Currently Speaking

In Part 3 of this four-part Currently Speaking series, Bill Current continues his conversation with Mike Jeffries of ClearStar to explore how background screening, drug testing, and occupational health services have increasingly come together as part of a comprehensive workforce screening program.Mike discusses why employers often prefer a single-source approach to candidate screening and how consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) have expanded their services to include drug testing and occupational health solutions. Bill and Mike also examine what CRAs should look for when selecting a drug testing partner, including technology integration, service capabilities, network coverage, subject matter expertise, reputation, and trust.The conversation also looks at the advantages of outsourcing drug and occupational health services, the growing crossover between traditional drug testing providers and background screening companies, and why both drug testing and background screening will continue to play important roles in workforce risk management.Mike also shares his perspective on essential background screening components, including identity verification, criminal history searches, employment and education verification, motor vehicle records, and the growing use of social media screening.

In part two of this four-part series, Bill Current continues his conversation with Mike Jeffries of ClearStar to explore the history, evolution, and future of oral fluid drug testing.Mike shares his firsthand experience helping introduce one of the first commercially available lab-based oral fluid testing options to the employment market and discusses the early adopters that helped demonstrate its value. Bill and Mike also examine how oral fluid testing technology has advanced, including expanded testing panels, point-of-care options, and improved accuracy and reliability.The discussion highlights the key advantages of oral fluid testing, including observed collections, reduced opportunities for specimen tampering, faster hiring timelines, recent-use detection, and its potential value in reasonable suspicion and post-accident testing. They also address the status of federally regulated oral fluid testing and why Mike remains optimistic about its continued growth.

In the first episode of this four-part series, Bill Current speaks with Mike Jeffries of ClearStar about his decades-long career in the drug testing and employment screening industries. Mike shares how he entered the industry as workplace drug testing was beginning to take shape, reflects on the consolidation and technological changes he has witnessed, and explains how ClearStar supports consumer reporting agencies through drug testing, occupational health, and medical review officer services.Bill and Mike also discuss the critical role of MRO review, the growing influence of background screening companies, emerging point-of-care technologies, and the challenges employers face as marijuana laws and workplace testing requirements continue to evolve. Mike also offers a preview of the next episode, which will explore the history and evolution of oral fluid testing.

Compliance is about more than following regulations. It is about building a culture of trust, education, and accountability.In this episode of Currently Speaking, Bill Current is joined by Greg Henderson, founder of Federal Drug Testing Services and author of Trust But Verify: FAA Drug and Alcohol Compliance, What Every DER, Manager, and Executive Needs to Know. Greg shares the experiences that inspired his first industry book, discusses why Designated Employer Representatives (DERs) play such a critical role in workplace compliance, and explains why education and leadership are just as important as enforcement.Bill and Greg also explore common compliance challenges, the importance of supporting DERs, lessons learned from FAA audits, and why executives should better understand the responsibilities of their drug and alcohol testing programs. Whether you're a DER, employer, manager, or service provider, this conversation offers valuable insights into strengthening compliance while building a safer and more effective workplace.

In this episode, Bill Current examines the workplace safety implications of marijuana use, the misconceptions surrounding rescheduling, and why employers should remain focused on protecting employees, customers, and the public. He discusses what marijuana rescheduling does and does not mean, recent guidance from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and why employers continue to have the right and the responsibility to prohibit workplace impairment.Whether you're an employer, HR professional, safety manager, or drug testing provider, this episode offers practical insights into navigating today's rapidly evolving marijuana landscape while maintaining a safe, compliant, and productive workplace.