“The Importance Of Drug Screening For Employers” with Phil Sharkey of The Hire Authority

Jeffrey (1s):
Well, I’m sitting here and talking to entrepreneurs and leaders, and that means this is Radio Entrepreneurs. My name is Jeffrey Davis. Again, welcome back to all our listeners. Our list continues to grow. Please continue to sign in and join our regular community and find out about people like our next expert. And that means this is the time for the Sharkey report, sheriff Sharky’s in the studio. Welcome back,

Phil (27s):
Phil. Thank you, Jeff. It’s a, it’s a pleasure to be with you again and I have, but what I think would be an interesting topic today and talking about drug screening. Last time I was on with Jonathan, we touched on it, but I really want to get your take on to what I have here for you in the information I’m going to provide to you.

Jeffrey (43s):
Are you telling me that I have to be, do a drug screening?

Phil (47s):
Yes, you do not have to do a drug screening today, but if you’re willing, we’re ready to go. And what I want to touch on Jeff is why we do it. I get a lot of pushback from people, obviously with tree cutters are drivers. They understand, but we pushed for it for all employees and people get really up in my grill. But the first reason I tell them is according to the national council on alcoholism and drug dependence, more than 70% of those abusing illicit drugs in the us are employed. So I’m not coming down on them. I’m just saying we have a big problem here. Right? A lot of people are using drugs and yes, they’re working the same reports that about 16% of employees live with a substance abuse disorder.

Phil (1m 27s):
And of those 80% of drug users supported their drug use by stealing from their place of employment. The study also reported that the highest rate of prescription pain medication disorders is from workers in the service sector. So it’s, I’m not here to protect my fellow businesses and people who are looking to hire people. It’s a problem. And again, I’m not big brother. I don’t mean to spy on people who go through their trash or do anything illegal, but people have drug problems and the numbers, the stats show that they take their drug problems to work and they steal from their employers. So

Jeffrey (2m 1s):
Well, I’m going to go a little bit higher on the totem pole. I have rarely worked in a family business where there wasn’t issues. Well that doesn’t, you know, not all family businesses have issues, but all families just about every family has issues. Every family that’s part of being a family and to find alcohol drugs, depression, jealousy, greed is the majority of time. Sometimes it’s a combination of all. Sometimes it’s only one, but all of them are dangerous and need to be prevented. And then if you have it with your employees too, who may even see a double standard at the top, you really got yourself a problem

Phil (2m 43s):
They do. And again, just the process we run is very simple. And sometimes I just wonder with the trickery, it’s not just the drug problems and I’ll give you an example of the trickery. So we set up the drug screen and this is something I handled myself. I’m a very active owner, as much as I enjoy our interviews, doing this type of work. My favorite part of the day is doing the background checks on people.

Jeffrey (3m 3s):
I mean, you’re telling me you have a stash.

Phil (3m 5s):
I no, no, no. My favorite part is doing the best background checks. And that is all. Then what I do is set it up with the applicant or they have direct access to me, the person, and people wonder how they go about this process. This year analysis, they have three days to get to the testing center. The reason we set up as three days is of course a common sense. If Pearson’s on drugs, we need to know about it right then no sneaking up. No, no trickery, but they’re, they’re informed. They have three days to get there. What happens a lot is there’s a lot of back and forth. They missed the appointment. 50% of our signups missed their appointment. Course they do. Of course they do. And again, I’m very jaded. I know everybody. And a lot of my friends pushed back and say things happen.

Phil (3m 46s):
I don’t think things happen. If I want to work for you. If I want to work for radio entrepreneurs, but bet your backside. I’m going to be there for my drug screen probably on day one, not in day three. So they have three days to get there. They go to a quest diagnostics. That’s our number one testing center. We use others as well. I handle all the processes with them. Any problems that could go wrong, they have to bring a form with them and an ID. They take a urine analysis. Yes, you’re alone. No one can go into the bathroom with you. They follow you to the door. You provide your sample. You come out, it’s sealed right in front of you. And it’s sent off to be tested. And we get the results within 24 hours. Unfortunately, what happens a lot. We get a lot of people who flood their system and it shows that it’s a no test.

Phil (4m 27s):
They can’t test it. You have too much water in your system. Again, the other side tells me they’re nervous. They’re afraid. They’re not going to be able to go. I tend to know that a lot of people on drugs will flood their system with water and attempt to mask the drugs. When a drug result comes back as a hit, Jeff, they have to talk to an MRO. That’s called a medical review officer. I’m not out to harm anyone. There’s a list of 10 barbiturates and other drugs they test for including marijuana and alcohol. Have they have a chance to explain themselves. Many people are on Xanax or things for, for anxiety. And as a legal reason, they’re taking the drugs 50% of the times when it goes to that level, they don’t, they don’t reach out to the, the MRO officer.

Phil (5m 7s):
And then finally we get the results back to our clients in a quick three to four to five day turnaround time. And we do see about 50% come back with some type of a drug screen, hit on some, on some title, matching the numbers we see from that report. I quoted. So it’s a simple process, but a necessary process in my mind. And it’s not infringing it’s if you want to work for a company, I think they need to know that you’re clear of drugs on that day. Marijuana comes up a lot. It’s no different than alcohol. It’s not illegal in Massachusetts. Neither is alcohol, but we can’t have you drunk on the job or high on the job. It’s just that simple. And people fight back with me. And th the, the word our attorneys look at is reasonable.

