Last updated : November 11, 2024
While almost every employer tests potential employees for drugs before they are hired, they can also conduct drug tests for current employees too. Since private employers have the leeway to create their own drug testing policy, they can choose to drug test employees how ever they see fit. One of the most common and effective drug testing policies used by organizations is random drug testing.
Random drug testing allows the employer to drug test random employees whenever they choose to do so. A list of all of the employees in the organization are generally placed in a computer program that then randomly picks from the list. The computer program is used to guarantee the entire process is completely random. The biggest benefit of the random drug test is that none of the employees know exactly when they will be forced to take their next drug test. This ensures that most employees will refrain from using illegal drugs so they are never at risk of losing their job.
Random drug testing generally covers the most commonly abused illegal drugs. These drugs include cocaine, opiates, PCP, amphetamines and marijuana. Alcohol may also be tested for in some cases. Since alcohol does not stay in the system that long, alcohol testing is usually done to see if any employees have been drinking while on the job. It is entirely up to the employer to determine what drugs they want to screen for during the random drug test. While most random drug tests are done using urine, a saliva sample may also be used.
