Tag Archives: drug screening

VerifyProtect Partners to Provide Even More Cost-Effective Background Screening Options

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It’s official!  VerifyProtect has solidified its partnership with MidAtlantic Employers’ Association (MEA) to provide even more customized employment background screening solutions, implementation services and drug screening program’s to MEA’s membership (current more than 700 companies.)

If you’re not familiar with MEA, it’s the mid-Atlantic region’s largest source for human resources, employee training and development services, and business counseling and problem-solving.  MEA works with small and mid-sized businesses, the ideal fit for VerifyProtect, a background screening powerhouse!

Notes Kristina Taylor, president of VerifyProtect, “This new relationship allows VerifyProtect to help MEA’s members not only make secure hiring decisions but to also ensure their companies are comprised of quality employees.”  She adds, “We’re excited to join MEA’s portfolio of innovative partnerships!”

MEA is equally thrilled with the relationship, as Jim Devine, president and CEO, MEA, attests:  “VerifyProtect.com’s business philosophy is closely aligned with MEA’s as a ‘customers-first’ organization that focuses on delivering value at every opportunity.  That’s why we’re partnering with them as our provider of choice for screening services going forward.”

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    • More Proof That Drug Tests Can Be Life Savers!

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    clasped-handsStraight from a town paper in Tennessee, we have a report of a routine drug screening saving a worker’s life.

    The worker, a 57-year-old woman who is a city employee, was asked to give a urine sample.   In passing, she mentioned the fact that she had “a small knot” in her stomach to the nurse administering the drug screening. 

    Being the professional she was, the nurse suggested the employee make a check-up with a physician, just in case the knot was something other than anxiety.

    Lo and behold, the nurse’s suspicions were accurate.  After a number of tests, doctors detected a potentially fatal aneurysm.  Though it was remedied with surgery, it could have shortened the worker’s life.

    As the employee later said: 

    “Had I not had to have a drug screening… and Chad [her doctor] being as tenacious as a bulldog, I would have probably died from a ruptured aneurysm…”

    It’s a good reminder to those employers who hem and haw about instituting random drug tests to their workforce.  After all, there’s no telling when a drug screening as simple as a urine test could ultimately save a life.

    Drug Testing Reveals Sosa Might Have Been “So-So”

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    tn_img_5421Baseball fans and players have suspected it for years, and it’s finally been confirmed.  Sammy Sosa tested positive for illegal substances in 2003 during a random drug screening.

    According to an article released by USA Today, lawyers have not confirmed which type(s) of drugs Sosa was probably using, although speculation has always been that Sosa took steroids.

    Since Sosa would have potentially be “so-so” without a little “help”, the question now becomes how to deal with this drug testing result.  No doubt the way the industry handles Sosa’s results will make waves that will affect the future of baseball and other professional athletics.

    In the News: One of the Most Bizarre Drug Tests Ever Conducted

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    It’s a very rare thing when someone decides to take a public drug test to make a point, but that’s exactly what Linda Hogan, ex to Terry “Hulk” Hogan apparently did.

    Without getting into the nuts and bolts of their issues, Mr. Hogan allegedly accused Mrs. Hogan of being a user.  In response, Mrs. Hogan decided to prove him wrong.  And what better way than to take a drug test?

    When the drug screeningcame back and showed there was no speed, marijuana, cocaine, vicodin, morphine, heroin or PCP in her system, Mrs. Hogan did more than make a statement to her husband — she sent the crystal clear drug test results through the media wire. 

    If you’re interested in reading more or viewing Mrs. Hogan’s drug test results, you can click on this link to Ok! Magazine.

    Are You Drug Screening Your Interns?

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    tn_classIt’s summertime here in America and that means thousands of young people will be seeking internship possibilities.  And that may mean they’ll be coming to your door.

    Though it can be highly rewarding (and lucrative) to accept the responsibility of mentoring an intern, don’t forget that he or she will be a part of your staff for a few weeks or months (or longer.)  Thus, it may behoove you to conduct drug screening on any potential interns.

    Though many government agencies and some public ones already require drug screenings of interns (don’t try getting an internship at the White House if you can’t pass one), private industries seem blissfully unaware of the potential danger that interns who have not been screened can bring.

    Think of it this way — would you really want to allow someone with a less-than-perfect record into your office environment?  Might it result in bad publicity, especially if that intern did something illegal and was named in the newspaper or on the television? 

    Many marketers claim that “any press is good press”, but the organization that has to answer to its clients because they didn’t drug screen an intern probably wouldn’t agree.

    So protect your current employees and your interns, too.

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    Is Your Industry Being Proactive about the Realities of Substance Abuse?

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    brick_fragments_and_dirt_9061033It’s always nice to come across an article which indicates how proactive an industry is being regarding the issue of potential employee substance abuse. 

    This piece from Timenews.net (Kingsport, Tennessee) beautifully highlights how simple it is to get the word out about the need for background and drug screening to protect both employers and workers.

    The short article invites people involved in the mining industry to attend an upcoming seminar which is: 

    “designed to increase understanding of addiction, drug screenings and treatment options and processes; provide information on various drugs including prescription medications; tell how to recognize signs of impairment; and outline the specific risks of substance abuse for miners.”

    An informational discussion like this is such a low-cost yet powerful way to help individuals and companies open their eyes to the reality of working and thriving in a 21st century marketplace.  Here’s hoping the audience packs the venue.

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    Drug Screening — How Much is Enough?

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    petroleum-pipesTHE SCENARIO:

    You know that you’re going to have to implement a drug screening policy for your company.  That’s okay and your employees are aware of that fact, too.  However, you have no clue how often you should conduct drug screenings.  In other words, “How much is too much?  And how little is too little?”

    THE SOLUTION:

    You’re not the only business executive who has been in this position.  And you won’t be the last.  However, finding an answer need not be problematic.

    First, you may want to check and see if there are drug testing industry standards for your field.  For example, if you are planning to drug test over-the-road drivers in your employee, you may need to refer to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Overview of Drug and Alcohol Testing Rules which includes the following statements:

    “Employers are responsible for conducting random, unannounced drug tests. The total number conducted each year must equal at least 50% of the safety-sensitive drivers. Some drivers may be tested more than once each year; some may not be tested at all depending on the random selection.”

    Secondly, you’ll want to work with a drug screening company to map out a plan for drug tests throughout the year.  (Any reputable background screening organization will be able to assist you in this area.)

    Finally, you’ll have to continually update your drug screening program.  For instance, if you discover that you seem to be over-testing, you can always cut back.  Similarly, if you’ve under-tested, you’ll want to add more tests.

     

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    Drug Testing: It Can’t Be Done with Your Eyes

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    We’d all like to live in a world that isn’t affected by the use of illegal substances by employees, but that’s just not the reality.  If you’ve ever wondered if drug testing should be undertaken at your facility, check out the sobering facts below.

    According to the U.S. Department of Justice:

    • 15% of those surveyed had used an illegal drug in the past year and 8% had used an illegal drug in the past month.
    • Marijuana and cocaine use is most common in 18-25 year olds.
    • Almost 1% of survey respondents over the age of 26 had used cocaine in the past month; 4.2% of the same population reported using marijuana during that same time frame.
    • About 8.2% of full-time workers are users of illicit drugs.

    So if you think that you can conduct drug testing with your eyes, you’re taking a huge risk.  Instead of rolling the dice, turn to drug testing to ensure that whomever you hire is fit and ready for the job.