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Testing

Don’t punish employees for wrong drug-Test hunch

08/01/2005

Q. We suspected an employee was using drugs, so we sent him to be tested. We told him he couldn’t work until the test came back in two days. The results were negative. What financial responsibility do we have? Do we owe him lost wages for those two days? —L.B., North Carolina

Hiring, ADA

06/01/2005
When you or your hiring managers need to fill an open slot fast, it may be tempting to skip steps in the application process. But don’t do it; follow the proper …

Quiz applicants on basic skills; don’t wait for a national test

06/01/2005
You’ll soon have access to a new nationally recognized test that can help you gauge entry-level applicants’ job readiness. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is spearheading development of the Equipped for …

Don’t shy away from personality tests, but know the risks

06/01/2005
Issue: Personality tests are the first line of hiring defense at many organizations. Nearly 30 percent of employers use such tests.
Risk: A poorly designed test can open you up …

Dropped your drug testing? You’re not alone

06/01/2005
Workplace drug testing’s popularity has gradually fallen since peaking in 1996, when 81 percent of employers surveyed by the American Management Association (AMA) said they tested. By 2004, that percentage had …

Quiz applicants on basic skills; don’t wait for national test

05/01/2005
Issue: Business and government leaders will unveil a new national job-readiness test next year that you can give entry-level applicants.
Benefit: Cut down on bad entry-level hires. Spot high-school grads …

Personality tests don’t trammel constitutional rights, but beware risks

04/01/2005
Many employers use personality tests to identify job-related characteristics, such as maturity or emotional stability. But these tests can carry legal risk when applied incorrectly.
If you use personality tests, …

Hair samples are a legitimate method of drug tests.

03/01/2005
A police department ordered one if its officers to provide a hair sample for a drug test after it suspected him of using cocaine. The test, which involved shaving a patch …

Keep applications clean; jotting notes may trigger hiring-bias claims

03/01/2005
Don’t track applicants’ race, sex, religion, age or national origin information on their applications or any other pre-offer documents unless you’re required to do so under certain affirmative-action laws. And if …

Cite Return-to-Work Tests in Drug/Alcohol Policy

03/01/2005

Q. One of our employees was recently in jail for traffic and drug violations. Before he returns to work, what guidelines can we follow to ensure that he’s drug-free? Will we be discriminating if we require a drug test before allowing him back on site, even though we didn’t require this test when he was hired? —M.Z., Washington