Drug Testing Employees
Employer drug testing options are limitless with up to 12-panel testing options. To give you an idea of what drug testing options exist, here’s some basic information on different drug test situations and sample types. There can be many reasons to screen employees for drug and alcohol abuse: to maintain a safe workplace, to comply with regulatory standards, or to determine the cause of an accident.
Here are some potential situations where you could require drug testing:
- Pre-employment. Before the contract has been signed or as a hiring contingency, employers can require new/potential hires to undergo drug testing.
- Reasonable suspicion/cause. If an employee’s appearance, behavior, speech, smell, etc. causes an employer to suspect drug or alcohol abuse, they can require a drug screen.
- Random testing. Random tests help ensure that employees remain drug and alcohol free throughout their employment. The tests must use a random selection process where every employee has the same chance of being selected for screening. Some tests even include small windows of time to complete the drug test.
- Post-accident testing. If a workplace accident is possibly the result of drug or alcohol abuse, the employer can require a drug screen. Employers should keep in mind that due to OSHA’s recent post-accident drug testing provisions, drug testing can only be required if there is reasonable suspicion that drugs or alcohol were involved.
While urine is the most common sample used for employee drug tests, there are other methods labs can use to screen for drugs and alcohol. The four most common sample types – urine, blood, saliva, and hair – mostly differ by detection time, the process and ease of collection, and company cost.
Great lakes Labs drug testing program offers all the drug test options you need, from different scenarios to different sample types. We’ll customize the program you need and ensure that everything complies with federal and state regulations. Talk to one of our work health experts to learn more about our drug test offerings.