Drug Testing Remote Work From Home Employees Via Oral Fluid Collection Kits or Urine Tests - Work From Home Employee Drug Testing Strategies

Drug Testing Via Oral Fluids

May Be Best Way to Test Remote Workers

Oral Fluid Collection Drug Testing Kits Are Relatively Inexpensive and Reliable, and Represent Less Invasive Intrusion into Employee' Privacy Concerns

The below is from How to Drug Screen Remotely During a Pandemic – TOPLAB® (toplabdirect.com)

How to Drug Screen Remotely Using Oral Fluid Collection Kits

One of the easiest ways to drug screen remotely is to provide the employee or employee candidate with [an] oral fluid collection kit[]. During a video call with the person responsible for drug testing in your organization, the employee can use the test kit under observation and seal it in a mailer to be sent out.

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How Much Do Oral Fluid Drug Screen Tests Cost?

Of course, prices vary. Perhaps the least expensive we found was from: 5 Panel Oral Cube - C254 - AMP, COC, MET, OPI, THC (countrywidetesting.com), $5.75. According the Countrywide, the 5 Panel:

- Tests for 5 Drugs: Marijuana (THC) Cocaine (COC) Methamphetamine (mAMP/MDMA) Opiates (OPI) Amphetamines (AMP)

- Quick and Easy to Use: Results in 15 minutes or less

- Detection Windows: THC (14 hours) AMP + mAMP (72 hours) Cocaine (24 hours) Opiates (24-48 Hours)

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Is it a Good Idea to Send Oral Fluid Drug Collection Test Kits to All Remote Work From Home Employees?

It may well be, for several reasons.

One, in doing so you are uniformly informing all employees that drug testing is a company policy and practice (may be enclose the new written drug policy for the employees to sign off and send back at the same time!). This is critical, as it will somewhat minimize any given employee from feeling "singled out" when asked to take a drug test.

Two, the kits are relatively inexpensive, probably far less expensive than sending a courier every time you want a drug test performed (and far cheaper than sending them to a drug testing facility).

Three, time may be of the essence, and it is possible that an employee who fears a positive test result may try and find a way to avoid submitting to a timely test.

Maybe Check Out: Drug Testing and Pennsylvania Unemployment Law - Can I be Fired for Refusing or Failing a Drug Test in Pennsylvania?

Can You Get Reliable DNA from a Urine Drug Test?

TOPLAB and others suggest that accurately detecting DNA from a urine test is possible.

However, we scouted that out, and it appears that technology has not reliably extended that far. While DNA is easily detectable from blood or bodily fluids, the same cannot be said for urine.

Employers Must Issue and Update Written Drug Test Policies

No matter which of the two above approaches you use, you must first have provided a written Drug Testing Policy to all employees in advance of undertaking such methods. It is possible that the company's existing drug testing policy does not adequately or specifically address drug testing of remote employees. That needs to be taken care of before implementing any new procedures.