Drug Testing

Common sense and common experience show us the many problems are associated with use and abuse of drugs. Sometimes the damage is pragmatic, as in a decrease of employee productivity, or incitement of an employee to steal in order to afford more drugs. Sometimes the damage is emotional and personal, such as the inability of a loved one to properly associate with others due to drug abuse. Whatever the case, if have need for drug screening, or a suspicion of drug use that you need to confirm, ICS is here to help.

Drug Testing in The Workplace

Drug abuse has begun to have a serious impact on the workplace. Employers wish to limit the following effects of drug abuse as much as possible

Economic costs associated with workplace drug abuse :

• Increased health care costs
• Increased employee absences
• Increased On-the-job accidents
• Liability for injuries to the general public caused by employees' drug use.
  

Employers should continue traditional drug testing.

Restrict drug testing to:

• Pre-employment drug testing & screening
  
• "For cause" testing, is often more easily agreed to than random testing ("for cause" testing, however, can cause additional problems as employees often contend that the employer did not have just cause to test).
• Many employers use the testing guidelines issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which can be found at http://www.drugfreeworkplace.gov/fedprograms/MandatoryGuidelines/HHS09011994.pdf
  

Employers may gain control of drug abuse in the workplace by using additional alternative methods.

Questioning employees:

• Ask only questions related to business  .
• Make sure all information received remains confidential.
• Ask of convictions, not arrests.

Medical records:

• Maintain Confidentiality.
• Keep medical records seperate from other personnel records.

Surface Drug Testing:

• Simple spray provides an immediate drug test answer
• Can be preformed on any surface that has come in contact with drugs (desks, keyboards, phones, etc)
  
• Confidential, non-invasive works anywhere
• Very fast & accurate, no lab work required.
• Test with or without an individual's knowledge

Searches:

• These are generally OK as long as the employer has clearly notified employees that such searches may take place (notification to employees prior to employment reduces their "reasonable expectation of privacy").

Surveillance:

• Video cameras are generally OK, but there should be clear notification that such surveillance exists.
• Video is not allowed in "private" places.
• Eavesdropping is severely regulated (don't risk it!)

Undercover agents:

• Generally allowable, but make sure that employee confidentiality is maintained

Polygraphs:

• Generally considered an intrusion of the employees' rights of privacy.
• Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988 generally prohibits use of a polygraph by private employers. Exemptions may be made in certain situtations.

We recommend that you do a Forensic Surface Drug Test first. After which if the person(s) are still suspect, ICS can further analyze this serious situation with our team of experts. Please contact us for a free consultation regarding your drug testing needs.

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