Today, most companies are required by the governing laws to conduct drug tests of their applicants as a pre-employment procedure. Various drug screening tests are available in the market, like saliva and hair tests. However, urine tests are the most common ones for employment purposes. While the needs of the employers might vary, you should understand the stance of the business and federal and state laws in your work area about drug tests. Learning about drug screenings at a job can prepare you for the results you are looking for as well as the nerve-wracking procedure itself.
Here is all you need to know about when employers conduct drug tests.
When Do Employers Conduct Drug Tests?
It varies from one company to another if they want to conduct drug screening as their pre-employment procedure. However, a company can perform drug tests if they are bound by the law and company policies. They may even ask their employees to get a for-cause drug test if they sense reduced productivity, late task completions, and unpunctual habits which might potentially be due to the effects of drug abuse. Some employees may even be asked to pass drug tests before getting a promotion.
Some companies might also conduct drug tests when they are concerned about their office staff’s work-related safety, risk mitigation, and health concerns. Federal agencies must follow protocols described in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) guidelines for drug screening. All the collected samples should be sent to a certified laboratory for assessment. Post-screening, companies are also required to send all the results to a medical review officer who inspects them before accepting the aspirant.
What is Pre-Employment Drug Screening?
Many companies make prospect drug screening a part of their pre-employment procedure. Failing the test may result in the job offer withdrawal; hence you should try your best not to. If you are on any prescribed medications, you may want to disclose the case with your employers so the lab can exclude the said drug.
Which Jobs Require Drug Tests?
Private employers don’t need to get their applicants screened for drugs before their employment. But for most job areas like defense, transportation, aviation, etc., it is obligatory for recruiting officers to receive negative drug test results from their applicants before hiring them. Other industries including hospitals, universities, and schools also require their employees to get negative results in drug screenings. People applying for federal, state, and county jobs also need to get themselves screened for drugs.
Which Drugs Do Companies Test For?
Most companies opt for the 5-panel drug test as their pre-employment screening. The 5-panel drug test can detect the presence of the five most commonly abused street or illegal drugs in the human body. These include-
Marijuana
Cocaine
Phencyclidine (PCP)
Amphetamines: speed, ecstasy, crank, and methamphetamines
Opiates: heroin, opium, codeine
However, some employers might also go for a 10-panel drug screening which also detects barbiturates, benzodiazepines, methadone, methaqualone, and propoxyphene besides the five mentioned above.
About American Screening Corp
Get alcohol and drug screening test kits at American Screening Corp for your employees. ASC is a premier ISO 13485 Certified distributor of rapid drug and alcohol tests, infectious disease tests, cardiac tests, and medical supplies. Contact us at (318) 798-3306 or fill out the contact form on our website for more information.
