We are closing in on the holiday season – stores are beginning to stock decorations, children are behaving, and ‘now hiring’ signs are popping up all around. ‘Tis the season for temporary employees as businesses prepare for the annual rush of shoppers, diners, and travelers. Skipping the background and drug screening for seasonal employees could be costly for businesses in the long run.
Liabilities
When employing temporary workers, do you limit their access to company information? For many businesses, the answer is no; the new hires may be made aware of important data, financials, and consumer information. Do short-term hires have little-to-no interaction with fellow employees and customers? Again, the answer is likely no. Building a safe work environment is the number one reason for conducting a background check. If such steps are required before hiring a permanent employee, why wouldn’t you also take them fora temporary staff member?
As previously discussed on the ESS blog, performing pre-employment background checks allow employers to feel secure in their hiring decision while decreasing business risk. No matter the amount of time a person is employed, they still represent the organization. All temporary hires have an impact on your bottom line, reputation, and safety. Even if you’re welcoming back former seasonal employees, rescreening is an important step in protecting your company.
Drug Positivity Rates
The industries that most often rely on temporary workers, like hospitality and retail, are also the most heavily impacted by rising drug positivity rates. The 2018 Quest Diagnostics Drug Testing Index found that the Retail Trade had the highest drug positivity rate, and more recent data supports these findings. Further analysis of the 2018 study revealed that marijuana positivity in urine tests increased by nearly eight percent for the general workforce.
Businesses with drug use policies, whether zero-tolerance or more relaxed, should be screening all hires for signs of abuse. In today’s workforce culture and tight labor market hiring managers have options that make drug testing highly efficient, even for short-term hires. For example, ESS has developed our FOCUS Panels to help employers easily address issues ranging from rising marijuana positivity rates and complex laws to the need to hire in a hurry.
Skipping the background check for temporary employees may seem harmless, but failing to properly vet these hires could have a lasting effect on your organization. Protect your business by having a proper background check and drug testing program in place for all personnel, regardless of how long they are employed.
Are you ready to craft the right pre-hire program for your temporary workforce? Click here to contact our experts or call 866.859.0143.
