WASHINGTON - The sign taped to the front window of the Home Depot in suburban Alexandria, Va., delivers a warning to job-seekers. "We test all applicants for illegal drugs," the placard reads in bold orange letters. "If you use drugs, don't bother to apply."
Home Depot tests every one of its more than 90,000 employees nationwide for drug use - from its CEO down to the clerk who helps customers select nails and lumber - before they are hired or promoted. Prospective employees who test positive for illegal substances are turned away; employees who test positive are fired.
Ten years ago, that kind of systematic testing was virtually unheard-of in the private sector. Today, experts say, it is the norm.
The number of major U.S. corporations that use drug testing has risen 277 percent since widespread testing began in 1987, according to a nationwide survey. Most of the boom occurred from 1988 to 1993, as federal regulations mandated testing for a growing list of professions, but the ranks of employees being tested continue to grow.
Drug-testing experts estimate that one-third of all new U.S. hires will be screened this year, more than ever before. If on-the-job screening is included, as many as 30 million U.S. workers are subject to testing annually.
And with public concern growing about rising illegal drug use among young people, testing is likely to become even more common.
"The number of people being tested has exponentially increased," said Eric Greenberg, director of management studies for the American Management Association, which represents 9,000 companies that employ 25 percent of the U.S. work force and has been studying on-the-job drug testing since 1987. "What was once very, very rare has become routine. It's now a normal corporate procedure."
Federal regulations mandate testing of about 8.5 million workers, including many who work for government contractors or in jobs where safety is an issue.
Many corporate officials say required drug testing helps them attract better applicants and cuts down on workplace accidents, workers compensation claims and sick days.
Ninety-eight percent of Fortune 200 companies use drug tests to screen potential employees.