I'm just wondering do Canadians actually have rights up there and not get forced to take tests for employment purposes? Are there any people trying to take those rights away if you have them? Hopefully there are some Canadians around who can share their experiences.
in alberta, a large majority of employers do pre-emp drug testing. they do this for insurance purposes. Due to the 'Safety at the Worksite' theory that all employers in alberta are driving, the pre-emp drug test is almost a 100% garantee at any job here. however, they can not randomly drug test, this is deemed by the industry a violation of rights, however, if there is any incident at the workplace that is even remotely a violation of safety rules, the person(s) involved (including ANYONE working in, near, or around the area that the safety incident took place) WILL be immediately taken to the nearest testing facility for a drug test citing safety violation policies. an incident as small as a paper-cut can actually prompt an immediate drug test for the person who cut themselves with paper, and if you happen to share an office space with someone, guess what? your co-worker(s) pee too.... luckily, alberta seems to be the only province in canada that is this anal on drug testing. mostly due to the booming construction industry revolving around the oilsands. unfortunately, the huge oil companies involved up here in northern alberta require every single contractor and sub-contractor (usually hired from all over canada, the usa, and the world) require drug tests as well. this is resulting in a ripple-effect of more and more companies within canada drug testing as well. outside of alberta you should be relatively OK to find good work without drug testing, but again back to the basic principle that seems to be around everywhere is that if you are working in a position of operating heavy machinery, or a high-safety-risk position, chances are you'll be tested pre-emp pretty much anywhere. that being said, failing a pre-emp will ultimately result in a no-hire. however, if you fail a test during your employment (ie: a test prompted by a safety incident), they can not legally terminate your employment. the company is 100% obligated to offer you, at NO CHARGE to yourself, a rehabilitation program. (pretty sick that they offer you rehab for pot, hey?). if you refuse the rehab, then you will be terminated. if you accept the rehab, they must legally offer you the opportunity to return to work once rehab determines that you are 'fit to return to duty'. hope this helps...