Your employees are your company’s most valuable asset, and everything else is just stuff. A great physical plant and a great product aren’t worth anything if you don’t have a staff to handle your company’s daily operations. There’s a lot riding on your team, and you owe it to yourself to make sure that you’re always getting the job done and that you’re getting the best out of them. You need to ensure that your employees are not only drug free, but in good physical health. Workplace injuries are very costly, and you can’t take any chances on people who do not meet the physical requirements for the job; plus you need to know if you’re inheriting any former injuries or limitations this could be critical information if a claim arises.

Workplace accidents are always inconvenient and unexpected. They also have a tendency of occurring at unusual times. As an employer, you have an obligation to perform all necessary due diligence to protect your company from exposure to liability in worker’s compensation claims. You have to confirm that your employee’s accident wasn’t caused by them being under the influence of controlled substances or alcohol. The standard protocol is to drug/alcohol test the employee right away.

The war on drug and alcohol abuse continues to rage on, and in spite of our best efforts to encourage people to use alcohol responsibly, its abuse is rampant. And an increasing amount of people are turning to illegal recreational drugs as a social stimulant, and often a coping mechanism for life’s challenges. Drug and alcohol abuse has long-term health consequences for the abusers, tears families apart, and can often lead to legal problems due to bad decision making while under the influence. As an employer, you have a fiduciary responsibility to your business to keep drugs and alcohol out of the workplace.

Whether your business has 10 employees or 10,000, you depend on them to run your entire operation. In order to run an effective business, you have to give the members of your team the tools and access that they need to do their jobs. They are often entrusted with sensitive information, access to company assets, and keys to the building. And they are also the face of your company when dealing with customers and people in the community. With so much at stake, you owe it to yourself to maintain a “trust, but verify” policy with all existing personnel and new hires.