The Types of Medical Tests Employees in Orange, California Undergo Pre-Employment

To check for the suitability of employees before employing them, there are tests for drugs and alcohol that can be conducted, as well as fitness and performance tests.

Orange, CA drug testing is considered the norm by many employers in this region who are looking to protect their financial and legal interests and the safety of those currently employed by them.

Drug Testing

Increased amounts of companies are drug testing before employment contracts are signed. This is a protection for the company and fellow employees in making sure those that are not up to a job or likely to endanger others are not employed in the first place.

Standard drug tests will typically check for evidence of amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cocaine, marijuana, methadone, opiates, PCP, and propoxyphene.

The diverse types of drug tests will include urine, blood, saliva, hair, and perspiration.

A drug test is more dependable than drug screening because it provides an accurate analysis of the substance use of an individual. Major companies will generally prefer testing to screening. Drug screening is, however, a more cost-effective approach for many smaller businesses still looking to employ the most suitable and productive personnel.

In terms of a drug screening, most drugs will stay in the body for at least a few days. Heroine and oxycodone and similar opioid are detectable in the body between 1 and 3 days, whereas ADHD, cocaine, and meth medications, remain detectable for between 2 and 3 days.

Drug testing is the best way to know if an employee is likely to be less than productive or may disrupt or endanger those around them.

Alcohol Testing

As drugs can be identified in urine, so can alcohol and nicotine. The process will check for multiple substances.

Someone intoxicated or regularly inhibited from drinking alcohol to excess will be incapable of performing well at work. It is also dangerous the way inhibitions are lost.

Like drug testing, it is necessary to find out who is making a habit out of drinking alcohol to unacceptable levels before employing them rather than when the contract has already been signed. It is cost-effective not to go through a whole recruiting and dismal process when a more suitable individual could have been sought for the company in the first place. 

It is not a good impression to make where employees are smelling of alcohol or slurring their words in front of the public when representatives of the company. From a health and safety point of view and to satisfy legal requirements, you would not want those abusing alcohol to be using any kind of machinery or driving themselves or others around whilst conducting their job.

Fitness

The overall health of a potential employee can be determined by a health exam.

Medical examinations will look at weight and height to work out a body mass index or BMI, screen central nervous systems, and involve a musculoskeletal examination. This includes an analysis of body movement and how the heart performs. Pulse rate will be measured, and hypertension looked for.

An unfit employee may mean a lot of time off work for medical appointments, significant periods of incapacity due to their illness, or even mean that an employment contract is cut short. It is not cost-effective to employ someone with a serious health condition that will be difficult to manage or that will compromise the attendance or performance of an employee. 

This is not to say nobody with a health condition is ever employed because conditions like type 2 diabetes are manageable conditions. The individuals themselves and their doctors will effectively manage them. This type of diabetes can, in some cases, be managed by diet rather than injections. It depends on individual cases. With a knowledge of the medical conditions of prospective employees, an employer can make an informed decision as to an individual’s suitability for their company.

Other pre-employment tests will relate to measuring the aptitude and likely performance of prospective employees. We want to know that they have the intellect and learning capacity to be an asset to our business. It may not be enough to solely rely on school or college examination results.

All the medical tests conducted by those looking to employ staff will be in the interests of the individuals and their fellow workers. Safety is paramount, which is the reason drug and alcohol tests are carried out. High productivity levels are also required to maintain profit levels and for the survival of a business.

An unfit prospective employee must be given more consideration as to whether they are suitable than a fit one. We, of course, never know when an existing employee might become sick, but we can prevent problems by thinking carefully about what medical conditions we are introducing into a workforce. We would not, for instance, want to employ several people with medical conditions who may all end up off sick at the same time potentially. Also, it is more important still for a small company that is managing only a few staff to test for medical conditions. Just one staff member missing, when another is on holiday, can make a significant difference to productivity.