If you've made the decision to start drug testing your employees through a random or scheduled drug testing program, you have more decisions to make. The most important and interesting of those decisions, of course, has to do with the type of drug testing protocol you will use. Will you go for a urine test, a hair test, or maybe even a saliva test? Different employers and even the government have taken different opinions on which is best. While there are upsides to each practice, a saliva drug test may be the best option for you as a business owner conducting routine drug tests. Here are four reasons the saliva drug test works best.

1. Immediate and relevant drug detection

If you're the owner of a construction business and something goes wrong on a job site, you probably care only about the potential drug use of an employee on the job. Whether your employee used marijuana weeks ago is likely not a major concern. A saliva drug test will reveal drug use in the last 24 to 48 hours. This can allow you to pinpoint drug use more effectively without pulling in data on drug use that is not relevant to your company.

2. Cost-effectiveness

When compared to blood testing and urine testing, a saliva test can be less expensive. For companies with many employees, this can be especially important. It's also important for those businesses that plan to do regular drug testing. If you can save cash on your testing program, you can pour more money back into something valuable for employees to compensate for the discomfort of going through a drug testing protocol.

3. Quick processing times

If you choose to conduct a hair drug test, you may be waiting for many days to get back a result. Saliva drug testing is quicker, allowing you to make determinations on new hires or analyze an accident more quickly. Most companies don't have time to wait weeks when they have an open position. They need information right away to keep the ball rolling. This is where a saliva drug test comes into play.

4. The potential for more accuracy

While there are still debates on which form of drug testing is best, many argue that saliva drug testing provides the most reliability. This is especially true for drugs ingested very recently. If you're going to spend money on drug testing for your employees, wouldn't you want to ensure the tests were as accurate as possible?

Random or scheduled drug testing for employees is becoming the norm in many industries. Companies just want to protect themselves while providing disincentives to drug use. The good news is that it's becoming much easier today to give employees these tests without breaking the bank or causing major disruptions in work productivity. You do have a choice to make, though, on which type of test you will administer. A saliva drug test may be the best choice if you're the kind of business owner who values ease and efficiency.