Amazon is one of the fastest growing employers in North America. They took on a large number of employees during a hiring spree in late 2020, and are on track to become one of the largest private employers in the United States.
Because of this, Amazon has been routinely requesting potential hires undertake drug testing and background checks before they continue through the hiring process. If you fail this test, it shows that you are a regular user of some illicit drug (usually marijuana). Amazon won’t want to hire you if you fail a simple drug test. So how do you know if you failed the Amazon drug test?
How To Know If You Failed Amazon Drug Test?
If you failed Amazon’s drug test they will typically send you an email explaining the reason you failed within a couple of days. They also, normally, give you the option to retake the test but Amazon will not hire an employee who can’t pass their drug test.
When going through the hiring process for Amazon, it’s not uncommon for your employment to be rejected, but will Amazon let you know the reason? It depends on how far you are through the hiring process, but generally, Amazon will let you know through an email or in person.
Failing a drug test is a surefire way to trash your chances at landing a job, so it’s a good idea to stay clean before and during your employment. Especially if you’re expecting to work a dangerous job such as a forklift operator, staying sober is generally a good idea.
Does Amazon Re-Hire After A Failed Drug Test?
Failing your drug test is not the end of the world. If you failed a drug test, the hiring manager will typically allow you to come in for a re-test. If you test positive for the same substance again, you will be disqualified.
The reason they do this is because of some tests coming out as a false positive. Once you’ve failed the second test, your failed test will remain in their system for 120 days. After this period, you can re-apply to try again.
As for people who failed a drug test while on the job, the answer is it depends. If you caused an accident while high on the job, it’s very likely that you won’t be considered for re-hiring.
However, if you were fired for testing positive for marijuana, you will probably be able to re-apply, since their policies on this have changed (more on that below). If you were axed for another prohibited substance, you can re-apply in 120 days once the failed test has left their system.
Does Amazon Perform Random Drug Testing?
Sometimes, people will stay clean temporarily in order to pass a pre-employment drug test, and then resume using illicit substances once they are hired. Since this can create a safety concern, it is sometimes necessary for employers to randomly drug test their employees to ensure compliance with drug policy.
Reports from former and current employees vary, but it seems like Amazon is fairly inconsistent about performing random drug tests. Some areas have them more often, and some don’t have them at all.
If you’re worried, you can ask your regional manager about the specific policies in your manager. If they can’t help you, then you will need to get in contact with Human Resources to have an agent clarify their policies. Most Fulfillment Center positions will be randomly tested for illicit substances monthly or quarterly.
What Is Amazon’s Drug Testing Process?
Although some policy details vary according to region, there are some common qualities to all of Amazon’s drug testing policies:
- Drug testing is performed during the pre-hiring process, after the background check.
- There is no drug test performed on the first day of work, or at orientation. The drug test happens before you are hired.
- The testing process uses a mouth swab, not a hair follicle or blood sample test. The swab test is not as good at detecting certain substances, like marijuana.
- If you’re responsible for an accident while on the job, or you are suspected of using illegal substances while at work, you will be tested again. These tests may include hair follicle tests or blood samples.
- Random drug testing is typically only performed on randomly-selected employees, so there’s a chance you will never be tested at all.
- The drugs being tested for include common recreational drugs such as opiates, cocaine, and benzodiazepines.
Does Amazon Test Employees for Marijuana Use?
Although Amazon was kind of famous for their strictness in this regard, they have lightened up their drug policies recently due to certain political developments. In June, Amazon announced that they would no longer be drug testing employees for marijuana. There are a couple reasons Amazon decided to do this:
- First, more and more states in the US are beginning to legalize or de-criminalize marijuana use. Since this inconsistency makes it difficult to enact inclusive company policy, Amazon has decided to simply do away with marijuana testing.
- Second, statistics show that people of color are disproportionally affected by marijuana testing, and their job opportunities are affected as a result. In order to be more inclusive for these communities, Amazon has decided to no longer disqualify potential employees based on marijuana testing.
- Amazon has also promised to support the spread of pro-marijuana legislation such as The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2021 (MORE Act). This is a federal act that would legalize marijuana and expunge the records of people convicted of marijuana-related offenses.
Accordingly, if you were previously disqualified from employment at Amazon due to failing the drug test for marijuana, you are now eligible to re-apply. There are some caveats, though; if you were responsible for a workplace accident, you will still be tested for ALL drugs, including marijuana.
Testing positive for other drugs is still a no-no, as well. Some positions, such as delivery driver, are still tested for marijuana use due to their employment being regulated by the transportation authority.
Want to learn more about Amazon? Learn whether or not Amazon employees get a discount and do Amazon employees get free Prime?!
Conclusion
Amazon has hundreds of thousands of employees. Positions range from simple warehouse workers to critical software developers and everything in between. With so many different employees and job openings, it’s important for Amazon to ensure that the people it hires are not only qualified, but also responsible.
if you fail an Amazon drug test, they will normally send you an email informing you that you’ve failed.
You are allowed to retake the test as a re-hire and reapply for Amazon.