In 2025, hiring the best employees for open positions in your company has become more than just interviews and reviewing resumes. It has become increasingly important to conduct background checks, especially since employers today face a critical challenge in ensuring a drug-free workplace. Recruiters often want to consider pre-employment drug screening.
However, there are numerous employee drug tests available, including urine tests, saliva tests, and hair follicle tests. How do you know which one is suitable for your business? Let’s help you explore common types of drug tests for employees when to use each, and what points you should consider while selecting these.
What is pre-employment drug testing?
Employee drug tests are often required as a condition of job offers as part of background checks. Companies use these tests to see whether the individual they are hiring uses illegal drugs or specific prescribed medications. Moreover, employers can use these tests for random testing of employees who come to work after a long leave.
Most employers use a 5-panel drug test or 10-panel drug test to screen for the most commonly abused substances.
- Amphetamines, including methamphetamines (meth)
- Cocaine (crack, coke)
- Marijuana/THC (weed and marijuana)
- Phencyclidine (angel dust, PCP)
- Opiates (morphine, codeine, opium, heroin)
To screen these drugs in the system, the most common method used is a urine drug test.
Why is drug screening for employees important?
According to a survey about drug use, over 59 million Americans aged 12 and older admitted to using illegal substances. It is stated that employees who are drug addicts are likely to run late to work, take leaves more often, change their jobs more frequently and get involved in workplace accidents.
For employers, drug screening for employees is not about following drug testing policies but about protecting their workforce, increasing productivity, and minimising the risks of accidents and legal involvement. Therefore, implementing the drug testing before hiring policies can help you:
- Maintain state laws and regulations
- Ensure a drug-free workplace
- Reduce accidents and liabilities
- Protect your company’s reputation
- Build trust with clients
Types of Employee Drug Tests
Let’s have a look at what drug tests are available for you.
Pre-employment drug screening
Employers frequently administer this test to new hires to ensure they do not recruit an addict. They add this rule to the company’s hiring policies or include it as a condition on the offer letters, stating that the individual will receive the position once the results come back negative.
Random drug test
For existing employees, random testing is crucial for employees already working in the company to comply with state laws. For this, a random group of employees are selected for testing.
Post-accident drug test
Employers often include post-accident drug testing in their policies to conduct testing when someone is involved in a workplace accident. For instance, if an employee has damaged the company’s property or injured someone while under the influence of drug abuse.
Follow-up drug test
This test is often used for employees who have violated the company’s drug and alcohol policies, and the random test has come back positive.
Not all companies are the same, and all drug tests are different. Employers should wisely choose which drug tests they need to include in their employee drug testing policies to benefit their business.
Common drug testing methods for pre-employment screening
In the US, the most common and trusted methods that employers consider are urine and saliva tests. Each has a different detection window.
Urine Test
It detects substances for up to 3-7 days after last use. To conduct this test, employees will be asked to give urine samples for initial screening. If the presence of a drug is detected, final screening is performed before the results are provided to the employer.
When to use:
- Pre-employment screening
- Random testing on existing employees
- Post-accident testing
Urine drug test is the most trusted and accepted in legal courts and is available at affordable prices.
Saliva Test
This test involves taking saliva from your cheek using a swab. This can detect the most recent use of drugs for up to 48 hours.
When to use:
- On-site screening
- If employers suspect someone of using drugs illegally.
Provide quick results that cannot be tampered with.
Hair drug test
This test analyses the hair samples and detects drug usage for up to 90 days.
When to use:
- For long-term employment, such as drivers and healthcare workers.
- To detect a previous pattern of drug abuse.
Blood test
This test detects the presence of drugs in the bloodstream at the time of testing, providing accurate results.
When to use:
- Post-accident at the workplace
- To provide results in court
However, it has a short detection window for up to a few hours.
Breath alcohol test
A breath test is often used by employers when they suspect that someone is using alcohol on-site.
Which test to choose?
First of all, employers must know what state and federal drug testing laws are applicable in general. Most of the private companies do not have any federal drug testing policy requirement, but they need to comply with specific industries like transport or healthcare.
Drug testing laws vary from state to state. Employers can consult with their legal professional to ensure their policies comply with state laws before implementing the new employee drug testing policies.
Take the First Step to Safety: Book Your Drug Testing Today!
Final Thoughts
Drug testing is different, just like each company. Employers must understand what testing they need to ensure a productive and drug-free workforce for their business. Although various drug testing kits are available, it is essential to trust professional drug testing for accurate and reliable results. At Choice DNA, we offer confidential drug testing services to help businesses comply with new federal and state laws about drug testing and create a safe workplace.
