More Companies Dropping Marijuana Testing to Increase Employment
An interesting article posted by News 10 abc drove home a point that workplaces are moving away from marijuana testing to fill thin applicant and workforce pools. In a time where marijuana is being legalized medically, and in some states for recreational purposes, it's questionable if marijuana should still be included in drug screening for employment. News 10 abc notes that there is no clear cut statistic on how many companies conduct drug tests, but the Society of Human Resources Management found in a survey that 57 percent do so. Some of the interesting points I pulled out from the News 10 abc article:
- Medical marijuana users in multiple states recently have won law suits against companies that rescinded job offers or fired employees for positive. Courts previously always tended to side with employers.
- Interviews with hiring officials and agencies indicate that dropping marijuana testing is among the steps more companies are taking to expand their applicant pools.
- Maine, where marijuana is legalized, is the first state to actually ban companies from firing or refusing to hire someone for using marijuana outside of the work place.
- Some companies have gone public, such as AutoNation. They have locations in 17 states. The company stopped testing for marijuana about a year ago.
What are your thoughts on testing for marijuana and the work place? Do you think anywhere in New York is moving towards this trend?