Disadvantages of the Drug Testing of Employees

When it comes to drug testing employees, most employers only think of the advantages this kind of practice provides. However, if they would stop and think for a moment, there are actually several disadvantages of the drug testing of employees. This article will discuss the disadvantages of the drug testing of employees, along with ways to deal with them if you still choose to institute a drug testing policy on your employees.

The first (and most obvious) disadvantage of the drug testing of employees is a loss of trust. No matter how you look at it, your employees are going to feel like you are prying into their privacy and personal lives. No one wants to go to work everyday and feel like an authority figure is looking over their shoulder. When you implement a policy of drug testing employees, you are essentially putting yourself in a position to be the authority figure that is looking over their shoulders at all times. So how do you deal with being put in this position? Although this disadvantage of the drug testing of employees may cause some employers to revise or all together do away with their drug testing policies, it may not have this effect on you. In that case, you should start by being completely open with your employees. Not only should you explain all the details of your drug testing policy, but you should also give an honest explanation of why you think that it is a necessity. One additional tip is that making minor changes can go a long way in preserving part of your employees’ trust. For example, if you are currently using a random drug testing method, consider switching it to a scheduled drug testing method. This will make your employees feel that you are just doing what you need to do, instead of constantly trying to “bust them.”

The second disadvantage of the drug testing of employees is the cost of the drug testing itself. While many employers try to justify this by saying that the cost of drug testing is less than the amount they would have to spend on unproductive employees, the fact is that paying for drug testing is not cheap. The more employees that you have, the greater the total cost of drug testing is going to be. Even if you only use urine screening (which many employers do use for its cost efficiency), it is not hard to see why this is considered one of the disadvantages of the drug testing of employees. If you had not already thought about this before, you are probably asking yourself “What can I do to minimize the impact of this disadvantage of the drug testing of employees?” The simple answer is that if you insist on drug testing your employees, cut down on the frequency that you make them undergo it. By giving less drug tests, you are cutting back on the costs. Additionally, take time to decide whether or not you really want to drug test all of your potential employees. Although there are ways to minimize them, if you have a drug testing policy, there will always be disadvantages of the drug testing of employees.