All the candidates offered to work at Lowe’s, have to undergo typical drug testing before employment. In addition, they conduct oral tests using mouth swabs right on the site of action. These on-site tests are best as they have a quite low turnaround time.
Lowes is a majorly known home improvement service with headquarters in Mooresville, North Carolina, USA. There are over 300,000 employees in this company, and they operate across 2,200 stores throughout Canada and USA. Lowe’s subsidiary list includes Rona, Maintenance Supply Headquarters, and Orchard Supply Hardware.
If you’re applying to Lowes and want to know what they’re looking for in prospective hires, these tests are done as a pre-employment screening requirement and do not get into details like weight or height requirements.
A standard company drug test covers the most common drug classes, including amphetamines, barbiturates, and cocaine. However, Lowes does not conduct any random tests on their employees. Therefore, they usually don’t ask for your medical history or background check during the interviews if you’re applying for a Lowe’s job vacancy.
Who Will Be Tested And Why?
Lowes Store conducted drug tests on new hires and anybody applying for a promotion or transfer within the company. All employees who have access to secured areas of their stores and warehouses are subject to their employer’s random drug tests. According to Company policy, any violation of the company’s standards will be grounds for dismissal. Lowes does mouth-swab sample drug tests for
- New Hires/Pre-employment screening
- Discipline/return to work
- Reasonable Suspicion Testing
Random testing at any time during employment, including post-accident and reasonable suspicion testing. Reasonable suspicion is an activity or behavior that leads an employee to reasonably believe that the employee is engaging in prohibited conduct.
In this case, the employee should have a reasonable basis to believe that the subject of drug testing is engaging in prohibited conduct. The procedure to be followed by the company for discipline for employees who tested positive for drug use includes counseling, treatment, or referral to rehabilitation programs.
Testing For Recreational Drugs
Lowes has no policy concerning recreational drugs and alcohol. If an employee tests positive for alcohol or Marijuana and fails to report it, the result will not be verified and considered a failed test. However, if an employee tests positive for cocaine and Marijuana, then he/she will be terminated immediately. In this scenario, Lowes bases their decision on ‘ Reasonable suspicion.’
Lowes Drug Testing Procedure
Lowe’s drug tests are done by a third party or a collection agency. If you’re applying for a job at Lowe’s and have been called for a drug test, then read the instructions on the lab slip carefully. You will be required to provide your specimen; the collection site will give you the sample cups, caps and gloves, etc.
If you have been asked to take a random drug test, you must report it within an hour of receiving the call from a Lowes representative. Generally, these tests are conducted when employees come in for their regular shifts. Employees who don’t report for work within two hours of reporting time will also be tested for substance abuse.
Tests are conducted at an external lab accredited by AABB and licensed by the State of CA. Blood and urine samples are taken randomly from employees who must give the samples during their shift without any advance notice. The sample is taken from the employee and sent to the lab, checking them for the presence and quantity of drug use.
The minimum amount of urine they accept as a positive result is 20 nanograms per milliliter. If your test comes back positive, they will put you on a drug treatment program or refer you to rehabilitation. The company follows the National Institute on Drug Abuse guidelines for drugs testing and maintains two separate programs.
They have a workplace drug testing program that applies to employees who work in sensitive and dangerous areas, such as lunchrooms, cafeterias, restrooms, loading docks, etc. The other program applies to all employees who do not fall under the workplace drug testing policy.
List of Substances Tested At Lowe’s Test
In hopes of achieving a zero-tolerance policy, Lowes asked its employees to report any unauthorized substances. When they’re found on the premises or at work, then it’s considered as a violation, and the person is exposed to disciplinary action.
Lowes follows DMH guidelines for urine testing for cocaine, phencyclidine (PCP), amphetamines, barbiturates, cannabis, opiates, and LSD. They also do hair testing for ecstasy use, and bath salts use.
However, they only test positive users who are employed and involved with work-related duties. He/she must be impaired while performing his/her duties, and the person must note this.
Lowes Procedure For Return To Work
If the person tests positive for the first time, he/she will be scheduled to a return to work date that is not less than 50 days. After that, an employee can resume his/her work with some specific limitations such as no handling of any dangerous tool, machinery part, or materials physically hazardous equipment. The company might also place the drug test subject into an alternate job that doesn’t involve these duties until they’re completely free from drugs.
Does Lowes Test For MMJ?
Since Marijuana is legal in some of the states in the US, the company might have to take a second look at its drug policy. This is because Marijuana is most commonly consumed for medical purposes. Therefore, they might consider medical Marijuana as a valid reason for passing a drug test.
While this might turn out to be good news for people who apply to Lowe’s jobs, they will surely have to face more stringent and expensive tests if they apply for employment at Walmart or Amazon.
Conclusion
Lowes maintains a zero-tolerance workplace drug policy. In a positive test, the person will immediately be placed on leave and will then be referred to their Employee Assistance Program or put into a rehabilitation program.
If you’re applying for employment at Lowe’s, you must read all their policies and regulations related to drug testing and know what they’re looking for in prospective hires before you take the test.
