Why Every Company Should Stop Drug Testing
Drug tests have become so common with the hiring process that they’ve become normalized and accepted without question. However, the truth is that drug testing only furthers the discrimination that diversity and inclusion initiatives are trying to defeat. In addition, it violates and oversteps the basic privacy that each individual is entitled to.
Pre-employment drug tests should instead be re-titled “marijuana tests” because the reality is, they are targeting cannabis users. All the substances that pre-employment drug tests search for can only be detected in a candidate’s system for 1 to 7 days — except marijuana. Marijuana will typically be detected for at least 30 days, and depending on the frequency of usage, up to 90 days or more. This means that a candidate who uses alcohol, heroin, cocaine, meth, or more can easily pass a drug test if they stop using the drug when they get their job offer; whereas, a marijuana user cannot — even if they have not used marijuana in weeks or months. The drug test will not take into consideration whether the candidate has stopped using the substance, but only that it is detected in their system.
These drug tests also erroneously classify marijuana as a drug rather than a natural medication. In addition, pre-employment drug tests disregard the fact that many individuals are prescribed medication that are opiates. This violates the privacy that patients are entitled to regarding their healthcare. It also makes it easier for an employer to discriminate against an applicant’s disability or private health conditions. Research has also suggested that pregnancy can increase the likelihood of a false positive for methamphetamines and opiates. The fact that false positives are not uncommon is something that should give everyone pause. Pre-employment drug screening can effectively ruin a person’s career and personal life even though false positives may occur, and candidates are usually not given a second opportunity to retake the test when that happens.
Pre-employment drug tests do not tell you whether an employee will be productive or a good long-term fit for the role. All it does is tell you private medical and personal information about the candidate that should be protected. In addition, it discriminates against past and present cannabis users. An active user of one substance may pass a test within 24–72 hours, whereas an inactive cannabis user may still fail a drug test after 30 days. In short, your company should stop this practice immediately. If someone comes to work intoxicated — then deal with that accordingly. Otherwise, what your employee does on their personal time and off the clock, really isn’t your business; and these drug tests only increase your on-boarding costs.
Jessica Israel, MBA is a photographer, actress, poet, and writer redefining what it is to be an artist. She is also a marketing communications and creative consultant who advocates for equality, diversity, inclusion, and positive work life balance.
Please visit http://jessicaisraelmba.weebly.com/ to view her portfolio and blog on artistry.
