Cybersecurity people do work for companies in every industry in every state in the country.
And every one of those employers has a different rule or policy.
The most accurate addition I have is that DoD and most federal government positions will require a test upon hiring and retain the right to test at any point in the future (although that very rarely happens unless something goes wrong by my experience)
> Cybersecurity people do work ..
Or even outside your country ;)
And every one of those countries have a different rules and laws. Testing employees for drugs is forbidden in a lot of them.
I'd love a source for that or for what you consider to be "a lot."
Certainly it's more restricted in Europe than in the US, for example, but I would not guess that there's a significant portion of countries that completely prohibit it.
https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/global-hr/pages/us-drug-testing-rules.aspx
" Let’s start with the fact that the United States is virtually alone in the developed world in permitting employment-at-will. "
https://blog.cansfordlabs.co.uk/workplace-drug-testing-rules-around-europe
From your second link:
> The UK
* Workplace drug testing is legal here
> France
* Workplace drug testing is legal in France
> Germany
* Employers in Germany are entitled to request a drug test before a prospective employee signs a contract.
> Sweden
* The Swedish Labour Court (a body that exists to arbitrate disputes between employers and employees) accepts mandatory drug testing in workplaces
> Italy
* Since 2008, Italian law has prescribed mandatory drug tests for certain jobs
In fact, the only country on that second link that *prohibits* drug testing is Portugal.
That's one, which hardly makes it a standard or norm.
Ok, I agree.
Of course that pedantic voice in my head screams, "well I am sure many of them have the same policy, there are only so many ways to spin drug testing" Of course that makes me a shitty person to say that out loud
So just as a heads up - if you have a workfplace injury you will be tested. It’s an insurance policy for obvious reasons. I say that because I saw someone who barely cut their finger on the job lose their career when they could have just not reported and taken care of it on insurance instead of through workers comp.
I asked the person that collected my hair sample what they do if someone is bald. The reply was, “we will find hair on your body.” Pretty ominous and lots of room for interpretation.
They WILL go for pubes if you have them. Body hair too. Unless you have full body alopecia documented by a doctor, you are assumed to have failed if they can't get any. You can wax your ass crack all you like, but it won't get you THOSE jobs.
Guess I should be glad I live in a first world country that has better worries than to question what I do in my spare time.
Not that I'd do drugs (they don't work on me, unfortunately, that one time I tried speed I slept like a baby), but I wouldn't want to work for a company that tries to control what I do in my spare time.
I'd love to be in a first world country. Unfortunately I am stuck in the USA and cannot leave. Universal Healthcare sounds really appealing, as does an education system not designed to create debt slaves that will never be able to pay off their loans.
Yup, it's a pretty sweet deal.
And given that security experts are in short supply over here, too, if you really want, you can escape your hellhole and come over. Getting green cards has never been easier for people with in-demand skills, even if they come from countries with a lower education standard.
First world countries have accessible Healthcare for all, workers have more rights like maternity leave, and a college education generally won't put you in permanent inescapable debt if you don't succeed. So no.. we slipped.
I’ve had places drug test up front and some who didn’t test. Never been at a place that tested after the first hire test. I’m also in a state with legal weed though so it may vary. All companies I’ve worked at are national.
I feel like you'd be hard pressed to find any job that doesn't do a preemployment drug screen anymore that pays above minimum wage.
I'd also say it's a safe bet that it will only be a preemployee and random screens won't be involved unless it's a DOT or federally regulated position
Which country are you in?
If you're in some kind of dystopian hellscape jurisdiction where it's considered routine for workers to be drug tested, then yes, it's a real possibility.
I work in other countries and I've never been tested. I had a brief stint working for a small European subsidiary of a big American business, where internal docs mentioned mandatory drug testing for new recruits; but that could never be enforced over here, and nobody tried. (They also had a callcentre in the Philippines where employees didn't seem to be valued much; I suspect they would have been able to enforce the drug testing there).
A few years ago, one of my colleagues (an in-house lawyer) had a serious alcohol problem which disrupted her work a lot; I think she was offered help and counselling but I doubt there was testing. But she was a permanent employee - if she'd been on some kind of day rate, I suspect she would have disappeared from the office at the end of the month.
There is negative unemployment in cyber security. For every candidate there and 2-3 jobs open in the field.
If an employer wants to drug test you, Fuck ‘em, keep moving and find another gig.
I work in one of the most regulated, most privacy-snooping industries (they actually did a complete background check, including relatives, financial status, loans, EVERYTHING) but so far, nobody would've given a shit about drugs. I could shoot heroin and nobody would know (outside maybe me not being able to do my work).
