Employers in industries where abuse of specific substances is a concern (makers and sellers of pharmaceuticals or supplements, for instance) can order custom tests for virtually any substance-if, of course, they’re willing to pay for them.Įmployers must be aware, though, that certain states and municipalities (including Nevada, Maine and New York City) have passed laws restricting employers’ ability to consider an applicant or employee’s marijuana use or marijuana drug test result when making a hiring decision. Modern technology enables detection of a vast range of substances. One portion is tested, and the other is set aside for use in case of error or contamination, to confirm a positive test result, or to address any challenge to test findings. Once a specimen is collected, it is typically divided in half. Direct observation of a subject during urine collection is generally forbidden, but technicians may accompany a subject into a restroom, listen as the specimen is collected, check its appearance and temperature, and use other methods as precautions against specimen tampering or substitution (e.g., requiring a test subject to wear a hospital gown to prevent concealment of “clean” specimens or adulterants, dying toilet water to prevent its use in diluting a specimen, etc.). Collection usually takes place at the test location. Drug Testing Processĭrug testing begins with the collection of a specimen-typically urine, though saliva and hair also may be tested. State laws and regulations may also require displaying drug-free workplace policies at worksites. A well-designed workplace drug policy will explain how and when testing will be conducted, and what the consequences will be for failing a test or refusing to take one. When implementing a drug-free workplace policy, it’s critical, both legally and from an employee-relations standpoint, to set clear expectations. Workplace studies have demonstrated that sound drug-free workplace policies can reduce on-the-job accidents and absenteeism and improve productivity and worker retention. Reputation. Problems with any of the preceding issues can hurt a company’s good name, as can employees who are impaired or intoxicated while representing the company.Security. Drug testing can help avoid fraud, embezzlement, or other forms of workplace theft by employees trying to finance illicit addictions.Liability. Intoxicated workers who come into contact with clients, customers, and the general public expose their employers to potential legal action.Safety. Employees under the influence of alcohol or drugs are at greater risk for industrial accidents, driving infractions and accidents, and other mishaps that endanger them and their coworkers.But whether mandatory or discretionary, virtually all drug testing addresses one or more of the following concerns: Some regulated industries require testing of employees, especially those with jobs that impact public safety. Reasons for implementing drug testing procedures vary by employer. False positive drug tests are a manageable element of workplace drug-test programs. With increased attention on testing policies, and changing guidance on how to address testing and responses to test results, comes a need for greater awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of testing procedures, including the potential for false-positive test results that can come with expansion of the type and number of drugs included in pre-employment drug screening programs. Still, employers have a legitimate concern, and an obligation, to protect the health and safety of their employees and those they come into contact with. As cannabis laws have changed around the US, employers are updating their drug screening protocols. News and World Report indicates that, according to reports from Quest Diagnostics, positive drug tests had hit their highest rates in more than a decade, with the states of Oregon, Maine, Vermont, Alabama, Louisiana and Massachusetts topping the list of positive results for urine-based drug tests.Īnother challenge that employers now face is the legalization of marijuana for both recreational and medicinal use. Reports that workers are failing workplace drug tests at the highest rates in over a decade also have many companies revisiting and updating existing policies. In this blog, we’ll explain what a false positive is on a drug test how the drug testing process works what drugs 5-panel and 10-panel tests detect the most common causes of a false positive and how to dispute a false positive drug test.Įmployee drug screenings have been standard procedure for decades in many industries, but the nation’s ongoing crisis of opiate and opioid abuse make it a growing focus for employers and HR professionals across the country. Drug testing for job candidates and employees is increasingly common, but are not always 100% accurate.
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