Last updated : May 12, 2025
It is unfortunate that employee substance abuse is on the rise in many companies around the USA. This can be a major factor contributing to workplace injuries and other associated problems. Studies have shown that when companies invest in drug testing programs, they are more likely to reduce workplace injury rates by as much as 51 percent in just two years. The only problem is that employers may find it difficult and time consuming to maintain a drug testing program alone.
Outsourcing a drug testing program to a mobile provider is generally easier to manage and more efficient than other types of drug testing programs.
Put the Focus on Business Operations
A mobile drug testing provider can manage all the details of your drug testing program, which leaves your focus on other important part of your business operations. Growing your business by increasing profits and reducing costs are what it’s all about. “Time is money” for your business. Hiring people who are substance free is a critical aspect of increasing efficiency, productivity, and maintaining the safety of the workplace for all. Consider the following scenario, of one employee getting tested offsite and the other via a mobile drug testing service.
A Tale of Two Employees
Sally has been offered a new job in the IT department of your company. The HR department interviews her, verifies her work history, and sends her background check forms in, while they send her to the local drug testing clinic with a form to get her drug testing completed. She starts work contingent upon a clear background. On the first few days of work, Sally’s immediate supervisor observes that she is not meeting up to performance metrics. During a meeting with HR, Sally reveals that she is on “pain medication” stemming from a car accident, which causes her to be sleepy in the afternoons. She presents a doctor’s notification asking for disability status accommodation. Meanwhile, the drug test takes 7 days to process due to a delay at the offsite provider’s lab, and the results come in that Sally is taking a prescription medication that her doctor cannot verify.
Joe is an engineering candidate who has been offered a supervisory position with the company. He comes highly recommended by his former employers and references. The company offers him a job right away and he must start immediately, contingent upon a clear background and drug screen. While he is finishing up his new hire paperwork, the HR department calls the mobile drug testing company to schedule an onsite drug test and a collector is able to meet him onsite the next morning. In less than 24 hours, the results are in and Joe tests positive for cocaine and the job offer is retracted. The company has dodged a bullet.
Mobile Drug Testing is Time Effective and Cost Savvy
According to a recent poll from the Society for Human Resource Management, around 40 percent of companies do not regularly conduct pre-employment drug screening. Another 64 percent do not test after a new hire starts work. The US Navy indicated that each employee who uses drugs costs them as much as $6,600 more than employees who don’t abuse drugs and alcohol. Why take the risk? Because the companies believe that testing takes too much time or costs too much.
The reality is that mobile drug testing brings the collector to the workplace where things are professionally handled smoothly and efficiently onsite. This means the company experiences little to no downtime. By conducting the drug and alcohol testing on-site, your employees don’t have to travel to a testing center or lab to get results. Drug test forms are a thing of the past. Mobile drug testing provides fast access to on-demand drug testing so you can ramp up your workforce quickly to reduce time and money lost to other methods.
Workplace Safety and Reputation Matter
According to the National Safety Council, 80 percent of the people injured in drug-related accidents are non-drug users. A drug free workplace should include reliable access to mobile drug testing that includes 5 panel, 10 panel, opiate testing, specialty drug testing, and DOT onsite drug testing, as well as alcohol testing. These tests must meet the industry’s highest standards.
Employees understand that when everyone is tested on a regular basis, everyone is safer at work. A Gallup survey indicated that 95 percent of safety-related jobs include employees who prefer that their co-workers are tested for drugs. 92 percent of health care workers prefer for their co-workers to be drug-tested. A well-managed drug testing program provides peace of mind to help boost your company reputation, which can also lead to higher degrees of trust from both your employees and your customers. This factor alone can support business growth and increased revenues for years to come.
