Drug and alcohol testing is an occupational health and safety measure that many employers take to keep the workplace safe. This protocol effectively detects substance abuse and/or the presence of intoxicants, such as alcohol, on the job. Drug testing is a safety protocol that is proven to aid in reducing workplace incidents, deterring employees from using substances on the job, and as an extra precaution if a workplace is experiencing an increase in non-negative results after an incident.
If you’re an employer wondering if random drug testing is right for your team,
learn more about how to implement random testing here.
WHAT DOES A RANDOM DRUG TEST MEAN?
A random drug test is the administration of a drug and/or alcohol screening under random selection. Employees are not given notice and can be subjected to testing at any time.
HOW DO EMPLOYERS TEST FOR DRUGS AND ALCOHOL?
Typically, pre-employment and random drug and alcohol screening tests are completed with a urine sample or a breathalyzer (alcohol) test.
CAN YOU BE DRUG TESTED FOR NO REASON?
This depends on the laws in your province or state. However, in most cases, employers are within their rights to request random drug tests of their employees regardless of whether they have reasonable cause or suspicion. Many employers may also require pre-employment drug testing for new hires as a condition of employment.
WHAT DOES HAVING A “REASONABLE SUSPICION” TO TEST FOR DRUGS MEAN?
Having “reasonable cause” or “reasonable suspicion” means that the employer has a factual, logical and objective reason to believe that an employee has been abusing substances or is currently under the influence. This means that your employer must have concrete reasoning to request testing and is not speculating nor discriminating against you.
Reasonable suspicion can be different depending on the circumstance, however, examples of reasonable suspicion may include:
- Direct observation of drug use and/or symptoms of drug use (slurred speech, uncoordinated movement, etc.)
- Evidence that an employee is in possession of drugs and/or alcohol on the job
- A report from a reliable source that an employee is using drugs
- Evidence that an employee has tampered with their drug testing results
- Significant decrease in work performance
- Repeated workplace incidents/injuries
DID YOU KNOW PRECEDE OFFERS PRIVATE DRUG & ALCOHOL TESTING SERVICES?
Drug and alcohol testing isn’t always for the workplace. If you are looking for personal drug testing services, Precede offers private health drug and alcohol testing options. With Precede’s personal health services, your privacy and confidentiality is always guaranteed.*
*Please note, Precede must report all employment-related testing results to the employer.