Age old debate - does drug testing cost or does it pay?

Employers are under constant pressure to allow marijuana users in their workplace.  It's a conundrum that many employers face.  What's more important satisfying the perceived rights of an employee smoking marijuana or the employer's right to a safe and drug free workplace and the benefits of a safe and drug free workplace.

The National Safety Council says the average cost of an employee industrial accident is approximately $38,000.  Employers in the United States of America are spending $1 Billion per year on workplace accidents and illness.

Consider the facts from the National Institue on Drug Abuse on a study about employees who smoke marijuana and have been positive on a drug test.  The positive marijuana employees when compared to individuals with a negative drug screen were found to:

1. Experience 55% More Industrial Accidents
2. Experience 85% More Injuries
3. Experience 75% Greater Absenteeism

Considering the cost of accidents, injuries and the turmoil that absenteeism brings to employers - many think drug testing pay dividends and can't be considered a cost.