Employee Drug Tests News and Trends

Stay up-to-date in your state with employee drug tests news and trends

By Octavia McFerrin
Read any news on employee drug tests and you'll find controversy. Trends will tell you that companies who administer workers compensation policies are now increasingly offering discounts for employers who participate in drug testing programs. However, there are a number of groups, for various reasons, that oppose employee drug screenings. Health care professionals conduct accurate employee drug testing with professional-grade drug test products, then direct tested employees to treatment facilities or provide counseling should they test positive.

If you're looking for the utmost in accuracy and professionalism in implementing employee drug testing, the following resources will help:

1. Informative sites dedicating to employee drug testing news

2. State-specific laws regarding employee drug tests

3. The pros and cons of employee drug screenings from professionals whose job it is to keep up with the latest developments

 

Get employee drug tests news and trends from professionals in the industry

Following key drug testing legislation is easy on the Web. There are plenty of organizations that archive the latest in employee drug testing trends and legal issues and make them available to you via company websites. Many of these sites address local as well as global concerns.
Try: WPA offers employee drug testing news from several industries and areas. The Office of National Drug Control Policy features a news site addressing employee drug testing concerns, or sign up for the ONDCP podcast RSS feed for real-time updates on national drug policy news. The National Institute of Corrections lists articles by topic including articles on employee drug testing.

Check out state-specific pre-employment drug testing laws

Before you implement any drug testing program or hire a professional drug testing business, make sure you do it in a way that protects your business from legal action. The last thing you want is to make decisions based on a positive drug test without making sure that decision will hold up in court. Government sources usually have the most up-to-date information posted on their websites.
Try: The U.S. Department of Labor offers a state-by-state breakdown of drug and alcohol test laws. Institute for a Drug-Free Workplace offers legal, legislative and regulatory updates surrounding employment drug tests.

Put pre-employment drug testing blogs and forums on your reading list

Employee drug testing is surely one of the most controversial topics confronting employers today. On one hand, there are groups who feel that some forms of employee drug testing can violate basic human rights. On the other hand, employers feel they should be able to test employees to ensure the safety of not only their business practices but their staff as a whole. Seek help from expert blogs and forums posting thoughts from each side.
Try: The Labor and Employment Law Blog discusses applicant drug tests versus employment drug screens. Employment Background Investigations offers a blog featuring the pros and cons of drug employment testing in light of recent global employment news.

 

  • One advantage of letting a professional drug testing business handle testing your staff is that they often have referrals counseling services on hand should one of your employees test positive. Local drug screening companies are also a great resource for the latest employee drug tests news and trends in your state.