Quest Diagnostics found in 2021 that positive employee drug test results had reached their highest point in two decades. We explain how this recent finding may impact hiring and what employers can do.
As marijuana legalization spreads across the country, employers are facing new challenges for setting policies on drug use outside of work. In 2021, Quest Diagnostic released a study analyzing drug testing positivity among the United States workforce. It found that 2021 had the highest positivity rate since 2001, up more than 30% from the all-time low in 2010-2012. Positive marijuana results were the number one driver for this upward trend, although cocaine and methamphetamine positivity have also increased.
These increased positivity rates pose hiring problems for safety-conscious workplaces. For many employers, a positive drug test results in automatic disqualification for a position or promotion. However, in the worst-case scenarios, this could severely decrease or even eliminate the candidate pool.
In the case of illegal substances, it is sensible for employers to set a hard line. But employers who have noticed a rise in legal marijuana use among their candidate pool may wish to reconsider zero-tolerance policies regarding marijuana. For example, some employers might adjust their drug screening to look for recent use rather than long-term use or remove marijuana from their testing entirely. At the same time, the need for updating along with modern legislation should always be balanced with clear policies regarding what is and is not permissible on the job.
