Pre-employment drug screening is just one step to ruling out failed hires. With this said, job seekers, need to think twice about drinking night before pre employment drug test.
Obtaining full-time employment is becoming more difficult with each passing year. The downtown economy surely hasn’t made things easier for job seekers or employers. In lieu of these uncertainties, employers are pulling out all the stops to limit any recruitment setbacks.
Pre-employment drug screens and background checks are nothing new. However, positive results will not only lead to employment disqualification but follow the candidate forever like a dark cloud.
Drinking Night Before Pre-Employment Drug Test
Modern employers have not only expanded their policies to safeguard against broader workplace injuries, but also adopted sterner hiring practices. Despite being legal when sold to anyone over the age of 21, alcohol is regarded as an illegal substance.
Employers are going as far as disqualifying candidates who test positive for alcohol. Job seekers need to be aware of the detection rate of alcohol in urine, blood, and breathalyzer.
Alcohol is detectable in human blood up to six hours after consumption. In other words, modern blood alcohol screens can detect traces of alcohol for at least six hours after consumption.
Alcohol is detectable in urine for up to 24 hours after consumption. Breathalyzers offer similar results, with a detection rate of up to 24 after consumption.
Job seekers serious about employment should avoid alcohol within 24 hours of a drug screen. To play it safe, the 36- or 48-hour no-alcohol rule should apply.
Employers looking to hire forklift drivers or heavy machinery operators are more likely to put a much higher emphasis on alcohol consumption. To make matters worse, the newly adapted safety regulations aren’t just for the pre-employment stages.
Alcohol Pre-Employment Drug Screens
Job recruitment and new-hire training are two costly expenses for employers. As many companies are slashing programs to reduce their overhead, job recruitment is slowing to a crawl.
When a job opportunity arises, job seekers need to approach it cautiously. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get hired by a notable company with ample room to grow.
A will-prepared job candidate is knowledgeable about the most common types of pre-employment drug screens. While it is impossible to prepare for every type of hiring process, omitting alcohol from the diet will put candidates on a competitive edge.
Blood Drug Screening
In part, a blood drug screen delivers a high rate of accuracy and reliability. Decades of extensive research have rendered breakthrough blood testing technology. In the past, it could take a week for job candidates to receive their drug test results.
Intuitive technology has slashed the long wait time by one-third. Job seekers can now expect to receive their drug screen report in 24 to 48 hours, depending on the laboratory.
As modern technology has reduced wait time, it has also improved the detection capability of pre-employment drug screens.
The latest drug & alcohol testing can detect the slightest trace of alcohol in the blood for six hours after the last consumption.
The advanced capability delivers superior detection accuracy of THC, oxycodone, heroin, cocaine, opiates, fentanyl, tramadol,
Xanax, methadone, Valium, gabapentin, and more.
The downside to blood drug testing is it cannot be performed onsite or in the job recruiter’s office. Employers must hire third-party, certified laboratories to perform the tests. It also adds inconvenience as job candidates must make the commute within 24 to 48 hours.
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Urine Drug Screening
Pre-employment urine drug screens detect illicit drugs and controlled substances, such as prescription painkillers. Urine drug tests offer added convenience for both employers and job candidates.
A company representative trained to read 12-panel urine drug tests receives the results almost instantaneously. However, the employer must review the report before the candidate is notified.
12-Panel specimen cups are integrated with a thermometer to rule out tampering. The thermometer must generate a reading between 90 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit (32 and 38 degrees Celsius).
Saliva Testing
Also referred to as the mouth swab, the saliva test is becoming more common in the workplace as an effective tool for detecting illicit substances. The test involves swabbing the inside of the cheek with a Q-tip. Then, the sample is tested for illicit drugs.
In most cases, the employer will be responsible for administering the swab test. However, the employee may be given the Q-tip so they can collect the sample.
In the latter situation, these tests are much easier to trick because one can simply swab the surface of their teeth as opposed to the inside of the cheek.
When it comes to checking for alcohol, saliva tests can only detect trace amounts. Therefore, this drug test isn’t recommended for detecting alcohol. As for other substances like marijuana, these tests are reliable.
Saliva tests are popular because they can often provide immediate results. With certain saliva tests, the results are available in minutes. If the sample must be analyzed by a lab, it may take up to three days.
Hair Testing
Although it is similar to blood testing, hair testing is one of the more invasive tests employers have available to them. These tests are extremely effective since they can detect an array of substances over extended periods.
Some experts have reported that these tests have delivered effective detection for substances used two years prior. While they are only supposed to detect alcohol for the past six months, partaking the night before scheduled testing would be risky.
Abstaining Is The Only Surefire Way To Pass
As testing policies become more in-depth, the methods used to fool them adapt as well. As good as they’ve gotten over the years, there is only one guaranteed method that will yield a guaranteed negative result, and that is abstaining from all illicit substances.
If someone finds it necessary to partake in alcohol or drug use before testing, they may want to evaluate their life. These individuals may need professional assistance. It is always best to be clean of drugs and alcohol when taking a drug test.