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No, McDonald's does not drug test. However, this may vary from store to store. Since many McDonald’s restaurants are franchises, it is up to the owner whether or not to drug test candidates or employees. Our research found that over 80% of former and current employees report not being drug tested during the hiring process.
McDonald’s does not have a company-wide requirement regarding pre-employment drug tests. McDonald’s prides itself, however, on being a drug-free workplace, and requires that all workers be free of the influence of drugs and alcohol, to ensure the safety and health of employees and customers.
Additionally, if you’re found to be under the influence at work, you may be terminated immediately, regardless of if you work at a franchise or a company-owned location. If an accident happens during work hours, you may be asked to take a drug test. In these cases, it is a five-panel urine test that also tests for alcohol.
For the most part, no. Nearly all current and former McDonald's employees report that they didn’t receive a drug test during their interview and aren’t asked to take one at any point while on the job.
However, McDonald's will drug test employees if they file for Workman’s Compensation.
As mentioned previously, McDonald's will only drug test in the case of incidents or when an employee files for Workman’s Compensation. This is because they want to ensure that drugs aren’t the reason for the request. After all, if accepted, it will give the employee benefits because they received a work-related injury or illness.
Therefore, if the employee became injured while high or intoxicated, McDonald's will have the right to refuse compensation.
McDonald's will also perform drug tests if a manager or supervisor has reasonable suspicion about an employee. From what we understand, these tests cannot be refused, and a positive result will be grounds for immediate termination.
In the case of injury or reasonable suspicion, McDonald's will conduct a urine test. Urine tests have a relatively quick return rate, so everyone will know the results sooner. In addition, McDonald's also favors urinalysis because it will reveal the presence of drugs in your system even if their effects have worn off.
Given that McDonald's will only drug test under very specific circumstances, what’s tested for will depend on the situation.
If your manager suspected you of showing up to work drunk, you might be asked to take an alcohol test. According to the McDonald's Employee Handbook: “A positive alcohol test of .04 or greater will result in termination of employment.”
In the same vein, if you’re taking a urine test, you can be expected to be tested for anything detected by that test. With that in mind, urine tests will uncover things like:
Methamphetamines (meth, speed, ecstasy)
THC (cannabinoids, marijuana)
Alcohol
Cocaine
Opiates (heroin, opium, morphine)
Phencyclidine (PCP, angel dust)
However, it’s important to note that your perceptions can play a role in drug testing. If you’ve been prescribed opioids or medical marijuana, you should be sure to relay this information to your manager. If McDonald's has no reason to suspect that you’re using it on the job, they will not care that you’re taking these prescriptions.
However, if you apply for Workman’s Compensation, even the presence of prescription drugs can prevent you from receiving compensation.
McDonald's is fairly lenient on drug testing and will not test you during or after your interview. The company also doesn’t care about the use of marijuana or alcohol, as long as you’re not suspected of using it on the job.
However, if you apply for Workman’s Compensation or are suspected of being under the influence on the job, you can expect to take a drug test.
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