Workplace drug testing
Workplace drug testing now helps ensure safe and productive workplace environments across a broad spectrum of industries.
The real growth areas over the last 5 years have seen routine workplace drug testing testing move from pockets of heavy industrial production, and into service industries, especially logistics, but also a growing range of support services are now also doing workplace drug testing.
The changing approach to health in the workplace in the UK
The last 2 years has seen the workplace adoption and expansion of a more global health and safety policy which encompasses well being and healthy lifestyles, as part of a company policy, to enable its workforce to meet its maximum potential, recognises drug and alcohol consumption as a key factor in staff wellbeing.
Recruitment drug testing
By introducing drug and alcohol testing at the recruitment stage, UK companies get the added benefit of laying out their drug and alcohol policy, and their expectations of their employees during the period of employment.
Workplace drug and alcohol policy
A well produced and operated workplace drug and alcohol policy, maintains the benefits of workplace drug testing, and supports productivity in the workplace, while detecting any drug or alcohol related problems early, reducing the risks to the company overall.
What changes will we see in workplace drug testing in 2022
2022 is expected to see a return to the workplace for a huge number of employees, after an extended period of disruption during the pandemic. Globally the workplace has undergone a seismic shift adopting to Covid and the restrictions that followed. Business models and traditional working practices have been disrupted enormously ,and have had to rapidly remodel to the new ways of working, including remote working.
Drugs and alcohol have not gone away, in fact there is concern that the overall use of drugs and alcohol in the working population, has if anything increased during the pandemic years. What has shifted, as it always does, is what drugs are being taken, so we would advise you look at the combination of drugs you are screening for on your workplace drug testing policy .
It may be time to review your drug testing policy
It's easy to keep using a drug testing product for your workplace drug testing, that was introduced for the North American drug test kit market 20 years ago. It's what you have always used and the combination of the drug test is fixed in your policy. Chances are it won't include many of the modern drug groups now in common street circulation, drugs such as ketamine, tramadol or synthetic cannabis. Screening a millennial aged workforce for barbiturates and methadone is not going to pick up much, or act as much of a deterrent to drug use.
How can we help you update your workplace drug testing for 2022
We are here to help you find the right drug testing kits and products. Our team have many years experience advising a whole range of UK companies in all aspects of drug and alcohol testing. The best drug test probably won't be the largest panel combination or the most expensive, most business buyers think bigger is better, but keeping your workplace drug testing simple and on target for your employee demographic is far better.