The Washington Post
June 1, 2003
Life at Work
When Security Clashes With Trust
By Amy JoyceWashington Post Staff Writer
Kate Perrin, president of PRofessional Solutions LLC, did something this year she never thought she would do to a client: She turned down a request.
Four longtime clients have recently asked Perrin's Washington public relations staffing agency to sign an agreement saying that all temporary workers sent to the companies would be screened for drugs beforehand and given background checks. It is not a side of the business Perrin wants to get into. She says she already screens and interviews employees thoroughly. To put them through a drug test or other background check would simply be bad business.
"I really think this is a terrible way to start a working relationship. It's not based on trust or skills provided, it is based on suspicion," she said.
Historically, requests for drug testing have been mostly for blue-collar jobs where employees operate heavy machinery. Government workers have gotten background checks. Workers involved in transportation have usually had both drug and background checks.
In recent years, however, the checks have trickled down to just about any type of job seeker and to most types of companies and organizations. Consulting firms, Wall Street firms, this newspaper and other employers have all undertaken drug testing of job applicants.
Some companies feel that the checks just whittle down the pool of potential employers. But others feel it is another piece in the continuing saga of privacy, or lack thereof. Some, like Perrin, feel it creates undue tension between employer and potential employee.
So far, Perrin has held out against the requests, but she is afraid the desire to have all job candidates--in this case, temporary workers--screened for drugs is becoming more and more common. Not only is it a huge expense for a small firm like hers, it is a sure way to humiliate and scare away potentially wonderful employees, she said.
Companies "are coming to us because they need that skill, they need it quickly and [they] need someone with experience. We guarantee that. We also guarantee that if there's any problem, we will terminate or find a new temp for them," she said.
"It is a concern to me as I'm looking at how to do business effectively and keep the kind of quality people they need us to provide," Perrin said. "I don't think that comes out of 'It's great to meet you, I'm impressed by the work you've done. And by the way, will you please pee in a cup?'"
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