I work for a call center, in management. We used to have mandatory drug testing for ALL new employees.
In October 2016, we stopped drug testing. Since then we have suffered in many areas, including attrition, absenteeism, and quality.
I’m not saying I’m pro-drug test. But there is a reason companies do it. I’ve seen the numbers. Hell, I’ve MADE the numbers. I’ve actually done analysis and made a presentation to execs to bring drug testing back...
Am I a hypocrite? Probably. But I’m doing my job.
Let’s face the truth guys. Addicts and users, as a general rule, don’t make model employees. Are there exceptions to the rule? Sure. But they’re exceptions.
I’m a user, but I’m functional. Somewhat functional at least. Would I be more productive if I wasn’t a user? Absolutely. I can admit that. This is not to say I’m anything special. Far from it. I slipped through the cracks and am very fortunate to still have my job. Luckily hydrocodone helps me perform.
And I’m on the higher end of the spectrum. Let’s talk about the 20-25 year old demographic that my company hires.
There is a marked difference in the caliber of employee that you bring in when you don’t drug test. Especially in call center work where it’s all basically entry level positions anyway. The difference is undeniable. I see it, and the numbers prove it.
And I’m high on opiates as I type this on my phone at my work desk.
Wtf.
EDIT - So, I thought more about this, and I guess it varies what country we're in, and their specific laws. But you have to separate what we would call basic human rights from the law. For example, I think most of us would agree that slavery is against human rights, but yet it was legal in the US, and many other countries. I believe it still may be legal in some. So, "human rights" is a theory, an intangible idea that most of us have feelings about, and a lot of it is influenced by our upbringing and values. But our idea of "human rights" doesn't always play out in the real world.
Drug testing, while some may think it goes against human rights... it really doesn't matter. If companies are allowed to do it, they will if they want to. Irregardless of whether it infringes on human rights.
And I agree with the above poster, who used the pilots on acid example. What about a forklift operator? A crane operator? An electrician? A plumber? A teacher? All of those professions have inherent danger if done under the influence of drugs. And while it's a romanticized idea to think that people can separate work from their personal life, anyone who has been through addiction (or spent any time on these forums) knows that our personal lives (especially drug use) carries into our work lives the longer we use drugs.
Now should drug users be able to get jobs to better themselves and climb out of a lifestyle they want to leave? Abso-fucking-lutely. That's the Catch 22. There's no easy answer to this question.
Anyway, I'm rambling now. Sorry for the wall of text. This is a good conversation. I'm not sure where I lay exactly... But being in the position where I've done analysis on precisely this topic... there is no room for argument. Drug testing (or lack thereof) has a HUGE impact on the caliber of employees hired.