Random drug & alcohol tests

A random drug and alcohol testing program can help ensure a drug-free workplace through unannounced testing for employees.

Employers can test employees randomly but should adhere to applicable federal, state, and local laws. Employers should also ensure that the employee selection process doesn't have unlawful bias or discrimination.

Employers that the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) regulates must follow the testing percentages that the DOT sets annually.

Employers that the DOT doesn't regulate need to follow published company policies.

Enable your account

Before you can begin ordering drug tests, your account must be enabled. 

First-time setup

To set up drug tests for your account, use the steps below:

1. In the Checkr Dashboard, select Packages.
2. Select "Set up" for drug tests.
3. Provide the required information, and select Submit.

After 7-10 days, you receive an email from Checkr that your account can order drug tests. Once you receive this confirmation email, create a package with a drug test. You can do this two ways:

• • Create a package yourself
  • Reply to the email you received from Checkr

Random testing process overview

Each time you create a random testing program, you complete three steps:

1. Create a pool
   • Make a list of employees eligible for random testing
   • Decide whether you'll test for drugs, alcohol, or both.
2. Create a random selection
   • Select a specific number of employees from the pool who will take the tests.
3. Order tests
   • Options for test locations
     • Option 1: You select the clinic, download the screening pass, and send the pass to employees.
     • Option 2: Employees select clinics. Checkr emails employees who then download screening passes to take to the clinics.

To open an interactive preview of the random testing process, select the image below:

Create a pool

To create a pool of employees for random testing, use the steps below:

1. In the Checkr Dashboard, select "Random testing."
2. Select "New pool."
3. Name the new pool.
4. If the Department of Transportation (DOT) regulates your new pool, select yes and then select the regulating agency. Otherwise, select no.
5. Select Continue.
6. If the DOT doesn't regulate your new pool, choose the type of drug test to administer to the employees in the pool.
7. Download the CSV template.
8. Complete the CSV template with information about employees for your new pool. You must complete all the fields below to create employee records in the pool. To add an existing employee record to the pool, use the employee's email address and birth date from the Checkr Dashboard. 
   • First name
   • Middle name (can be blank)
   • Last name
   • Birth date
   • Phone number
   • Email address
   • Postal code
9. Upload the completed CSV.
10. Select Submit.

Repeat the steps to create additional pools.

You can now randomly select employees to be tested.

Create a random selection

To create a random selection based on your pool of eligible employees, use the steps below:

1. In the Checkr Dashboard, select "Random testing."
2. Select the pool with the employees you want a random selection from.
3. Select "New random selection."
4. Select the testing rate (quantity or percentage of employees to test). 
5. Select Submit.

Order random drug tests

When you're ready to order tests for the employees you randomly selected, use the steps below:

1. In the Checkr Dashboard, select "Random testing."
2. Select the random selection you created.
3. Select the employees you want to order tests for. Selected employees should immediately go to the testing site. If an employee is unavailable, you can swap for an alternate using the Actions menu next to the unavailable employee's name.
4. Select "Order test."
5. Select whether you'll select a clinic for the employees or they'll select their own:
   • Select Yes to select the clinic, download the screening pass, and send the pass to employees.
   • Select No to allow employees to select clinics. Checkr emails employees, who download screening passes to take to the clinics.
6. If you accept the terms and conditions, select the checkbox.
7. Select Submit.

Play the Checkr Academy video below to learn about ongoing drug testing throughout the employee lifecycle.