility so the technicians know where to send the results and the bill.
The candidate is required to provide a urine sample at the testing facility and the results are supplied to the potential employer within one to three days. The human resources department personnel then contact the potential employee with the test results and the hiring decision. The company is billed by the testing facility.
Benefits
A pre-employment drug testing provides ensures the employer that the candidate does not have any drug problem at the time of hiring. It is unlikely that a candidate will be able to mask his/her drug addiction during a drug test, but an occasional or recreational user may slide by.The potential co-workers and any customers with whom the candidate may be required to interact will be saved from potential dangers associated with a chemically dependent person.
A primary benefit to employers is that this pre-screening encompasses due diligence under the law, and a company can avoid being sued for negligent hiring if an employee later causes harm to someone while (s)he is on drugs.
Since the cost of litigation is a major concern for businesses, compliance with the law is motivation enough for many to include drug testing in their pre-employment routines.
Costs
An independent laboratory may charge a regular company client about $40. For individual and/or infrequent testing, the cost may be slightly higher, but it does not vary a great deal.Timing
A potential employee is required to submit to a drug test only after the company has made the final decision to hire. Both employers and potential employees see this test as being the last formality to being hired-not as a part of the consideration process. A potential employee who passed a drug test but was not offered a position would be very surprised and doubtlessly dismayed.Therefore, the drug test should be scheduled immediately prior to hiring. Many employers have the potential employee fill out all paperwork such as W-4 and I-9 forms before the drug test is administered so that if the person passes, they are able to begin work immediately.