There are various situations that might result in a company testing its current or future employees for drugs. This could be during the hiring process, if an accident occurred in the facility, or for their own knowledge. It’s important when you start a job to know if drug testing will be a regular occurrence or if only during the hiring process. Here are some of the situations in which a company might require employee drug testing.
Hiring Process Testing
Many companies require candidates to complete a drug test before they will finalize the hiring for a position. This is the most common time for a drug test to occur. While those working on heavy machinery will definitely require drug testing, others might as well. This test will usually be completed after the interview process and after the right candidate has been chosen. In this case, the drug test is the final piece of information needed by the employer. The job offer will usually be extended once they receive the results of the drug test.
Post-Accident Testing
If an accident occurs in the workplace, a drug test might be requested or required. Whether or not the test is required depends on the circumstances. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says that testing is only required if there is reasonable suspicion that the accident was a result of drug or alcohol abuse. Even if this isn’t the case, the employer might request a drug and alcohol test as a part of their investigation. However, this might not be required, in which case the employee can refuse the test without punishment.
Random Testing
In most cases, there will be a reason for requiring a drug test but some companies might decide on random drug testing. This is usually to promote a drug and alcohol-free environment. When this is the cause of testing, it’s required that the testing selection is completely random with every employee in the company having the same chance of being chosen. In this situation, there is no suspicion that the person chosen has been abusing drugs or alcohol.
There are various reasons why a company might request or require their employees to take a drug test. This could be during the hiring process, following an accident, or to promote a drug and alcohol-free office. These are three common situations in which a company might implement employee drug testing for one or all of its employees.