Washington workplace tests are not as uncommon as you may think. In addition to testing potential employees to test certain capabilities as a prerequisite for a job, Washington employers may also test existing employees to ensure that skills stay sharp or as a condition on a promotion. What most of these tests are trying to decipher depend on the job and company. For the most part, employment testing (whatever type it is) should not be too surprising or all that scary. After all it is just another way to make sure that an employee is a good fit for the position they are applying for.
With so many qualified Washington employees interested in a similar position, employment tests are also an effective way to help whittle down the field to a manageable size. Some of the more common types of test an employee may have to take include:
· Drug Test: Perhaps the most discussed employment test, drug tests are becoming increasingly popular. For many companies, an employee’s job offer is contingent on passing a drug test. Looking for signs recreational drug use, if an employer does choose to drug test current and potential employees, then the company must test every employee not just the ones they have a hunch about. Aside from that important legal caveat, employers are usually within their legal right to revoke a job offer if an employee fails a drug test.
· Skills Test: How fast can you type? How good is your math? Employers may hear the answers they are looking for in a job interview but a skills test gets at the heart of the question by actually testing the skills a candidate claims to possess. Administering a skills tests as a prerequisite for a position is normal and as long as it is testing the skills that will actually be used in the job the applicant is applying for.
· Physical Test: If a job has a physical component to it, then employers are within their legal right to make sure that employees are up to the fitness demands outlined in their job description. The physical test should be relative to the physical work demanded of the position.
· Personality Tests: There is something to be said for the personality an individual will bring to a company. Employers also want to be sure that an employee will get along on a day to day basis with other employees. Of course the personality test should be aimed at personality and not secretly ask illegal interview questions but this type of test can be a great benefit to both the employee and employer.
There are some instances in which a workplace test is actually a vehicle for illegal workplace discrimination. If you feel like that was the nature and purpose of any testing you have encountered, you should get in touch with a Washington employment lawyer to discuss your concerns.
