Aquapanther

So, I'm in the US on an L-1a visa.
I'm moving over to the US payroll, but will remain an employee of the UK company.

The US HR manager wants to submit me for a background check and drug screen. I have absolutely nothing to hide but I'm still reluctant as I obviously want to keep those kind of checks to an minimum unless absolutely required.

Before I go talk to my UK director about it, any advice on where I stand here?

TheKingOfHearts

This is pretty common practice. I can tell you as a hiring manager, I've had all my recent employees undergo both. For us, it isn't a requirement for transferee's, but is a requirement for new hires.

We also recently started mandating hair samples as a requirement for the drug test, I recently had a prospective employee fail on marijuana from 8 months ago! It lasts a LONG time in hair.

Given it's probably company policy for US employees, you probably don't have an option. I know for us it's mandatory for US, but not UK.

tom169

From personal experience and talking to American coworkers it is very much common practice in professional jobs.

Aquapanther

Thanks for the replies.

All our US employees no matter what the position have to have one so I know it is not unusual.
I will likely submit for one...just wanted to take the temperature on here given my unusual situation.

Are there any downsides to me accepting this (other that failing...which I won’t)?

Noorah101

Very routine. Nothing to be concerned about.

Rene

Noorah101

None that I'm aware of.

Rene

tom169

And to be honest failure to submit may get you on a flight back to the UK.

Giantaxe

This tends to be very industry specific. I've agreed to a background check a couple of times and anyway if you've never lived in the US it's unlikely to show anything much. I've never been asked to do a drug test and I doubt I'd want to work at an employer that required one, unless it was a job where safety could be compromised by drug use. If I were coming over as an intra-company transferee (which I did) I think my default position would be to push back against it as a matter of principle.

LouisB

Get to keep the job?

Why the reluctance. Pretty standard and you say yourself, ‘all US employees’ take them. You’re working in the US, same rules I would expect...

Aquapanther

I don’t know...maybe I’m just being a bit stubborn.

However I’m not becoming an employee of the US company, just transferring onto their payroll temporarily while remaining an unpaid employee of the U.K. company.
So either I’m being asked to take a drug screening without due cause by the U.K. company, or I’m being asked to submit to a drug screening by a foreign company I’m not employed by. Both of which sits a bit uneasy with me.

Again though...maybe it’s just my stubborn streak..........

TheKingOfHearts

I'm going to be honest - from my perspective as a hiring manager, given how routine this is in the US, failure to submit or even hesitance to submit would give me cause for concern. I had a previous prospective employee claim he couldn't grow hair therefore couldn't submit, gave every excuse under the sun. Once HR informed him he had to make a submission or we'd retract his offer he reluctantly did and promptly failed.

If I were you I'd agree - not worth starting off US employment for a company that has paid for your move on a sour note because you're being stubborn. Now if you've a legitimate cause for concern (like you'll fail..) that's another discussion.

AdobePinon

I get the reluctance. You should know, however, in the US that the typical result of refusal is an automatic fail.

If you are on prescription drugs, you should do some research. But you probably don’t have much choice.

Aquapanther

Defo nothing to worry about.
I’ve got a GC physical in the next few days so if I’m worried about failing then I’ve got bigger problems than keeping a job!!!

Aquapanther

Yeah, I know I’ll go with all your collective good advice.

Or in the words of my girlfriend “stop being a dick!”

md95065

Why the reluctance?

Assuming that the tests are being applied to all employees and there is no objective reason (safety etc) why they could be considered necessary, how about "because it's none of the employer's damn business"?