Why Your Company Needs A Drug And Alcohol Testing Policy
As a business owner, it's important that you implement the necessary safety procedures to ensure that your staff and your work environment are safe. One of the things that many business owners have done recently is implementing a drug and alcohol testing requirement. Not only is testing mandatory during the recruiting process, but random testing is permissible at any time after hiring. Here's a look at a few of the things that you should understand about why drug and alcohol testing is an important investment for your business.
Improves Overall Safety
Workplace accidents become more likely and potentially more hazardous when you have an employee under the influence. Their reaction time and judgment can be heavily impaired, as can coordination and other key skills. This can lead to an increased risk of injuries, accidents, and even inventory damage. Ultimately, this may prove costly for your business in restitution and reputation damage.
Reduces Call-Outs And No-Shows
Drug and alcohol addictions are contributing factors to many of the no-call, no-show, and call-out problems that businesses encounter. If you're concerned about unpredictable staffing and want to be sure that your team is reliable and consistent in terms of attendance and response, opt for routine drug testing to be sure that everyone under your supervision is clean and drug-free.
Protects Against Liability Issues
In the unlikely event that an employee with a drug problem gets through your initial testing stages and something should happen when they show up at work under the influence, your company can be protected from any legal liability if you can show documentation that you have been routinely testing. In addition, if you conduct routine drug and alcohol testing, you can request a test immediately following a workplace accident without concerns about being accused of bias or unfair behavior. At that point, testing is just a routine part of the company's requirements.
Lower Insurance Premiums
Because of the lesser risk of liability-related losses or workers' compensation issues when you enforce strict drug testing rules, you might find that your company can save on the premiums for these insurance policies because of discounts offered due to your company's testing practices. Make sure you understand the terms of those discounts so that you can ensure that your testing policies continue to meet the qualifications.
These are just a few of the many things that you should understand when it comes to protecting your business with routine drug and alcohol testing. Talk with a drug & alcohol testing center near you today for more tips.