Aussie bank urine test
June 4, 2011 7:13 PM Subscribe
I know that American employers conduct urine drug tests all the time, but what about Australian employers? I was recently offered a bank job in Sydney, and will have to undergo a "medical examination" before starting. The information sheet says nothing about drugs, but does mention a urine test. Will they test for cannabis, and if so, should a month (after pretty much semi-daily use) be long enough to be in the clear?
hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. it's great for your health, anyway, and i once cleaned out in two weeks after heavy daily use by drinking about a gallon of water a day.
posted by woodvine at 7:58 PM on June 4, 2011
posted by woodvine at 7:58 PM on June 4, 2011
hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. it's great for your health
Up to a point. And then it really, really isn't.
posted by Sys Rq at 1:08 AM on June 5, 2011
Up to a point. And then it really, really isn't.
posted by Sys Rq at 1:08 AM on June 5, 2011
Stop immediately, drink oceans of water, step up your exercise - do everything you can to keep your system flushing. A month is plenty of time for this to work.
posted by EatTheWeek at 1:51 AM on June 5, 2011
posted by EatTheWeek at 1:51 AM on June 5, 2011
If it's a medical, I'd suggest that's it and only it. I can only talk about the public service medical that I underwent... and the urine test part was for infection/blood. A female colleague tested positive for blood and under went a big investigation. Poor thing.
The rationale given to me for the exam was that the public service had such excellent provisions for people who were injured at work that they wanted to establish a baseline health status for new employees.... to avoid rorts.
I was not told I was being drug tested. And as far as I know, I wasn't. I hadn't taken any drugs so it wasn't an issue anyway..... so I guess I wouldn't hear anything back about it.
I suggest talking to your local users association like here is the NUAA link and asking them if they know any more.
Best of luck.
posted by taff at 3:24 AM on June 5, 2011
The rationale given to me for the exam was that the public service had such excellent provisions for people who were injured at work that they wanted to establish a baseline health status for new employees.... to avoid rorts.
I was not told I was being drug tested. And as far as I know, I wasn't. I hadn't taken any drugs so it wasn't an issue anyway..... so I guess I wouldn't hear anything back about it.
I suggest talking to your local users association like here is the NUAA link and asking them if they know any more.
Best of luck.
posted by taff at 3:24 AM on June 5, 2011
Also.... try googling the bank's name and "drug test" and a few other terms.... see what others have said in other fora about it.
posted by taff at 3:26 AM on June 5, 2011
posted by taff at 3:26 AM on June 5, 2011
No. You will not be subjected to a drug test. The only place in Australia I've heard of that happening, really, is in the armed forces, the police, the mining industry and certain places where you might operate heavy machinery. Definitely not for a job at a bank. It would be for the kinds of things taff mentioned above, and nothing else. If they are going to be doing drug testing you'll certainly be advised as much.
Short answer: no. I can say with confidence that the answer is 100% no.
posted by Philby at 5:13 AM on June 5, 2011 [2 favorites]
Short answer: no. I can say with confidence that the answer is 100% no.
posted by Philby at 5:13 AM on June 5, 2011 [2 favorites]
A female colleague tested positive for blood and under went a big investigation. Poor thing.
This is probably a kind of YMMV thing; the last two urine tests I've had, the nurse has said 'hmm, you've got a bit of blood showing up in this, when was your last period? Oh well, it's probably nothing, some people get that sometimes.' Different places, different amounts of time since my period. Both of those were the diabetes/infection kind of tests, for a workplace medical and a general wellwoman medical, that they do with a dipstick right there, rather than drug tests that they send off to a lab.
posted by Lebannen at 7:21 AM on June 5, 2011
This is probably a kind of YMMV thing; the last two urine tests I've had, the nurse has said 'hmm, you've got a bit of blood showing up in this, when was your last period? Oh well, it's probably nothing, some people get that sometimes.' Different places, different amounts of time since my period. Both of those were the diabetes/infection kind of tests, for a workplace medical and a general wellwoman medical, that they do with a dipstick right there, rather than drug tests that they send off to a lab.
posted by Lebannen at 7:21 AM on June 5, 2011
Also, I'm not sure if they sell them otc, but you may be able to buy drug test kits yourself and test yourself before you go in. A month should be plenty of time.
posted by TheBones at 8:03 AM on June 5, 2011
posted by TheBones at 8:03 AM on June 5, 2011
What Philby said. From what I know about the industrial relations area of it, an Australian employer must inform you and receive your consent before testing you for drug or alcohol use.
If an Australian employer tries to discriminate you on the basis of historical drug usage, you should seek the advice of an employment/IR lawyer. If you get the job, I encourage you to join the FSU who'll be able to give you that kind of advice and far more.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 5:22 PM on June 5, 2011
If an Australian employer tries to discriminate you on the basis of historical drug usage, you should seek the advice of an employment/IR lawyer. If you get the job, I encourage you to join the FSU who'll be able to give you that kind of advice and far more.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 5:22 PM on June 5, 2011
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posted by J. Wilson at 7:45 PM on June 4, 2011 [2 favorites]