What is Involved in a Drug Test?
Most people have heard of drug tests but may not know what is involved in the different types of drug tests. Drug tests are used to determine if someone has been using drugs. There are two main types of drug tests: pre-employment and during employment. Each type of drug test has its own set of procedures and the drug testing Philadelphia uses is no different. This article will outline the procedures for each type of drug test.
Hiring Process Drug Checks
Pre-employment drug tests are usually conducted by employers as part of the hiring process. This will be along with other checks such as confirming the claims employees make regarding their qualifications and experience, background checks, and references. Competency tests can be carried out if there is any doubt about a potential employee’s abilities.
Types of Drug Tests Commonly Performed on Employees and What is Involved
Drug tests can be carried out using a sample of urine, hair, or via a blood test. These are the most common methods and are chosen by an employer for different reasons, including speed, convenience, cost, and what they show up. For example, do we want to detect not just a drug but the quantity in someone’s system?
For a urine or hair drug test, the applicant simply needs to provide a sample that is then sent to a lab for analysis.
Blood drug tests are the most invasive of the three and involve taking a sample of the applicant’s blood.
The difference in the types of tests from an employer and employee perspective is therefore how involved the process is for obtaining the sample. This can influence how much employees might agree with the whole idea of regular drug testing. Anything that becomes too much of an inconvenience is more likely to be protested against. Hopefully, employees see the benefit in that it is about their safety and often helping those with a drug problem rather than immediately dismissing them.
As a pre-employment check, employees in need of a job or new job will be the most receptive to undergoing the test because without it they have no chance of being given it. A willingness not to take a drug test can be indicative of either a drug taker or someone with strong beliefs when it comes to respecting someone’s rights and privacy.
What are Drug Test Results Used For
The results of a drug test will be used by employers to determine if the applicant is suitable for the job. A positive result will usually mean that the applicant is not suitable for the job. However, there may be some jobs where a positive drug test is not an automatic disqualification. For example, a truck driver who tests positive for marijuana may still be able to drive a truck as long as they can pass a competence test.
The main thing is that the drug test allows employers to make an informed decision about employing someone. They know the full facts and therefore the entire risk that they are taking by employing someone who might have a drug problem. That is a problem with the potential to impact not just individual performances but those of everyone around them. Safety is paramount as always and this should be the first thing to consider when making the ultimate employment decision.
Regular drug testing during employment will ensure productivity and safety are maintained at all times. We can look for changes in the way someone behaves but the drug test is the only true way of knowing someone has a problem. Then this can be addressed before it becomes a problem and additional cost for a business to bear.
Drug tests are being carried out by more and more employers to make sure that they have the workforces that are going to perform for them and not cause them difficulties. This is in terms of productivity, safety, and not ending up with additional expenses in the accounts.