Drug Testing in the Workplace
While illegal drugs have ravaged our country’s social and economic landscape for nearly a century, the drug epidemic we face now is one which breaks long constructed societal norms.
While in the past, one may have considered the unemployed and homeless to be the majority of drug users, they actually do not make up the largest part of the drug and alcohol landscape. In fact, according to the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence (NCADD), almost three-fourths of drug and alcohol users are currently employed.
Conducting drug testing may help your organization comply with federal regulations or insurance carrier requirements. It can improve workplace safety and reduce costs from misuse of alcohol and other drugs in the workplace. A drug-testing program can also deter employees from coming to work unfit for duty.
A Drug-Free Workplace: How Drug Screening Helps
Random tests are the most effective for deterring illicit drug use. Employers conduct random tests using an unpredictable selection process. Drug testing may also be used in the following set times or circumstances:
Pre-employment Tests
You can make passing a drug test a condition of employment. With this approach, all job candidates will receive drug testing prior to being hired.
Annual Physical Tests
You can test your employees for alcohol and other drug use as part of an annual physical examination. Be sure to inform employees that drug-testing will be part of the exam. Failure to provide prior notification is a violation of the employee’s constitutional rights.
For-cause and Reasonable Suspicion Tests
You may decide to test employees who show discernible signs of being unfit for duty (for-case testing), or who have a documented pattern of unsafe work behavior (reasonable suspicion testing.) These kinds of tests help to protect the safety and wellbeing of the employee and other coworkers.
Post-accident Tests
Testing employees who were involved in a workplace accident or unsafe practices can help determine whether alcohol or other drug use was a contributing factor to the incident.
Post-treatment Tests
Testing employees who return to work after completing a rehabilitation program can encourage them to remain drug-free. With a variety of drug testing companies available to provide workplace drug testing for your business, you may be asking “Why West Virginia Drug Testing Laboratory?”
That’s a great question! And we’ve outlined a few of the many benefits for you below:
- Instant on-site testing available, monitored or unmonitored
- Same day results, typically within 24 hours
- Personalized care designed around your unique needs, whether corporate or individual
- Individual attention from local staff members who are experts in drug screening procedures
- Competitive pricing on all drug screening tests and generally less expensive than larger lab entities
- Ability to handle large capacity of tests each day (up to 400 per hour)
- Optimal security for test samples (barcode security)
- Customized drug screening panels to fit a variety of company needs
- Non-profit entity that funnels profit back into the local community to combat drug addiction and support correctional programs.
Drug Screening Policy
Employers must address substance abuse to keep their workplaces healthy, safe and drug-free. A comprehensive, clearly-written drug and alcohol testing program can be effective at deterring workforce drug use. The policy should be current and comply with all relevant federal and state laws, considering all parameters and procedures. Emphasize your company’s commitment to a drug-free work environment for all your employees using direct, to the point language. If your policy is clear and strong, it effectively defines the consequences if its parameters are violated. Always consult a licensed attorney when writing or revisiting your drug and alcohol substance abuse policy.
Urine Drug Tests
The West Virginia Drug Testing Laboratory uses urine drug screening versus blood or hair follicle testing. A urine drug screen is our method of choice for drug testing because it allows for quick and easy collection, is readily available, detects drug use between 24-72 hours after use, is easily confirmed and allows us to customize testing.
Though we do not currently perform hair follicle screens, we serve as a collection facility for Quest Diagnostic. If you are a business that requires hair follicle screening and are currently contracting with Quest Diagnostic, please contact our office to learn more about collection opportunities.
Benefits of urine screening:
- Flexible testing- can be mailed in or submitted on-site
- Quick Procedure – actual testing time is very short
- Customizable Drug Screenings – build your own testing panel
- Detects substances used within 24 to 72 hours
- Test results are easily confirmed
We offer a number of drug screening collection options. Click below for more information.
VIEW DRUG SCREENING OPTIONSCustomized Drug Screening Panels
We offer the ability to customize the drug screening panels for which you would like to screen your employees. We currently have the ability to test for the following substances:
- Alcohol
- Amphetamines
- Barbiturates
- Benzodiazepines
- Burprenorphine
- Cannabinoid
- Cocaine
- Ethylglurcuronide
- Fentanyl
- Heroin
- K2 (synthetic marijuana)
- Methadone
- Opiates
- Oxycodone
- Tramadol
Validity Tests
In addition to substance screening, we offer the following two validity tests:
- Specific gravidity
- Creatinine
This helps us determine if any self-dilution or test tampering has occurred. Examples may include individuals who have tried to flush any substances out of their system or test samples that have been provided by someone other than the person being screened.
We offer detailed explanations as to why an individual may test positive for these validity tests and will often recommend a re-test, which can be performed at random to avoid scheming.