Most people undergo a drug test at least once in their lives. If you are preparing for your first test or it’s been a while, here are five do’s and don’ts for random drug testing to help through the process.
Do Know Your Rights
The laws surrounding drug testing and use are complex and vary based on location, so knowing what they legally can or can’t ask of you depending on where you are is vital. Employers cannot ask you to take a drug test if they haven’t offered you a job. They also have to ask you to sign a drug-free policy to require you to take a drug test. They can’t force you to take a test if you don't sign it. They can, however, withdraw their employment offer. Drug testing must be random. Employers are not allowed to choose who to test based on their own biases or suspicions.
Don’t Be Rude
Whatever your opinions on drugs and drug testing are, don’t be rude to the staff. Your attitude is even more critical for pre-employment drug screening. Your potential employer could still withdraw their offer. You are very rarely the only qualified candidate for a position, and a positive attitude even in the face of adversity or bureaucracy is a highly valued trait.
Do Know What to Expect
If you’ve never taken a drug test before, you may be unsure what to expect. Before your test, do some research about the process. Is your urine, blood, or hair being tested? What happens at a testing clinic? How long are different drugs detectable by tests? The answers are widely available online and can help you feel more relaxed.
Don’t Stress About It
Telling someone not to worry about something is rarely effective. However, there’s no reason to be stressed about random drug testing. It’s a routine part of employment and pre-employment screening. The good news is that a flagged drug test isn’t positive until a medical review officer looks at it. Until then, it’s just non-negative. A non-negative result can happen for various reasons that don’t involve illegal drug use, ranging from eating a lemon poppyseed muffin before the test to having a medical marijuana prescription. Most instances of false positives are easy to resolve, although a second test is sometimes required.
Do Be Patient
An unambiguously negative result usually only takes 24 hours to come back. A non-negative result will require further analysis and may take up to a week. Even if it has been longer than 24 hours, be patient, and don’t worry. Testing centers may be busy, or the medical review officers may be out of the office. There are many reasons why your test results may take longer to return than you’d like.
