Drug testing has become an integral part of employee screening. Although drug testing has sparked off a debate about public vs. private information most employers are still pressing on with it.

Most employers attribute their reason for requiring drug testing as part of their due diligence in the hiring process. But it is also because it saves them a lot of money otherwise spent in insurance as well as workers claims.

Recent research indicates that employees who use drugs are file 6times more workers compensation that other employees. These people are also responsible for more than 65 per cent of job accidents. According to the US Department of labor, Drug using employees' health benefit utilization is 84 per cent greater in dollar terms.

Employers who require drug screening from prospective candidates need to get their permission. A written consent is required before any kind of employee background screening can be conducted.

There are several different drug testing kits available in the market. While small business organizations buy their own kits and conduct the drug screening, most large corporate organizations hire the services of an employment screening company.

Large corporate organizations also tend to request drug testing along with MRO services. A MRO is a medical review officer who can attest as to whether the drug results are accurate or not. Drug screening along with MRO services ensure higher standard of accuracy.

Employers who authorize drug screening for potential employees need to be aware of the rules and laws governing the use of this information. This information can be obtained from the Fair Credit Reporting Agency.

A lot of employers are also conducting random drug screening for their employees. However, employers need to be aware of their state's laws governing this. California courts are yet to take a decision on random testing; therefore, employers should opt for random drug testing only when the employee works in a safety or security sensitive position.

Connecticut prohibits random drug testing on employees unless the individual is assigned to a high risk or safety sensitive position. In Maine, drug screening is allowed only for employees of safety sensitive positions.

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