So having accepted a position at a new company my recruiter made a big deal about abstaining from alcohol for two days prior to the drug test. Is there any logic or basis for his concern? Do companies really test for alcohol on a drug test and would having a beer the night before show up.

I've taken drug tests for other jobs and do not remember this ever be of concern.

I do not need to have a drink every day, on Tuesdays though I typically take part in a weekly bike ride that involves having a pint of beer at some bar on the route.

7/15/2014 3:55:50 PM

It may just be a "see if this person can follow directions" thing

I would guess that if they made that big of a deal out of it that they really mean it

not sure why you'd want to possibly mess up a new job opportunity taking a chance that it would show up

[Edited on July 15, 2014 at 4:24 PM. Reason : but yes, companies do really test for that]

7/15/2014 4:24:01 PM

I had to blow into a breathalyzer as part of my drug test.

7/15/2014 4:32:10 PM

If you can't abstain from alcohol for two days you shouldn't be working to begin with

7/15/2014 4:34:28 PM

^^^ It is not the company, it was the recruiter. Not sure if he is just being overly cautious due to fear of losing his commi$$ion check. Though you are right better to be safe than sorry.

The company is german so can't imagine they'd care that much if their employees are tee-tootlers.

^ Not that I can't do it, just an inconvenience if it is for no good reason!

[Edited on July 15, 2014 at 4:36 PM. Reason : aa]

7/15/2014 4:35:38 PM

^^there's 100s of 1,000s of productive, hard-working, functioning alcoholics, including CEOs.

7/15/2014 4:38:15 PM

they can test for alcohol and trace amounts can show up for more than a two day window. I highly doubt anyone actually gives a shit about this, but they do it for court and some treatment classes for alcoholics.

7/15/2014 4:48:48 PM

No way this could affect you. Probably just trying to inflict some religious ideology on people

7/15/2014 5:21:11 PM

I would think Listerine would show up in a trace amount, so you could use that as defense

7/15/2014 5:30:55 PM

You can be someone somewhere has gone to a piss test drunk, and probably drove there.

7/15/2014 10:11:58 PM

I've never heard of companies testing for Alcohol, but it's definitely possible and it definitely can show up in a urine test although sensitivity for urine is not very good and they normally recommend blood instead.

A link to some of the Alcohol tests we can perform at the lab and its sensitivities.

http://www.arupconsult.com/Topics/AlcoholAbuse.html?client_ID=LTD#tabs=4

7/15/2014 10:42:16 PM

Let's have a pint halfway through our bike ride, so we can make sure to sweat off our buzz in no time flat.

7/15/2014 11:50:09 PM

Chug a case of O'Douls

7/16/2014 12:14:34 AM

If you can't abstain for a couple day for an upcoming drug test for your new job, you seriously need to re-evaluate your priorities.

Solution: Take drug test, leave and go get piss drunk.

7/16/2014 9:04:38 AM

^^^some people drink beer because they like they taste

7/16/2014 10:06:58 AM

Quote :

"some people drink beer because they like they taste"

By the way part of my issue is the principle of the matter...

If the new company is such tee-teetotalers that they are testing to see if I'm a drinker is this really a place I want to work. This seems like something Hobby Lobby would test for, ensuring all their workers are pure alcohol free good Christians.

[Edited on July 16, 2014 at 10:39 AM. Reason : a]

7/16/2014 10:21:05 AM

lots of Christian churches serve alcohol at church events. Baptists are anti-alcohol but not all Christians have that view.

source: I'm Episcopalian.

[Edited on July 16, 2014 at 11:11 AM. Reason : ever been to a Catholic church event? ]

7/16/2014 11:10:53 AM

another classic HUR thread.

7/16/2014 11:14:16 AM

If they don't want you to even drink for a drug test, I'd re-evaluate if this is a company you want to work for.

7/16/2014 11:56:32 AM

They didn't even test for alcohol....

7/16/2014 4:31:18 PM

this probably seems like the most likely case to me

Quote :

"Not sure if he is just being overly cautious due to fear of losing his commi$$ion check."

7/16/2014 7:51:06 PM

My dad handles drug testing and loss control for his company. They only test for alcohol in case of an accident immediately afterwards. For example, a delivery truck driver gets in a wreck. They drug test him to see if he was under the influence at the time. No moral or ethical enforcement, just want minimize their exposure to liability.

7/16/2014 9:01:05 PM

Quote :

"If the new company is such tee-teetotalers that they are testing to see if I'm a drinker is this really a place I want to work."

How is that even a question? Of course not.

If a company drug tests at all it's not a place I want to work. I don't use any drugs, but drug testing policies show a certain lack of respect for the employees.

7/16/2014 9:41:48 PM

for some industries, they also show a certain desire to keep insurance rates reasonable or comply with federal laws. not defending drug testing by any means, just saying...

7/16/2014 9:51:13 PM

they don't even drug test where I work

7/16/2014 10:32:19 PM

^9

hell plenty of Baptists don't have that view

7/16/2014 11:38:27 PM

Quote :

"I don't use any drugs, but drug testing policies show a certain lack of respect for the employees."

It's kind of like buying an investment without checking that investment out first...then waiting until after you've purchased it to find out some shit was wrong with it. Like that, right?

7/17/2014 9:18:56 PM

^ What a stupid analogy. We had a great intern when I was back at Corning. Did good work, everyone like the guy, and showed a lot of initiative. My boss attempted to hire him full time out of school but he failed the Hair Drug test that Corning mandates for new employees.

I am sure the guy wasn't coming to work stoned. How was this drug test representative of the ability of this guy to do the job. In my opinion, what one does on one's own time is there own business. As long as they aren't coming into work hungover, under the influence, etc. Essentially Corning filtered out this great candidate because he smoke pot at some point over the last 3 months. On the flip side they could have hired a guy addicted to legal painkillers, one who is a raging alcoholic (as long as he's not drunk at work), someone who beats his wife, or a guy who is a pedophile.

Drugs are bad mmmhhhkkk

[Edited on July 18, 2014 at 8:46 AM. Reason : s]

7/18/2014 8:46:42 AM

drug tests are never as much fun as they sound

I'm Krallum and I approved this message.

7/18/2014 5:45:18 PM

^^ did they have a zero tolerance policy? Seems like his recommendations could have countered that otherwise.

7/18/2014 6:16:42 PM