Drug Testing

Drug testing has quickly became a vital part of Human Resource management when it comes to staffing, safety, theft, dependability and accident investigations. Currently many employers, Wal-Mart, Microsoft, Sony, McDonalds, and countless other employers drug test or reserve the right to test in order to cover their legal obligation to customers and other employees. Like most processes that occur in the business environment employer drug testing has its share of pro’s and con’s. This paper is an attempt to illustrate the highlights concerning the pros and cons of employer drug testing.

History

Before 1990 drug testing by employers was not a common occurrence, in fact, drug screening was first introduced to the USA in the 1970’s as a deterrent to drug abuse in troops serving in the Vietnam War. Sailors onboard the USS Nimitz played a vital role in bringing drug testing to the military when it was discovered some were taking mind altering chemicals (Bandolier, 1994). After the initial implementation of testing during the Vietnam Era testing seemed to go away until 1986 when the federal government made drug screening mandatory for all government employees. By 1994 all government workers and government regulated industry workers were in mandated screening programs.

According to Bandolier the best medium to test for drug use is blood, however, it was quickly realized drawing blood was too expensive and intrusive to be performed on the high number of works that needed to be tested. Urine became the preferred medium to test for abuse since it was less intrusive, required less capital and human resources, and test were practical since byproducts of most illegal drugs were excreted in urine and were detectable by simple tests, vice the expensive older methods.

Today drug testing by employers play a significant role in the HR screening process, companies that have zero tolerance policies frequently deny employment or terminate employment due to...