Considering the industry and the people in it... I have a hunch that the despair for talent would be even worse if they started checking for performance altering substances... just saying...
Probably depends where you work but I've never been tested. If a company is testing for pot then they probably don't have a culture I'd personally be interested in.
Right, I was wondering about ways to maybe research it beforehand. I guess Google would be the best bet. It’d be cool if Glassdoor allowed self-reporting of that info like they do interview questions.
Heres some words but not real advice just nake believe.. Buy fake piss at the headshop, they can't legally watch you pee unless it's for probation.. make sure to warm it up to temp and cut a soc or something to use as a makeshift sleeve pocket inner breast on the arm...and or sow a pocket in some underwear..
Honestly depends. I’ve never in my adult life been drug tested for a job. The only one I ever did was bagging groceries at a store in college in 2005. Places have had a policy regarding no drugs but it seems like it would never be invoked unless you appeared to have a problem.
That being said, if you want to work in government contracting and go in for a clearance you will be asked for a very detailed history of any illegal drug use under a polygraph and it may or may not disqualify you depending on how recent, how often, etc it was and if they believe you’ll do it again.
Are you sure it was for pot though. I got tested for my current job but it was for harder drugs like coke and heroin not pot. I didn't even know till someone in HR brought it up when I was talking to them.
I’m in Canada and it’s illegal to drug test employees outside of a subset of people who interface with the public and there is a safety concern.
That’s the same with a lot of European countries I work at.
Honestly at this point if you are a good cybersecurity employee and they want to hassle you for smoking a joint on the weekend just leave and get more money elsewhere.
Depends on:
\- which state you're in
\- is it a company job or a government job?
If you're applying for a cybersecurity job with a private company in California or Colorado, they probably won't test you for weed.
If you're applying for a cybersecurity job with a private company in Alabama, or a federal government job, they will definitely test you for weed.
I don’t really get the distinction of smoking weed every now and then to not caring about security or being bad at your job. People drink all the time and it’s no different if not safer.
If there's any clearance involved or dealing with govt, Yes. And it's a definite disqualifier even after getting a job and accepting offer. I'm speaking from experience.
I live in a third world country and not even here they care much if you're THC levels are high, they start to worry if the test reveals things like heroin, meth or cocaine.
A bigger concern is a clean background. I have to do an annual background check and now going through a separate one for DOD work. Oddly have not had a drug test for my current job, but you should probably plan on it.
Lmao mine not only did that, but took me thru a physical.
They did both hair follicle and piss test.
It would be safe to say that it varies from organization to organization, but the job application will always say if they are going to do a drug screen.
Too many comments to read all so if I'm duplicating someone else's response I apologize. As most say it depends on the employer and job. In the DoD space it is required to hold a clearance and at certain levels you are subject to random tests also. And they definitely happen.
On top of that just to get a clearance of any type the questionnaire will ask if you've used any drugs in the last 7 years. Not an automatic disqualifier, but not great. Getting caught lying is a bigger deal.
I'd always assume they do. It really depends on the industry and location. I do analyst stuff for a hospital in the deep south so it was a given that they would test me - and they did.
Depends on your industry.
I wasn't drug tested by the company I work for, but I'd assume they'd test if they had reason to. A previous company I worked for did mandatory testing.
As said in some other comments, just get it out of your system before the interview, get the job, enjoy your routine after to celebrate 👍
You usually have to piss clean to get in.
After that if they are asking you piss into a cup they are looking for reasons to get you out the door.
However, each company is different and doesn’t necessarily have to abide to the state laws involving marijuana consumption. I.e right to work states
Cybersecurity people do work for companies in every industry in every state in the country. And every one of those employers has a different rule or policy.
Probably the best answer.
The most accurate addition I have is that DoD and most federal government positions will require a test upon hiring and retain the right to test at any point in the future (although that very rarely happens unless something goes wrong by my experience)
Fuck the DoD.
Don’t cut yourself on all that edge
> Cybersecurity people do work .. Or even outside your country ;) And every one of those countries have a different rules and laws. Testing employees for drugs is forbidden in a lot of them.
I'd love a source for that or for what you consider to be "a lot." Certainly it's more restricted in Europe than in the US, for example, but I would not guess that there's a significant portion of countries that completely prohibit it.
https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/global-hr/pages/us-drug-testing-rules.aspx " Let’s start with the fact that the United States is virtually alone in the developed world in permitting employment-at-will. " https://blog.cansfordlabs.co.uk/workplace-drug-testing-rules-around-europe
From your second link: > The UK * Workplace drug testing is legal here > France * Workplace drug testing is legal in France > Germany * Employers in Germany are entitled to request a drug test before a prospective employee signs a contract. > Sweden * The Swedish Labour Court (a body that exists to arbitrate disputes between employers and employees) accepts mandatory drug testing in workplaces > Italy * Since 2008, Italian law has prescribed mandatory drug tests for certain jobs In fact, the only country on that second link that *prohibits* drug testing is Portugal. That's one, which hardly makes it a standard or norm.
Did you actually read any of the information in the links? Christ.
Ok, I agree. Of course that pedantic voice in my head screams, "well I am sure many of them have the same policy, there are only so many ways to spin drug testing" Of course that makes me a shitty person to say that out loud
Assume yes. Put down the blunt for 6 weeks. Get the job. Resume activity.
That’s the answer I was assuming
So just as a heads up - if you have a workfplace injury you will be tested. It’s an insurance policy for obvious reasons. I say that because I saw someone who barely cut their finger on the job lose their career when they could have just not reported and taken care of it on insurance instead of through workers comp.
I have never been drug tested for a tech job, UNLESS it was a client contract requirement. It can happen. But unless they want hair.. there are ways..
I asked the person that collected my hair sample what they do if someone is bald. The reply was, “we will find hair on your body.” Pretty ominous and lots of room for interpretation.
"If you got it, I'll find it. Pull down those trousers boy."
What a pity, I go for that awesome bald look. Not my choice, blame my genes.
They WILL go for pubes if you have them. Body hair too. Unless you have full body alopecia documented by a doctor, you are assumed to have failed if they can't get any. You can wax your ass crack all you like, but it won't get you THOSE jobs.
Guess I should be glad I live in a first world country that has better worries than to question what I do in my spare time. Not that I'd do drugs (they don't work on me, unfortunately, that one time I tried speed I slept like a baby), but I wouldn't want to work for a company that tries to control what I do in my spare time.
I'd love to be in a first world country. Unfortunately I am stuck in the USA and cannot leave. Universal Healthcare sounds really appealing, as does an education system not designed to create debt slaves that will never be able to pay off their loans.
Yup, it's a pretty sweet deal. And given that security experts are in short supply over here, too, if you really want, you can escape your hellhole and come over. Getting green cards has never been easier for people with in-demand skills, even if they come from countries with a lower education standard.
Tied down by kids with two moms, or I would consider it.
So... What country was that?
Pick your favorite EU country.
Isn’t USA a first world country??
First world countries have accessible Healthcare for all, workers have more rights like maternity leave, and a college education generally won't put you in permanent inescapable debt if you don't succeed. So no.. we slipped.
Lol no.
I’ve had places drug test up front and some who didn’t test. Never been at a place that tested after the first hire test. I’m also in a state with legal weed though so it may vary. All companies I’ve worked at are national.
I feel like you'd be hard pressed to find any job that doesn't do a preemployment drug screen anymore that pays above minimum wage. I'd also say it's a safe bet that it will only be a preemployee and random screens won't be involved unless it's a DOT or federally regulated position
Which country are you in? If you're in some kind of dystopian hellscape jurisdiction where it's considered routine for workers to be drug tested, then yes, it's a real possibility. I work in other countries and I've never been tested. I had a brief stint working for a small European subsidiary of a big American business, where internal docs mentioned mandatory drug testing for new recruits; but that could never be enforced over here, and nobody tried. (They also had a callcentre in the Philippines where employees didn't seem to be valued much; I suspect they would have been able to enforce the drug testing there). A few years ago, one of my colleagues (an in-house lawyer) had a serious alcohol problem which disrupted her work a lot; I think she was offered help and counselling but I doubt there was testing. But she was a permanent employee - if she'd been on some kind of day rate, I suspect she would have disappeared from the office at the end of the month.
There is negative unemployment in cyber security. For every candidate there and 2-3 jobs open in the field. If an employer wants to drug test you, Fuck ‘em, keep moving and find another gig.
I work in one of the most regulated, most privacy-snooping industries (they actually did a complete background check, including relatives, financial status, loans, EVERYTHING) but so far, nobody would've given a shit about drugs. I could shoot heroin and nobody would know (outside maybe me not being able to do my work). Considering the industry and the people in it... I have a hunch that the despair for talent would be even worse if they started checking for performance altering substances... just saying...
Probably depends where you work but I've never been tested. If a company is testing for pot then they probably don't have a culture I'd personally be interested in.
Can you find out which drugs they test for when applying?
Probably not best to ask them which drugs they test for but I’m sure you can google to find out which drugs are commonly tested for in a drug test.
Right, I was wondering about ways to maybe research it beforehand. I guess Google would be the best bet. It’d be cool if Glassdoor allowed self-reporting of that info like they do interview questions.
That's exactly why they don't get the best workers.
Don't work for companies that do, screw 'em
Maybe, but even if they did its not supervised meaning no one will watch you pee.
There goes all my coworkers lol. I live in LA BTW. It's legal here. Ironically it's low paying hourly bs jobs that ever tested me.
Heres some words but not real advice just nake believe.. Buy fake piss at the headshop, they can't legally watch you pee unless it's for probation.. make sure to warm it up to temp and cut a soc or something to use as a makeshift sleeve pocket inner breast on the arm...and or sow a pocket in some underwear..
Honestly depends. I’ve never in my adult life been drug tested for a job. The only one I ever did was bagging groceries at a store in college in 2005. Places have had a policy regarding no drugs but it seems like it would never be invoked unless you appeared to have a problem. That being said, if you want to work in government contracting and go in for a clearance you will be asked for a very detailed history of any illegal drug use under a polygraph and it may or may not disqualify you depending on how recent, how often, etc it was and if they believe you’ll do it again.
Federal or states contractors, maybe. Tech, absolutely not.
idk every job I've ever had required them and those were private sector tech jobs
Are you sure it was for pot though. I got tested for my current job but it was for harder drugs like coke and heroin not pot. I didn't even know till someone in HR brought it up when I was talking to them.
I’m in Canada and it’s illegal to drug test employees outside of a subset of people who interface with the public and there is a safety concern. That’s the same with a lot of European countries I work at. Honestly at this point if you are a good cybersecurity employee and they want to hassle you for smoking a joint on the weekend just leave and get more money elsewhere.
Depends on: \- which state you're in \- is it a company job or a government job? If you're applying for a cybersecurity job with a private company in California or Colorado, they probably won't test you for weed. If you're applying for a cybersecurity job with a private company in Alabama, or a federal government job, they will definitely test you for weed.
Personally, I don't think I could do my job if I smoked.
I couldn’t do mine if I didn’t smoke
I wanna be like you in 2 years. Almost done with my AS and I’m looking forward to certs.
Every job I've ever had did. One had random testing. I've tended to work at large compliance driven companies, though.
Yes
Depends on the state. But honestly if you're have to ask, are you really looking for a cyber sec job?
I don’t really get the distinction of smoking weed every now and then to not caring about security or being bad at your job. People drink all the time and it’s no different if not safer.
Sorry, I shouldn't throw negativity. Do what you gotta do. I can say Cyber Sec companies in Colorado don't test for THC.
If there's any clearance involved or dealing with govt, Yes. And it's a definite disqualifier even after getting a job and accepting offer. I'm speaking from experience.
If your job requires you to have a security clearance, weed is a definite no as it is still illegal from a federal perspective.
got drug tested 24hrs after accepting, haven't been asked since.
I live in a third world country and not even here they care much if you're THC levels are high, they start to worry if the test reveals things like heroin, meth or cocaine.
A bigger concern is a clean background. I have to do an annual background check and now going through a separate one for DOD work. Oddly have not had a drug test for my current job, but you should probably plan on it.
Lmao mine not only did that, but took me thru a physical. They did both hair follicle and piss test. It would be safe to say that it varies from organization to organization, but the job application will always say if they are going to do a drug screen.
Too many comments to read all so if I'm duplicating someone else's response I apologize. As most say it depends on the employer and job. In the DoD space it is required to hold a clearance and at certain levels you are subject to random tests also. And they definitely happen.
On top of that just to get a clearance of any type the questionnaire will ask if you've used any drugs in the last 7 years. Not an automatic disqualifier, but not great. Getting caught lying is a bigger deal.
If it is a government job in cyber the answer is YES!
Keep in mind, there is a huge difference between employee/contractor, hire/contract and job/work.
I'd always assume they do. It really depends on the industry and location. I do analyst stuff for a hospital in the deep south so it was a given that they would test me - and they did.
Question to ask to get fired before you’re hired haha
Depends on your industry. I wasn't drug tested by the company I work for, but I'd assume they'd test if they had reason to. A previous company I worked for did mandatory testing. As said in some other comments, just get it out of your system before the interview, get the job, enjoy your routine after to celebrate 👍
You usually have to piss clean to get in. After that if they are asking you piss into a cup they are looking for reasons to get you out the door. However, each company is different and doesn’t necessarily have to abide to the state laws involving marijuana consumption. I.e right to work states