Why You May Need a Drug Test

Contrary to what some might think, drug testing isn’t designed to make anyone feel or look guilty or increase the belief that employees are untrustworthy. It helps employers, government entities, sports franchises, parental guardians, etc., ensure a person isn’t using illegal narcotics that would impair judgment or cause serious injury.

Still, an individual or potential employer may need a drug test for various reasons. Below are just a few.

How Does Drug Testing Work?

Before we explain why you may be required to take a drug test, let’s discuss how drug testing works. A drug test looks for indicators of illegal or legal drug use or misuse. A certified and trained test collector will acquire a specimen from you that can include urine, blood, saliva, hair, or sweat.

Preparing for a drug test is fairly simple. This typically involves following a physician’s instructions, which may involve abstaining from eating, drinking, or supplements 12 to 24 hours before the test is administered.

5 Reasons Drug Testing May Be Required

1. You Just Got a New Job

Many companies use drug testing to protect them from injury liability and as a pre-employment hiring tactic to find trustworthy job candidates. Pre-employment drug testing is implemented by roughly 98% of employers to detect illegal drug use among employees. A Florida state statute indicates that an employer must require job applicants to submit to drug testing. Refusal to complete a drug test or a positive result can justify an employer refusing to hire an applicant.

2. Your Current Employer Requires Random Drug Testing

As current employees, your employer may require you and your coworkers to submit to random drug testing. What does this mean?

This means a few things, including:

• A computer-generated program will randomly select employees to provide a specimen
• Random drug testing may occur once or every month or quarter (this is at the discretion of your employer)
• Testing must be completed on the same day (within 24 hours) you’re selected
• You must be immediately notified that you’ve been selected for random drug testing

There may be some deviation depending on the drug testing policy in place, but all employees have the legal right to discuss the test results with lab personnel or the sample collector.

3. Athletic Eligibility Needs to be Determined

Professional athletes are often required to complete drug testing (commonly held on a blind basis, so the athletes are unaware of the testing schedule) to ensure they can perform to the best of their abilities on and off the field or court. These drug tests are vital to the franchise so that athletes can meet the team’s, coaches’, and fans’ expectations. Typically, this type of drug testing is used to detect the presence of steroids (human-made chemicals designed to act like naturally occurring hormones in the body) and masking agents. The NCAA tests for various substances year-round during the preseason.

4. A Court Has Ordered Drug Testing

A court can mandate drug testing for almost everything from probation violations to child custody cases. Court-ordered drug tests are more comprehensive than voluntary tests and may require a person to provide various biological samples, including urine, saliva, or blood.

An accredited and licensed testing lab must administer all court-ordered testing to ensure the legitimacy of the results. Courts want to guarantee that labs follow strict testing procedures so that results are as accurate as possible. Often, court-ordered drug tests are not scheduled at a convenient or predetermined time. Courts want to verify that a person chooses to abstain from any illegal substance use.

5. You’re Involved in a Work-Related Accident

If you’re involved in a work-related accident, an employer may request that you submit to a drug test to substantiate or disprove any claims of drug impairment. As a result, an employer could be liable for the injuries an employee sustains.

In our state, drug-free work environments are required to test employees for drugs and alcohol if the employee intends to seek workers’ compensation benefits.

Trust ARCpoint Labs of St Augustine to Aid in Preventing Workplace Substance Abuse

Every employee deserves to work in a safe and secure environment without fearing accidents or injury. One thing employers in St. Augustine can do is implement a drug testing policy, and our team can help you get started.