If you regularly conduct drug testing at your place of employment, you know how valuable this service can be. However, missteps when testing can lead to issues, which in turn puts your business, as well as your workforce and customers, in jeopardy. Awareness of common flaws can help you anticipate problems and adjust your drug testing procedures accordingly.

3 Issues That Could Affect Employment Drug Testing

1. Amount of Notice Given

When it comes to random drug testing, the amount of notice given can have a huge impact on results. For instance, if you provide employees too much advanced notice, they can take steps to prevent a positive result from occurring—even if they’re active drug users. To combat this possibility, employers should decrease the time between when notices are issued and when tests are actually given. That way, an employee who uses drugs won’t as easily be able to mask urine or use other methods of evasion.

2. Misunderstanding of Laws

Employers should also be aware of federal laws, as well as those laws governing testing in the state where they reside. In New Mexico, there are no laws concerning employee testing, which means workplaces are free to conduct testing when they please. However, New Mexico employers should still be careful about how tests are conducted, and who is chosen to be tested. Failure to do so could lead to a lawsuit citing discrimination or wrongful termination if a positive test results in a firing.  

3. Lack of Policies Regarding Marijuana

The legality of medicinal marijuana in New Mexico complicates issues even further. In this case, employers in the state should create explicit rules regarding the use of medicinal marijuana and ensure these rules are provided to each and every employee. If there is zero tolerance for usage, despite one being approved to use marijuana for medical benefit, this must be included in employee handbooks.

As a trusted New Mexico drug testing facility, Artesia Drug & Alcohol Screening knows the best methods for testing employees to ensure swift and accurate results. They can also provide other essential services, including DNA paternity testing, genetic screenings, and many others. If you’d like to learn more about implementing a drug testing procedure at your place of employment, call (575) 746-3404 today. You can also learn more about their full listing of services by visiting the website.