Times they are a changing! At least as it applies towards liberalization / legalization of recreational and medical marijuana usage.
So, what’s a VAR / MSP to do when it comes to your drug screening and employment policies? Especially in a tight labor market for technical staff resources.
As of April 2018, 8 states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational use of marijuana, defined as possession of up to one ounce of marijuana, and an additional 22 states have broadly legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes.
VARS and MSPs are increasingly asking the following two questions:
1 – Will enforcement of a drug testing policy limit the quality candidate pool? (Answer: Most likely, yes)
2 – How significant a candidate pool reduction occurs? (Answer: We do not really know the exact number)
VAR Staffing has clients on both ends of the spectrum – those with no drug screening requirement and those that require drug, criminal and credit checks / screening.
Important Observation: VAR Staffing is seeing a slight increase in the number of clients who no longer perform drug checks versus criminal / credit background checks.
VAR Staffing is not suggesting a change of policy if the use of recreational marijuana goes against the culture and desires of management. The trickier situation arises when someone has a legal prescription for medical marijuana.
Currently the laws enacted do not restrict the rights and obligations of either private or public employers to maintain a drug and alcohol-free work environment. As an employer you can still maintain a drug testing policy, but it must be administered uniformly to all applicants for particular job positions. Testing current employees can be a bit trickier, and we suggest you review your current laws in the states you operate or seek the advice of an employment lawyer.
To view a graphic of the U.S. and current marijuana legalization status, click here.
We wish you great success navigating the always challenging task of hiring talented staff. If increasing your staff or upgrading the quality of technical resources is on your strategic list of goals to accomplish, VAR Staffing welcomes the opportunity to discuss your needs. Call us at 972-996-0966, or email Ashley at Awilliamson@VARstaffing.com
