Drug Tests
Of course, most work environments are drug free. That brings up drug testing. If you are not willing to take a drug test, be prepared to have a hard time finding a job. If you say no to a test, it will look like you have something to hide. As a temp, you may have to take a drug test before the staffing service ever puts you to work or you may have to take a drug test when you actually go to work. Make sure you list all medications you are taking when you take the test; this includes aspirin and vitamins. Good drug tests will turn up anything legal as well as illegal that you are taking.
Staffing services will ask you to submit to a drug test again if you are ever hurt on the job. This is to make sure you were not under the influence of anything like alcohol, marijuana, or cocaine while you were working. You might also have to agree to random drug testing as part of the requirement of working for a staffing service or at the request of the company where you are sent as a temp. Companies entrust valuable equipment and computers to professional and technical temps, so they do not want someone who is not sober.
Drug testing is usually done by testing a urine sample for sub stances like alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and prescription medicine. It is illegal to use some of these drugs, and people can be fired for being under the influence of drugs. As a result, many companies have random drug testing of their employees or they test employees without warning them to see if they are using drugs. Someone who tests positive for an illegal drug can be fired.
If a temp tests positive for drugs, a service can choose not to work them. Many services will not even let you sign up for temp work unless you agree to be tested for drugs.
Services may test temps on site or send them to laboratories to give a urine sample to be tested for drugs. Many prescriptions and over the counter drugs will show up in these tests, so always list any recent medications you have taken when taking a drug test.
Jeremy was excited about the job as a computer analyst a staffing service found for him. If all went well, he would work as a temp for the staffing service, and then after three months become a permanent employee of a research firm. One of the requirements for starting the temp job was taking a drug test. Jeremy had a cold and had been taking medicine prescribed by his doctor. When he arrived at the designated lab to take the test he was asked to list all medications he was taking. Jeremy did not list the medicine for his cold because it was legal and he did not think it mattered.
Imagine his surprise when the staffing service called and said he would not be able to start the temp to hire job because he flunked the drug test. Jeremy was pretty much a straight arrow type of guy, so he was stunned. The staffing service told him what he tested positive for, and Jeremy was able to verify it was a prescribed medicine he was on. He had to take the test again and was finally able to start the job. But, he could have lost the position to another candidate due to the delay, and he was lucky he did not. He could have avoided the risk had he listed the medication as he was requested to do the first time he took the test.
19 Forms (or Proof of Eligibility to Work)
Other pre-application questions will ask you to prove that you are eligible to work. In the United States a law was passed in the 1980s requiring businesses to make sure their staff are legal residents so as to be eligible to work. As a result, businesses that hire workers, including the temporary staffing industry, now require all workers to have proof of eligibility to work. A passport meets this requirement, or two forms of identification, one with a photograph, such as a photo driver's license.
As part of this process, you must complete a 1 9 form before you are given an application. The 1 9 document has a place for your name, address, and Social Security number. The service will complete a section listing your forms of identification. Bring a passport if you have one, or some other type of identification with a photo. The service may accept a driver's license that has a photo plus either a copy of your birth certificate or your Social Security card.
If you refuse to do either drug testing or a 1 9 form, you probably will not be allowed to apply for temp work with the staffing service. The reasons that staffing services are so strict are that the temporary employment can be reviewed by the government at any time for failure to comply with the legal requirement of an 1 9, and many employers want assurance from the staffing service that the temps are drug free.
When Lorie made an appointment with a staffing service she was very excited. The service had already reviewed her resume and felt she was qualified for several current job openings the service was trying to fill. When the service told Lorie she would need to bring in proof of her eligibility to work, Lorie only half listened to their instructions.
Lorie showed up for her appointment and when she started to complete her 1 9 form with its proof of eligibility requirement she told the service she had only her driver's license with her. The staffing service was adamant and insisted Lorie, provide the other required ID before any talk about putting her to work. She then went to the nearest Social Security office and requested a card. The moral of the story is, be prepared. If you do not have the forms of ID needed, order them before you start your job search. It will save you time and help you earn money sooner. It may take at least six weeks from the time you apply before you receive a Social Security card.
