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Pre-Employment Drug Test: A Complete Guide

Pre-Employment Drug Testing

With the global economy a magnet for the most skilled workforce, employers have turned to drug tests before employment in a bid to produce high results from their employees’ productivity. If you are an employer who is planning on launching a testing program or if you are a job seeker getting ready to go out for a job interview, you must learn all you need to know about pre-employment drug testing. This all-embracing article will give you all the information that you are likely to require regarding this significant stage of the staffing process.

What is Pre-Employment Drug Testing

Pre-employment drug testing is a screening technique in which employers carry out tests to identify if a potential employee has consumed prohibited drugs or other legal substances in the course of the examination. This test is usually administered as a pre-employment screen; however, the assessment may be given after an offer of employment contingent on passing the test but before the candidate begins work. The primary goals of pre-employment drug testing include 

  • Ensuring workplace safety
  • Preventing drug-related incidents and accidents
  • Performance enhancement
  • employee absence management and Following the set industry standards and legal dispute norms. 

Urine, hair, blood, and saliva samples may be used in pre-employment drug tests, which may be administered in different ways. The method used varies depending on the cost of the technique, the time window within which the drugs can be detected, and the type of drugs to be detected.

Employee Drug Testing

Beyond Pre-Employment However, we will focus on pre-employment drug testing even though many companies also carry out random drug testing on their employees. These may include Random testing: 

  • Drug testing is done at random, and the selection is not based on any discrimination implemented among employees. 
  • Reasonable suspicion testing: performed where an employee demonstrates apparent drug use. 
  • Post-accident testing: Conducted after workplace mishaps to check whether the drugs contributed to the accident. 
  • Return-to-duty testing: For employees seeking jobs after they have undergone substance abuse treatment.

These are seen as continuing the drug testing required before an employee is hired in order to sustain a drug-free environment over the employee’s employment period.

What do pre-employment drug tests look for?

These initial tests are intended to find out a lot of things and substances in a person before he or she is hired. The specific drugs screened for can vary depending on the employer’s policy and the type of job but commonly include:

Marijuana (THC) Cocaine Stimulants, including amphetamines, stampedes, and equities. Opioid analgesics ( like morphine, codeine, heroin, etc.) 

Phencyclidine (PCP) Some tests may also screen for Barbiturates, Benzodiazepines, Methadone, Propoxyphene, and Methaqualone. However, it should be noted that pre-employment drug tests will also come up with results indicating legally prescribed medicine.

If one is, say, taking medication that has been prescribed for him or her, it is wise to report this to the testing firm or the employer in advance and be ready to produce a written clearance from the doctor.

Pre-employment drug screening: The Process

The pre-employment drug screening process typically follows these steps:

  • Notification: A candidate is informed about the existence of and the necessity of a drug test.
  • Consent: The applicant writes permission for the test. 
  • Sample collection: This is simply because the applicant physically goes to a prescribed testing center to produce a sample (urine, hair, blood, saliva, etc.). 
  • Laboratory analysis: Urgent samples are analyzed in a certified laboratory.
  • Medical Review: Positive results are forwarded to the MRO, and that person reviews the findings, especially in such successes, with a view of ascertaining whether the result was due to legitimate medical causes or otherwise.
  • Results reporting: The employer is then informed of the test outcome, which could either be ‘negative,’ which means the employee has passed that test, or ‘positive,’ which means that the employee has not passed that test. 

In this process, the chain of custody procedures are maintained properly to keep samples and results confidential.

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How do you know if you passed a pre-employment drug test?

A pre-employment drug test normally takes a few days to yield results, and after passing the test, you get a certificate advising the employer. Taking a pre-employment drug test, one can worry throughout the days or even weeks waiting for a result to be prepared. Here’s what you need to know about the results process:

  • Timeframe: They usually take between 24-48 hours to come out, although some tests may take days to complete. 
  • Notification: In most circumstances, the absence of bad news is good news. According to the current culture of most employers, they only contact candidates if there is a problem with their test results. 
  • Positive results: If your test results are positive, you will hear from the Medical Review Officer for any valid medical excuse as to the truth.
  • Confirmation: Others will first tell you that you have come out negative for the employee’s drug test, which is part of the overall background check. 
  • Moving forward: If the employer agrees that you have cleared the lawful drug test, it will go ahead with the other hiring procedures.

Please note that if you are ever confused about your pre-employment drug test results, it is always suggested that you consult the employer, preferably through the Human Resources department.

Conclusion 

Companies nowadays make it mandatory for employees to undergo drug and alcohol tests before employment. In other words, when employers and job seekers alike gain insight into what these tests are, what they are seeking, and the process of the whole scenario. To job seekers, it means being ready for all such tests, and knowing their rights is very encouraging as they go for interviews.

Of course, the idea behind pre-employment drug testing is not the invasion of privacy but creating a favorable condition for achieving excellence at the work of every employee. Choice DNA offers accurate and fast results for the benefit of the employee and the employer.  When meeting these tests, you can do so with sincerity, thus showing your employer that you support these common objectives immediately.

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