agentred

Hey Folks,

I just received a formal offer for a position in NYC and they require a drug test to begin the process. However, I'm in London - does anyone know whether I can get a drug test here and send the results over?

It would be onerous to fly over just for a drug test, and theoretically the firm would pay for flights, but considering they're paying for the visa and dealing with delays etc. they probably would not be delighted - so is there an alternative? Has anyone gone through a similar experience?

Many thanks,

AR

Pulaski

Ask the company which offered you the job, they require the drug test, and any opinion we express has no bearing on whether your prospective employer would accept a test performed in the UK.

agentred

Thanks Pulaski! Will do tomorrow morning, just wondered if there was any research/possibilities I could send them to save them the trouble.

As a sidenote, your 'Pulaski's Way' guide is really helpful, I referred to it a lot for my first visa so thanks for that! Would you possibly have any thoughts on my other thread?

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=799237

jackattack

I agree with Pulaski. Ask the employer who they use. Most companies outsource to a few third parties who have offices in many US cities. No idea about international though.

My hubby just took a new job and they required a drug test before he was allowed to start work.

They told him about the drug test (although I am sure it was in the fine print of the job offer conditions) exactly two weeks before he was due to start work and right as we were heading to the airport for vacation. The flight back from vacation was directly to the office location for him to start work.

He called them immediately to tell them that he couldn't take the test before the first day of work but would be happy to do so during his first week on the job. They told him not to worry and they'd sort it out. As far as I know they've not done anything about it and he's been on the new job for a month now. I have a feeling it was more a case of letting people know it is a drug free company than trying to catch people out.

Tell them that you'd be happy to take the test as soon as you arrive on US soil.

agentred

Excellent, all of this was really helpful! Hopefully they have an international company or are willing to wait until I arrive, thanks so much,

Michael

I wouldn't do that since they may feel that the person is hiding something and doesn't want to take the test until on US soil and feel that once on US soil, the company may not worry about it due to the inconvenience and costs already incurred by the company. You don't want to give a wrong impression to make the company suspicious.

AdobePinon

If the company wants to be asinine and require a drug test, let them work it out. I wouldn't go out of my way for their convenience.

Mr Weeze

I've had a test for every company I worked for (post graduation), UK included. Capita Health Solutions are a big provider of these types of things in the UK.

http://www.capitahealthandwellbeing....ment-screening

They have a London office.

jackattack

Hmmm. I can see how that could be misconstrued, it wasn't intended that way.

Certainly my hubby's new company didn't seem to mind that he couldn't take the test right when they asked but would be happy to take it in three weeks time. They didn't seem suspicious. Maybe they'll spring one on him when they realise he hasn't taken a test (they won't find anything!)

Michael

I think yours had a valid reason but just asking for the sake that you'd rather wait, may possibly raise suspicions. Maybe it is how the question would be framed.

jeffreyhy

A drug test as a pre-condition for employment is quite common in the US. Rest assured that the company will work it out, and it will be done as the company directs it to be done.

Regards, JEff

Michael

In the Silicon Valley high tech companies, it is not very common but if you smoke, that will probably reduce your chances for employment (some companies will terminate someone with a pack of cigarettes in their pocket or seen smoking in their car in the parking lot).

london66

Hi there

Get the company to ask the drug tester for a place in the UK and you should be fine

I had to do a drugs test before I started my job and the company referred me to a clinic in St Johns Wood in London, went down there and peed into two containers and these were FeDexed to the states for analysis, although the Doctor was concerned that he had used the wrong containers and they wouldn't be accepted but I never heard anything back which is what you want.

A couple of years ago I had to do another test over here and apparently cheating is a big business over here, you can buy contraptions that you get someone else to pee in for you and try and sneak them in. In London I was just given the containers and shown where the loo was, over here before I was allowed to pee, some blue tablets were put into the toilet bowl, the taps on the sink were taped up so was the top of the toilet and I had to empty my pockets into a box that was locked. I wasn't allowed to wash my hands until I haded the containers over and this was all for a 6 month contract, not a permanent position.

Hope this helps

Brendan

agentred

Ouch, who were you interviewing for, the Impossible Mission Force??!!

Thanks for the input everyone, I told them I'd be happy to take the test in London or wherever and they said I can just take it when I go over there. Which, considering the vast amounts of bureaucracy and meetings taking up all my time right now, I have absolutely no qualms with!

Thanks again,

GeoffM

Many industries have drug tests. I do a lot of railway work and know that signallers and train drivers in the UK are subject to drug tests at literally any time whilst on duty, without warning - though equally they could also be asked to come in for a drug test tomorrow too. What's more, no privacy at all: a nurse would be in the room with them while they peed in a cup. And to cap it all, if I or other contractors visited a safety-critical workspace like a driver's cab or a signalbox, we'd be subject to a drugs test as well or escorted off the premises and ritually fired! I know a couple of former colleagues who visited a site, got randomly (and unluckily) subjected to a random drugs test, found that the copious beers from the previous night hadn't exited their system (therefore under the influence), got kicked out by Network Rail, and immediately dismissed by their employer despite decades in the business. Think yourself lucky!