Phil (5m 50s):
Of course, it’s not illegal. And you want to do whatever you want in your own time. That’s not illegal. That’s fine. But to be working for me or for you or for our clients, we need to know that you’re clear-headed and safe.

Jeffrey (6m 1s):
So what about people who say this is a civil liberties issue? What do you say to that?

Phil (6m 7s):
Absolutely. And I hear them and I, and I hear what they’re saying. You get on a plane today, civil liberties union, you know, people fought so hard. I’m not taking off my shoes. There. There’s a something that you have to sign on, on to work for the company, and they’re not out to harm you. And you have the choice. You don’t have to work here. If you feel that’s a violation of your civil Liberty rights, that’s fine. Also tell our clients, and we sort of don’t get into this too much, but you know, if you’re getting someone that that’s argumentative already, then maybe that’s going to give you an indication going right on down the line, how every job is going to turn out.

Jeffrey (6m 43s):
So I, I think, you know, you remind me of something. My mother taught me that I use in business and I was, you know, getting a little bit older. And my mother said to me, I don’t want you doing that. And I argued with her and she said, Jeffrey, this is my home. We live in my home in my rules. If you don’t like it, you go live somewhere else. I’m not going to live somewhere else. And a lot of times I’ll work with entrepreneurs and I’ll say to them, you don’t have to explain to me, this is your home, not mine. I’m the guest in your home. It’s your rules.

Phil (7m 17s):
I just had someone call me the other day, Jeff and said, you know, marijuana is not illegal after the drug screen. And I said, who’s saying it is I go. But as you just referenced to work for the company, I think they need to know if you’re under the influence. And it does stay in your system for quite some time. So your weekend activities can infect your Monday morning job. And again, the stats show that I know drug abuse in our country, legal and illegal is a huge, huge issue. But I think when you’re spending my money and you’re working for me, I need to know that you’re headed and you’re going to make good decision. And that’s what it’s all about and what we get a lot of times, Jeff too, is that people come back. I just had one last month where the urine tested at like 150 degrees and it’s hot weather.

Phil (8m 1s):
So not only do you have someone who’s obviously must be on drugs, but they’re making that next step, that trickery to smuggle in urine, which is a whole, I mean, I don’t mean to be making jokes, but it’s a whole mind boggling thing. Well, leave it in their car where it gets too hot in this weather.

Jeffrey (8m 18s):
I, I, I know some baby boomers who’ve been taking marijuana every day since the 1960s. Now I think it’s affected them to be taking it for 50 years every day. I think

Phil (8m 33s):
So. And as you mentioned earlier, there’s civil liberties rights. That’s fine. At one time it was illegal and now it’s not do whatever you want, whatever you want. That doesn’t impact me. But when you’re working for me, I don’t think it’s a violation of your rights. As I have many, many of the owners would say, I’ll take a drug test as well. You do it. I do it. As long as our clients stay consistent and don’t single out as typical of person, wait, creed, color, age, whatever, and they stay consistent to the position. It’s not a violation. It’s a requirement of their job. Just like they may need you to have a certain degree or skill level. It’s a requirement of the job.

Jeffrey (9m 8s):
So Phil, do you have a mind twister for us today? And I’m going to, I’m

Phil (9m 14s):
Going to sort of promote myself here instead of a famous person who cheated the system. This is a background. We just did my company in the hospitality industry on may, May 24th of this fine year. And it’s a female and we’ll protect all the individual rights here. But here, speaking to the topic at hand, I’m going to just read quickly the criminal record from Connecticut, February 11th, 2021, arrested for possession of controlled substance cannabis, illegal operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, drugs, and failure to drive in the proper lane pending court date, June 23rd. So this person won’t be in to work tomorrow, but as we go back to the history of people like, well, that’s not so bad, Phil, but let me just quickly go through a Joe January of 2015 larceny and the sixth degree, February, 2015 larceny, and the fifth degree, June, 2015, criminal trespass, first degree, these are all guilties by the way, step back, February, 2015, possession of controlled substance marijuana, March of 2017, illegal use of drug paraphernalia, and then a larceny in the fourth degree sentence to three years, time served, which was suspended, but due to a violation of probation and April of 2017, since the six months in jail.

Phil (10m 26s):
So this is a person who obviously has a drug problem, but you can see how it leads to other things. It leads to criminal trespass. It leads to fat. It leads to bad decisions. And I think there’s nothing against her civil Liberty rights to have that checked out before you walked through the door.

Jeffrey (10m 43s):
Well, you know, everybody, once you hire somebody, it’s harder to get rid of them. So you might as well screen them upfront. It’s a little expense to pay up front. And that’s why sheriff Sharkey is so important to entrepreneurs and radio entrepreneurs fail. If someone’s looking for you, how do they

Phil (11m 0s):
Do that? Jeff higherauth.com is our website. H I R a T H number is 5 0 8 2 3 0 5 9 0 1. You always get a human when you call that answers the phone and you can also reach me at P Sharkey. My name@higheroff.com. We’re we’re here. We turn the backgrounds around quickly, usually within three business days, and again, 30% turn off fraudulent. So, and these are people that are realize a background check is going to be conducted on themselves. A good

Jeffrey (11m 28s):
Insurance policy, the higher authority. Thank you very much, Phil. And we are going to take a break. This is Radio Entrepreneurs.