Help! Discharged Ca tested positive Marijuana

[Rabrrita]

Originally Posted by GoYanks34

Just curious what your company does about prescription drugs. If you have a script for a drug and you test positive the drug testing lab will pass you. What about something like Xanax or Vicodin? Your company will never know anyone tested positive if they have a script - I'm pretty sure it's against the law to release medical information like that from a lab to your bosses. While they sent out a memo about WA and not using if you had a legit script for it from many of the states it's approved for medical use in they would never know. I suppose they could get the tests that give an immediate result but that would have to be backed up by a lab and it wouldn't be.

Did you have to sign any kind of waiver so they get the results no matter what? I would think that's the only way they would be able to know exactly what you're taking.

My employees are subject to three types of drug testing. Besides the intitial new hire test, they are required to take an annual test usually scheduled during their anniversary month. They are subject to random testing based on their name being pulled from the hat. And, they are subject to actionable testing based on suspicion, accidents, or incidents.

The results are sent as a pass, fail or retest. A Pass means that the employee had no results above the acceptable test ranage. A Fail means the employee had a result above the acceptable test range with no mitigation. A Retest means the person has a test result above the acceptable test range but has furnished information related to an explaination and a retest is needed.

The retest simply means the person provided somthing that on the surface explains any results above the accepted range. Usually its due to precription drugs. WE do not get the actual readings just one of the three grades. We do not get any information on any explaination as thats confidential between the employee and the testing facility. The retest also gives the date after which a retest is viable and is based on when the medication is no longer being used and should no longer be detectable. If the person is on a long term prescription, the testing facility procedures dictates how they report it. It's my understanding if the medical verification checks out and the results are consistant with that medication, its returned as a pass.

Each employee is required to sign the company drug testing policy, a federal government security drug test policy, some states have seperate state specific drug test policy and a few of our corporate clients have required contractor drug test requirements for those working on their projects.

Just want to add, I can terminate two employees for drug use who work in two different states; one may be denied unemployment and the other may be granted unemployment. Unemployment benefits; when and why its granted, are state specific. A company's zero drug use policy does not automatically mean a state disqualifes based solely on that policy.