The Need for Drug Testing in Hospitality Industry
Posted by Jason Dailey on Fri, Oct 07, 2011 @ 10:00 AM
Customer satisfaction and retention are critical to any successful company. This is especial true for any hotel in the hospitality industry where dissatisfied 
customers can simply take their business next door to a rival hotel. Having a healthy and drug-free workplace can minimize a hotel’s legal risk while strengthening the overall profitability of the company. According to a report published by the Arkansas Small Business Development Center, Jeff Hayes, MHRS Division Director of Assets Protection at Marriott's Corporate Headquarters in Washington, D.C., believes in large part pre-employment testing has helped to decrease turnover and reduce accidents.
The Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration issued the result of a survey that revealed the hospitality industry, which includes hotel/motel companies, experienced some of the highest rates of alcohol and drug abuse.
Among employees in the hotel/motel sector:
- 9.3 percent admit to using illicit drugs during the past month
- 17 percent admit to using illicit drugs during the past year.
- Nearly 10 percent admit to heavy alcohol use.1
Broken down by a few specific occupations within the hotel industry, workers report substance abuse at the following levels:
|
|
|
Occupation
|
Current Illicit Drug Use (%)
|
Past Year Illicit Drug Use (%)
|
Current Heavy Alcohol Use (%)
|
|
Food Preparers
|
16.3
|
27.6
|
16.3
|
|
Grounds Keepers
|
11.4
|
21.0
|
9.8
|
|
Janitors
|
13.0
|
20.6
|
10.3
|
|
Maids
|
7.9
|
12.8
|
3.6
|
|
Waiters/Waitresses
|
15.4
|
28.9
|
12.1
|
|
The federal government has long documented the need for regulated drug and alcohol testing over certain employee classifications. As time has progressed from the original mandate of Department of Transportation (DOT) regulated testing, more and more non-regulated employers have jumped on the same bandwagon. From large national chains to smaller locally owned hotels, hospitality industry employers across the country are seeing the value of implementing drug testing in the workplace.
