Does Target Drug Test?

Many people looking to join forces with a great retail company may be concerned with the question, “Does Target Drug Test?” The fact is that currently, Target conducts a variety of drug tests for their employees.

They do not only test the types of drugs they are looking for with just a simple drug screen. Instead, they can use hair follicle drug tests, urine, blood, and mouth swab tests. These screens are accurate to show if you have ever used cannabis or other drugs recently or in the past few months.

If you want to become an employee at Target, you need to know that even if you quit smoking marijuana or using other drugs before your employment, you run the risk of being denied a job due to still having traces of drugs in your system.

Does Target drug test new employees?

Target drug tests new employees. Tests are done to ensure employees will be able to perform tasks safely and adhere to the company’s policy of being an alcohol, tobacco, and drug-free workplace.

Testing is usually conducted after the employee is hired or when he or she moves to a safety-sensitive position, such as; forklift operators, cashiers who work near registers that accept credit cards, and others.

In the past, Target has been sued for wrongful termination or suspension by employees who thought they were wrongly drug tested. In most of these cases, Target won because it had a legitimate interest in ensuring its employees were not exposing others to dangers in the workplace.

Do they test for marijuana?

For now, Target still tests for “pot” but for those of you who are recreational users and not addicted to the point where it will affect your work, there is hope on the horizon. Many major companies are beginning to not disqualify candidates for marijuana usage due to the major changes of acceptance during the last few years in quite a few states in the U.S.

Therefore, if you want to apply at Target, it’s still in your best interest to stay away from smoking marijuana before you apply.

Can I refuse to take the test?

If you are applying, Target can choose not to hire you if you don’t take the test. This is because they will assume you can’t pass the test!

As a Target employee, you can also refuse to take a drug test, but be aware you may be subject to disciplinary action, including termination from employment.

How does Target drug test?

There are several ways that Target conducts drug screens on its employees. The most common is through urine samples. These can be analyzed for the presence of many types of drugs, but it is important to note that results can vary depending on the kind of test.

Urine samples may be screened for amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cocaine metabolites, opiates, and phencyclidine (PCP).

Hair samples are also used at times. This method can detect drug use dating back several months because hair accumulates drugs over time. A blood sample may also be taken, but this is usually reserved for confirmed positives in urine samples or other positive indications of drug or alcohol abuse, on the job.

When does Target drug test?

Target’s policy says that they drug test “candidates” as a condition of accepting your job offer. However, you should note that the type of testing conducted will depend on the nature of the position for which you have been hired and the federal and state laws where the job site is located.

Additionally, please note that many present employees say they were not drug tested at all, believed to be due to the coronavirus pandemic.

What kind of drug test does Target do?

Target carries out several types of drug tests. They include the following:

Mouth swab. What happens is, a lab specialist collects your saliva on an absorbent pad and submits it for testing either immediately, or within the next 24 hours.
Hair follicle test. In this test, the person administering the drug test will cut off a small hair sample from your head and submit it for testing. This test can detect drugs in your system for the past 90 days.
Urine test. All you have to do is urinate into a cup for testing purposes, and the results are fairly quick.
Blood test. This drug test is usually reserved for extreme cases in order to confirm something such as blood alcohol level while on the job. A small sample will be drawn from your arm by a medical professional and submitted for immediate testing.

Target tests all candidates before hiring them, but they only require urine tests for job applicants.

However, applicants hired by Target are subjected to random drug testing, whenever they deem it necessary. These existing employees can be subjected to random drug testing with no warning whatsoever.

The company reserves this right and this policy is usually exercised in Target warehouses, where more dangerous mechanical equipment tends to be used.

What’s an example of a situation involving a random test for drugs?

Let’s say you are a forklift driver working in the warehouse, and you have an unfortunate accident while loading products into a shelf. A co-worker steps in front of you, your vision is obscured, and you accidentally run over the person’s foot, causing fire-rescue to respond to the location.

This would be an obvious incident according to the company policy where your supervisor would have to file an accident report, the injured person would request worker’s compensation, and you would be subjected to an immediate drug test for liability purposes.

Another Example of An Employee Acting Erratically

In this example, let’s say an employee at the store has been acting unlike himself or herself by stumbling throughout the store or slurring their speech. A supervisor would likely be called to the area.

The supervisor would then try to determine if the employee either had some type of medical emergency or condition or if the employee was simply impaired due to possible drug or alcohol usage. If the supervisor suspected substance abuse he or she would ask another supervisor to help escort the employee to the administrative office in the store to further investigate.

The outcome would possibly include:

Getting medical attention for the employee
Questioning the employee
Determining possible drug or alcohol use and requesting an immediate drug test

Does Target drug test at orientation?

No. Target does not pre-screen or test for drugs at their orientation. They will perform drug tests on applicants who are going to be hired and employees must pass a test before they start working for the company, and random and reasonable suspicion tests, as well.

If you are interested in working at Target, be prepared to be put through a drug test before you apply.

Featured image courtesy of OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay.