The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has a policy on pre-employment drug and alcohol testing that states, “Some job roles will have a statement contained in the position description “This is a safety sensitive position”. Candidates for safety sensitive positions may be requested to undertake a pre-employment alcohol and drug test.”1 The policy goes on to say that pre-employment testing is considered an “essential requirement” of their obligation to provide a safe workplace. Clearly, pre-employment testing for the presence of drugs or alcohol plays an important role in maintaining a substance free workplace. However, it is only the first step.
Someone who regularly uses illicit drugs has two courses of action to choose from in order to land a job. The first is to seek employment from a company that does not do pre-employment drug testing. The second option is to stop taking drugs long enough to pass a drug test, and then resume taking them once employed. Of course, this option assumes that the job candidate knows approximately when a job opening will become available. Therefore, pre-employment screening is most likely to detect the severely addicted persons or those who are uninformed about pre-employment drug testing.2
Message Sent Loud and Clear
However, despite the growing sophistication of drug users, pre-employment drug testing is an important screening tool for the employer. As more Australians choose to use illicit drugs, the pre-employment drug testing will detect chronic drug users, but just as importantly it supports a drug-free workplace culture. A powerful message is sent loud and clear before the person is hired: Employee drug use is unacceptable, and the employer will use available technology to keep drugs out. That still leaves the problem of dealing with people who pass pre-employment drug screening and have every intent of resuming drug use once employed.
In fact, it is no secret that there are online forums people use to teach other methods that will supposedly help them hide drug use. Employers using high quality saliva and urine tests are not likely to be tricked by these methods, but the forum messages indicate the desperate steps people will take to pass initial drug and alcohol screening.
However, pre-employment screening is just a first step in maintaining a drug free workplace. Since it is given with notice, pre-employment testing does not replace the need to institute post-employment drug and alcohol testing. The workplace testing procedures are then implemented on a random, post-accident, and for-cause basis. The random procedures are needed to ensure that testing is administered without prejudice and that workers are unlikely to be able to manipulate the process.
Transparency Attracts the Right Job Candidates
The key to successful implementation of drug and alcohol testing policies is transparency. Employers should use their pre-employment drug testing policies to promote their dedication to maintaining a substance free workplace, making the company more likely to attract job candidates who do not use drugs. In addition, the business brand benefits from the socially responsible policies. Drug and alcohol testing can be a contentious issue, but pre-employment testing has been almost uniformly accepted by job candidates and unions as reasonable and necessary. However, it should not stand alone because behaviours can change once people are employed.
Mediscreen (http://mediscreen.net.au/) offers flexible and high quality drug and alcohol screening services. The adaptability of the screening services means employers can get results on an as-needed basis for pre-employment and post-employment purposes.
References
1 Casa Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) Policy: CEO-PN001-2009, (1 May 2009), Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
2 Ken Pidd, Ann Roche and Michael White, (October 2011), Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing, Retrieved from the National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA)- Flinders University: http://nceta.flinders.edu.au/files/3313/2200/4798/Workplace%20Drug%20Brochure%20sml.pdf
