Does anyone know how easy (or hard) it is to detect meth in a drug screen?  I know that some drugs (marijuana, for example) stay in the system for quite a while in an habitual user.  Others, like cocaine, are only detectable for a relatively short time.  So, where does meth fall?  Thanks.  

Your drug testing vendor can tell you.  In general, if I have behavior-based reasonable suspicion, I test.  If your reasonable suspicion is not based on behavior, you need to be careful and perhaps consult with counsel, depending on your drug testing policy and your state.  If you are a user who is hoping to continue use, avoid detection and stay employed, that is highly unlikely in my experience.

It is my understanding that meth stays in your system for 3-5 days. I agree with the previous posting that your drug testing facility should be able to answer that question for you.

 

 

Whoa, there!   I am not a user and I am not a corporate HR practioner so I don't have a drug testing vendor to consult at this time.  I was asking because a client suspects a problem with one of his drivers.  I already advised the client that it might be hard to pick up on a drug test if the EE had advance notice that he was going to be tested and could refrain from using for a few days.  Anyway, thanks for the reply.       

You can get the information from calling any lab but they will be more forthcoming in talking to a client.

In the private sector, absent a CBA, you do not need to give notice of a drug test.  In fact, you can require that they report to the test center within a certain time frame of notification.  You can even drive them there.  Scoop them up at the beginning of a shift.  Just make sure the test is being administered in a state that the company understands well.  If the driver is in a distant state on a run, you may want to seek legal counsel local to the state in which the driver is located at the time you require the test.  If meth can be caught on a hair sample, and I don't recall if it can, then the time since last use is largely irrelevent

There is an article on this website at http://hr.blr.com/news.aspx?id=18992 that describes ways to detect if an employee is using beyond an actual drug test.  This could be helpful.

Bev:

Thanks for the great BLR resource.