The night before Jonathan’s first day on his new job had him sweating profusely. But those were not the usual jitters. Oddly enough, his anxiety began with the fear that he might fail a drug test. He was not guilty, just that he had heard stories of people losing employment over a simple medical inconvenience. That way, Jonathan slid down the rabbit hole of employee drug screening.

Close your eyes and imagine you are in a crowded café with your friends. Only to hear Sarah drop a bomb, “Did you know they test for caffeine?” Cacophony echoes in the room and everyone tightens their grip on their beverage. For as much as it is obvious you can’t lose those screws into the carpet, the process of drug testing shares quite a few parallels with assembling IKEA furniture.

Drugs and the workplace do not necessarily go together like oil and water. Companies must get the balance right between being safety conscious and not scaring people away. Wanting staff cleaner than a whistle versus being human and having real interaction, that can be a fine line. It appears that different companies have bought into different strategies. More like a science experiment rather than a hiring process: urinalysis, hair testing, blood samples.

Owner of a small business has chosen his way Paul says; “I disclose it. We are on the lookout for safety; not witch hunting!” I loved his style. A good drug policy needs to combine reasonableness with openness and consistent application. However, even the best of motivations comes under threat from the unknowable. Constantly changing rules bring in yet another level of challenge.

Privacy issues represent another ball of wax. Who holds the reins in this delicate affair? Once the data is in, where does it go and who can have a look at it? Hiding secrets from a prying brother comes to mind. It is not that easy to do; if you want to know.

Some companies now resort to incorporating random drug testing in their repertoire, almost like they were picked from futuristic novels. It is a hit-or-miss situation. Ken from Alabama recalls that sudden call for the company nurse. “Must be like back in school, when called to the principal’s office. I almost expected that wrist ruler smack.

In the right hands, these tests serve a vital role when carried out correctly. Thus, meeting not just the required standards but further raising overall security and health in the office. Then the conversations that begin, following the hectic period, really get the grey matter firing. True transparency is never a one-way street. It moves both ways, fostering trust in this tricky juggle act.