How Boise Employers Can Reduce Workers’ Comp Costs by 5% and Strengthen Legal Protection Under Idaho Law

In Boise if you test legally, test accurately, document correctly, employers can earn stronger legal protection and a 5% workers’ compensation premium reduction. This is because of Idaho’s Drug-Free Workplace Act (Idaho Code 72-1701 to 72-1717)

At Fastest Labs of Boise, we help local companies apply the Act in real-world situations. Whether they’re hiring, responding to incidents, or upgrading outdated testing procedures.
Below is a practical breakdown of the core rules employers must follow and what they mean for their organization:

1. Idaho Employers Have the Right to Test (72-1702)

Idaho is unapologetically employer-friendly. Private employers in Boise and across the state are fully permitted to test applicants and employees for drugs and alcohol. The state wants workplaces that are safer, more predictable, and easier to manage and testing is an important requirement.

Here’s what Idaho allows:

• Testing applicants and current employees using lawful, ADA-compliant procedures.
   
• Using outside test results (police, hospitals, etc.) when relevant.
   
• Maintaining full at-will employment rights.
   

2. Testing Current Employees Is Paid Work Time (72-1703)

Any required test for an active employee counts as paid time. Boise employers should budget accordingly and avoid the common mistake of sending an employee for a reasonable suspicion or post-accident test without paying them.

Cost coverage rules are straightforward:

• The employer pays for every required test.
   
• Employees only pay if they request a retest after a positive AND that retest confirms the original positive.
   
• If the retest overturns the result, the employer reimburses the employee.
   

Fast, clear, and predictable. No surprises.

3. Collection & Testing Standards Are Non-Negotiable (72-1704)

This is where many employers unintentionally break compliance. Idaho outlines strict standards for how testing and collections must be handled. If an employer wants the legal protections and the 5% workers’ comp premium rebate, their testing process must follow these rules.

Collection Requirements

Testing must be completed in conditions that are:

• Clean, sanitary, and reasonable.
   
• Managed by trained collectors.
   
• Respectful of privacy while still preventing tampering.
   
• Documented with accurate labeling and chain of custody.
   
• Designed to prevent contamination or substitution.
   

This is why partnering with a professional collection site like Fastest Labs of Boise matters. Home-grown or “DIY” collection processes often break these standards without employers realizing it, especially around chain of custody and sample security.

Testing Requirements

Idaho requires:

• Scientifically accepted testing methods.
   
• Mandatory confirmatory testing for all drug positives.
   
• Strict rules for confirming alcohol results, including:
   
  • A second methodology if using saliva
     
  • Or a second breath test at least 15 minutes later
     
  • Or a separate high-reliability confirmation method
     

Our Boise lab already follows every one of these standards.

4. A Written Testing Policy Is Required (72-1705)

No written policy = no legal protection under the Act.

A compliant policy must:

• State that violations may lead to termination for misconduct.
   
• Clearly list every type of testing your workplace performs.
   
• Be accessible to employees and applicants.
   
• Align with collective bargaining agreements if applicable.
   

Many Boise employers struggle here. Not because they don’t care about safety, but because their policy hasn’t been updated in years. A missing testing category, outdated language, or vague disciplinary rules can cost the employer both protection and the workers' comp credit.

At Fastest Labs of Boise, we routinely help companies tighten, modernize, or fully rewrite their policies to match Idaho law.

5. Employee Rights After a Positive Test (72-1706)

Idaho protects employers, but it also protects employees when a positive test occurs. After a confirmed positive result, the individual is entitled to:

• Written notice of what substance was detected.
   
• A conversation with an MRO or qualified professional to review the findings.
   
• The option to retest the same sample within 7 working days.
   
• Retest paid by the employee unless it comes back negative.
   

If the retest is negative:

• The employer reimburses the employee for the test.
   
• The employee receives back pay.
   
• And if they were terminated solely for the test, they must be reinstated with back pay.
   

This is exactly why Boise employers rely on us, a single documentation error can turn a straightforward case into a reinstatement and back-pay situation.

Why This Matters for Boise Employers

Idaho designed this program to reward organizations that take safety seriously. When your drug and alcohol testing follows these rules, you gain:

• Clear authority to test your workforce.
   
• A safer environment for employees and customers.
   
• Stronger legal footing in unemployment and misconduct claims.
   
• A 5% workers' comp premium reduction.
   
• Lower accident rates and fewer repeat incidents.
   
• Cleaner hiring decisions from day one.
   

Fastest Labs of Boise Helps Employers Stay Fully Compliant

Our Boise team works with businesses of every size from startups to multi-location employers, helping them build programs that stay aligned with Idaho’s Act and industry best practices.

We provide:

• Compliant drug & alcohol testing
   
• Breath alcohol testing with proper confirmation procedures
   
• Chain-of-custody documentation that holds up in audits
   
• Written policy reviews and updates
   
• Supervisor reasonable suspicion training
   
• Rapid test options + lab confirmations
   
• Support for DOT and non-DOT environments
   

If you're upgrading your testing program or building one from scratch, we can help you do it right the first time.

Fastest Labs of Boise

📞 208-877-8228
🌐 fastestlabs.com/boise