Workplace drugs bust
Data reveals hidden office problem
An increasing number of white-collar job-seekers are testing positive for methamphetamine, a drug-testing firm boss says.
About 13.4 per cent of all positive pre-employment drug tests last year detected methamphetamine, according to figures from The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA).
This is an increase on 2015, and shows New Zealand’s everincreasing meth problem is now creeping into the professional working environment.
TDDA chief executive Kirk Hardy said meth was the second most detected drug behind cannabis. Cannabis accounted for about 81.3 per cent of all positive tests in 2016.
‘‘It’s more readily available than ever before unfortunately, and businesses need to be very aware that it crosses all levels of society and all types of employees.’’
In the past, job seekers in industries such as construction, forestry, meatworks and manufacturing returned the most positive tests, however, Hardy said he was noticing a shift.
There had been an increase in the public sector, the tourism sector, and the professional service sector, he said.
‘‘We’ve had a couple of high profile lawyers lately with meth problems...I think the professional community is certainly looking at it and saying ‘hey we need to be a bit more studious in our employment practices.’’’
Employers were becoming more vigilant by doing a more thorough
background check, including a drug test, as well as reference checks and criminal history searches, Hardy said.
‘‘They certainly don’t want someone who’s got an addiction problem entering their workplace.’’
However, NZ Drug Foundation executive director Ross Bell said employers needed to focus on creating a supportive working environment, rather than subjecting workers, or job seekers, to drug tests.
‘‘One of the issues we have with drug testing is that it doesn’t create the high levels of trust you need in a workplace [and] you’re not going to get that by saying ‘pee in a cup’...
‘‘This is not a silver bullet - don’t expect that testing is going to meet your obligations under the law. There are so many more things and better things,’’ Bell said.
‘‘You would have a much more productive workplace if you were building a high trust, high values, good culture environment based around health and safety.’’ ‘‘In the long run, that’s going to be better.’’
However, Bell admitted drugs in the workplace was the biggest area of enquiry for the drug foundation.
Hardy said pre-employment drug testing was crucial to ensure that drugs did not ‘‘make it through the door’’.
‘‘The fact a failed test rules some Kiwis out of securing jobs probably isn’t a bad thing.’’
If pre-employment tests came back positive – technically known as non-negative – people did not get hired, he said.
‘‘It’d be very rare for someone to say ‘Go clean yourself up’. A lot of companies have policies where they’ll say you can’t apply for a job in this company for six months, and that’s not uncommon...
‘‘And you could say ‘What I do in my own time is my own business’, well ok, that’s fine, but when it impacts on the safety of the workplace, that’s a different story.’’
TDDA conducted more than 140,000 drug tests in 2016 – up from 112,000 the year before.
Hardy partly attributes this heightened awareness of the danger of drugs and alcohol in the workplace to the new Health and Safety at Work Act, which required a Drug & Alcohol policy to be implemented.
"They certainly don't want someone who's got an addiction problem entering into their workplace." The Drug Detection Agency chief executive Kirk Hardy