An estimated 5 percent of the global population uses illegal drugs. During a recent two-year period, the number of people using heroin alone increased from 5.1 million to 6.3 million – and more than half a million U.S. citizens were reported to be dependent on or abusing it.

You can continue to read the alarming statistics, including the fact that nationally, almost 9 percent of working adults have a substance use disorder. It’s imperative that in order to protect your employees, your customers, other stakeholders, and your brand, effective drug testing is a must.

Staying Up To Date Regarding Your Organization’s Drug Testing Policies

About Legalized Marijuana

Marijuana is a current hot topic, as the geographic span of its legal use continues to grow. Currently, recreational marijuana is legal in 21 states, and medical marijuana is legal in 38. Be sure your drug testing program is compliant with all applicable state and federal laws.

• State legislation may affect your ability to take negative action because of a positive marijuana test result or to test for the drug at all. Why? Because a positive test means marijuana has been used sometime in the past month or so, but does not prove that an individual is impaired.
• If your state has legalized marijuana, you may be required to consider workplace accommodations for employees who have a medical marijuana card. The nature of a person’s position and the duties involved are among the considerations you need to take into account.

Best Drug-Testing Practices

These best practices will help you keep your drug screening program effective and up to speed:

• The right testing methods: The gold standard is the 5-panel urine test that screens for amphetamines, cocaine, marijuana, opiates, and phencyclidine (PCP). But if you have candidates or employees in a safety-sensitive role, you may want to expand testing further. Be sure to cover your specific needs.
• The right testing window: Your drug policy needs to define testing windows that give people enough time to complete their screen, but not enough time to beat the system. Twenty-four hours is considered a good standard for job applicants. Random testing, as well as tests following reasonable suspicious events or accidents, require a much tighter completion schedule.
• Random testing: True random selection gives every single employee, even those who have recently been selected, precisely the same chance of being tested during each round. Other essential elements of random testing include tight time windows, short lab turnaround times, and thorough documentation of everything from test notifications to results.
• The best electronic tools: Client portals, scheduling apps, and other electronic tools help streamline your process and make everyone’s experience smoother.

Looking for Help With Your Talent Management Needs? KeyHR Can Help!

At KeyHR, our account managers are human resource specialists who can assist with any or all of your talent management needs, including drug testing and other employment screening functions. We can also keep you abreast of the latest laws and developments as they affect HR at your company. Contact us today to learn more.