Workplace Drug Screening

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Workplace Drug Screening 1 Workplace Drug Screening Opinion Paper Psy/425 August 15, 2015 Workplace Drug Screening 2 Many employers in the United States require pre-employment drug screenings before they will hire an individual for open positions, as well as random drug screenings during the employee’s duration of employment. If an employee, fails a drug test employers legally have good cause to deny employment, fire or deny an individual from a promotion. Drug testing laws vary by municipality and state and certain employers. For example, Government jobs encourage treatment and rehabilitation versus punishment. Not every employer has a mandatory zero-tolerance policy. This paper will discuss the different types…show more content…
Urine tests are the least expensive for employers and are considered an intrusive method of testing. This test can be done at home, but do require lab verification for accurate results. A urine test can detect use primarily within the past week. However the test can be affected by abstaining from use for a period before the test, and are often temperature tested to insure sample integrity. Saliva tests are a little more expensive than urine testing and considered a relatively intrusive method of drug testing, therefore becoming more commonly used by employers. Saliva tests have no nationally accepted standards of cut-off concentrations for detection which could make the results less reliable and/or acceptable for legal cases. Hair tests are even more expensive but are still considered a relatively intrusive method of drug testing and can detect substance use over a longer period of time, but usually cannot detect use within the past week. Hair tests require a small amount of hair clippings. Hair test are considered more accurate than the urine tests. Blood tests are considered the most expensive, most intrusive, most accurate and are the most commonly method of testing used by employers. The last method of drug testing is a sweat test. This test is considered relatively intrusive method because it requires wearing a patch for an extended period of time and is uncommonly used. The sweat test is controversial in terms of accuracy due…show more content…
The random selection process precludes an employer from attempting to pre-select a particular employee for a drug test. An employer can also drug test an employee if they have reasonable suspicion or an employee has given cause to have the employer require a drug test. The evidence is based on the direct observations made by supervisors or co-workers that an employee has used or possesses illicit substances, exhibits physical symptoms of being under the influence, and has patterns of abnormal or erratic behavior. Prior to returning to work from either recovering from an injury that may have occurred as a result of an accident or incident that happened in the workplace or if an employee tested positive during a random drug test and was given the opportunity to undergo inpatient treatment. The employer may be required to provide a specimen to ensure that the employee is drug-free before being allowed to return to work (Division of Workplace Programs,
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