Some companies actively use drug-testing as part of their applicant screening process to prevent possible habitual drug users from joining the company’s workforce. It’s an effort to avoid employing candidates who’s mental and other abilities are impaired by the effects of drug use. In that situation, the person would be unable to fulfill the necessary tasks required of their job. This preventive measure is also intended to keep other persons within the working area safe. However, there are cases when drug testing can violate an individual’s rights. Here are tips to keep in mind to ensure the process is executed within ethical boundaries:
- Drug testing should be conducted in the proper environment.
As drug testing often involves urine samples, the applicant should be asked to provide it in privacy within a doctor’s office. Requiring it to be done in the presence of an observer is a violation of the applicant’s rights, unless under the justified concern this person would tamper with the sample.
- The process of drug testing should be uniform across all applicants.
When methods and factors vary, outcomes cannot be judged according to the same criteria. For fair and just evaluation of results and screening of candidates, the methods used for one should be the same for the rest. If an applicant is obliged to submit urine samples, then other candidates should also be asked to do the same. If one only needs a hair drug test, other applicants should be submitted to the same treatment.
- Choose quality drug test kits for accurate results.
These results could significantly impact an applicant’s eligibility for the employment position. A false positive would unrightfully eliminate the candidate from the list and a false negative would undermine the purpose of conducting the test. It’s the employer’s responsibility to ensure that tools used are of high-quality and the process is done under recommended conditions so no external factors would affect the outcome.
- The job applicant is properly informed about drug testing being a necessary part of the application process.
The candidate has the right to be briefed ahead as it can be seen as intrusive when there’s no prior notice given. The person should be allowed the option of not proceeding with the application if not comfortable with the method for whatever reason. Failing to inform the applicant might also give the wrong impression of cornering the individual into taking the test.
- An applicant is usually only asked to undergo the test when offered the position.
There’s no sufficient reason to collect sensitive samples regarding equally sensitive information on a person if it’s not likely the candidate would be joining the company. Hence, no applicant who is still undergoing the earlier phases of screening should be required to. The employer may ask the candidate to take the drug test when they’re about to enter a legal agreement, namely the job contract. Only then will the individual have a legal obligation to share such information with the company.
If you’re a business owner, there’s a huge chance that you will require your workers for a drug screen or have done so already. But keep in mind that there is various situation that your employers may have felt a little uncomfortable whether they have experienced taking drugs or not. There are also ways that they can prepare for it as well, so make sure that you see to possible of ways to avoid any problems in the future.
