From the DOT Publication Best Practices for Random Drug and Alcohol Testing. Let’s see what happens if an employee is not available for random drug testing.
Best Practices For Random Drug Test
- If an employee selected for testing is known to be unavailable during the selection cycle (legitimate extended absence, long-term illness, etc.), document the reason and make-up the rate shortfall by making another selection, or make an extra selection during the next selection cycle.
- An employee is selected for testing but has not received notice since it is his day off, test the employee during his or her next shift within the same selection cycle.
- No employee should be excused from testing because of operational difficulties. See your industry specific regulations and interpretations for legitimate exceptions.
- Once the employee is notified to report for testing and the test does not occur, the opportunity for the random testing is over. There is no second “bite of the apple.”
If an employer is audited by the DOT, FMCSA or state regulating organization, the auditor will often ask for documentation for tests that were not completed.
Employers need to have policies in place about what to do when an employee is not available for random drug testing.
