Corporate drug testing
Corporate drug testing programmes are on the rise in New Zealand and the reason is simple. Employers and HR departments operate in a deeply competitive environment to secure and retain the best staff, and they must also strive to make workplaces and workforces as safe, efficient and productive as possible, says the head of a local drug testing agency.
While it has long been a condition of employment and most common in ‘safety sensitive’ and ‘blue collar’ industries, drug testing has now shifted direction and is growing rapidly in corporate environments.
The benefits of a testing programme aren’t isolated; a drug and alcohol-free professional firm will enjoy many of the same benefits that a drug and alcoholfree construction company will see, says Kirk Hardy, CEO of The Drug Detection Agency in a prepared statement.
According to Hardy – whose company has seen a 30 percent rise in corporate workplace drug testing over the last 18 months – health and safety reasons are important but not necessarily the main concern.
“The primary motivations for drug testing in corporate environments often lie in the desire of management to mitigate risks such as brand or reputational damage. Ensuring optimal efficiency in a competitive market also provides an added benefit,” he says.
“We’ve even seen testing implemented to stop potential accusations of fraud or misappropriation of funds for drug use.”
He says that workplace efficiencies can be measured in terms of less absenteeism, greater work output, lower attrition rates and happier employees. "Entire teams will benefit if everyone feels that the workload is evenly shared, and people aren’t carrying the workload of others who might be under the influence.
"Delve deeper and one will find that drug testing helps project a clean-cut anti-drug image to partners, suppliers and customers. This was demonstrated recently when ANZ Australia dismissed a group of employees for drug use during an out-of-hours work-related event.
"A bank executive was quoted: ‘Sometimes you might see or hear about unacceptable behaviour in the ANZ workplace – and if you don’t hear about the consequence, it’s easy to think there wasn’t one… We took swift action and the people involved are no longer employed by ANZ.’ ”
Hardy says that in New Zealand, corporates are favouring pre-employment screening where hair testing is the preferred means of testing.
“We’re not looking for someone who may have a few puffs on a joint at a party or a few drinks after work on the odd night, so hair testing is the most effective at identifying long-term drug or alcohol use,” he says.
“Pre-employment testing allows employers to make informed decisions before hiring and even interviewing so as well as saving time and cost in the selection process, it also helps minimise staff turnover and improves team morale. It’s a matter of doing proper due diligence on someone who is representing your company.
Aside from pre-employment testing, corporate businesses are in general becoming much more transparent about their workplace drug and alcohol programme from the outset of hiring.
“It is now more common to see employers outline their standards and expectations on drug and alcohol use and testing to the candidate up-front,” says Hardy. “This ensures that there is no confusion on the subject and the employee is left in no doubt that your company has zero tolerance when it comes to drugs and alcohol in the workplace.”