Trader Joe’s is one of the largest and main chains of grocery stores in the United States. There are stores in 42 states. Regardless of where you live, you’re most likely going to have a Trader Joe’s store near you. You might want to work there for the money or the experience. I received many requests from people asking me “does Trader Joe’s drug test new employees or not?”
Why do people ask me this? Well, since it’s a place that’s available to most Americans and a good place to work, you should find out more about its hiring process. The difference between the person who gets the job and the one who doesn’t is that one of them was better prepared.
Recreational drug users need to put extra effort into preparation. It’s not enough to know about the company, but it’s also important to know about its drug test policy. If a company drug tests, you might want to prepare as a recreational drug users so you don’t end up failing the drug test.
Trader Joe’s Company Facts
The first Trader Joe’s store opened in 1967 in California. While the first store was in Pasadena, HQ is located in Monrovia, California. Trader Joe’s has been around for over 60 years. The brand now has over 500 stores and has over 10,000 employees. If you’re looking for a job in one of the cities where Trader Joe’s is located, you can be near one of them.
There are many different jobs available at Trader Joe’s. Most people work as crew members or as managers. As a crew member you’ll help customers and help with stocking. Some people choose to work as drivers. The company needs many drivers to transport its goods to and from its stores. Trader Joe’s treats its employees well and provides them with benefits in addition to salary.
Trader Joe’s Drug Test Policy in 2024
Trader Joe’s is one of the biggest chains in the country. It doesn’t come as a surprise that they care about their reputation and keeping customers happy. The main issue with using drugs on the job is that it can affect customer service and lead to customer dissatisfaction.
Trader Joe’s will not tolerate drug use during work and you can be tested for drugs such as marijuana, amphetamines, cocaine, opioids, barbiturates, and benzodiazepines. Testing positive for any of these drugs can get you in serious trouble.
What to Expect during Trader Joe’s Hiring Process?
The hiring process at Trader Joe’s is smooth and easy. Unlike most other companies, you don’t submit an application online. Most applications need to be submitted in-person. You go to one of their stores, ask for an application, and then fill it out.
A person will take your application and ask you a few questions. Most people go through two interviews before getting hired at Trader Joe’s. If you get invited to a second interview, that means you’re very likely to be hired. If you’re accepted and they decide to hire you, it can take about a week for you to start working at Trader Joe’s.
Does Trader Joe’s Drug Test New Employees?
It’s not 100% clear whether or not Trader Joe’s does pre-employment drug testing. The good news is that in the majority of states, no drug tests are required.
This includes Pennsylvania, California, and Michigan. It seems, however, that a state like Texas is more likely to drug test those applying for jobs at Trader Joe’s.
Since there’s no single policy across all branches, there’s one way to be sure. You should go to the Trader Joe’s you’re looking to apply for and ask someone who works there if they had to be drug tested. This will give you a clear and accurate result as to whether that specific Trader Joe’s drug tests employees.
Does Trader Joe’s do Random and Pre-Promotional Drug Test?
Trader Joe’s will retain the right to drug test you at any time after hiring you. This rarely happens. They almost never go out of their way to drug test one of their employees or perform random testing for a specific store.
You’ll be drug tested if you’re involved in an accident. The likelihood of testing increases if you, another employee, or a customer were hurt. If you want to avoid this, never go to your shifts while under the influence of drugs.
The confusion remains about whether or not Trader Joe’s drug tests people before promoting them. In most scenarios, no drug tests are done, but it can’t hurt to be careful.
What kind of Drug Test Does Trader Joe’s Use?
Those who will need to take a drug test either during the hiring process or afterwards will need to submit a urine sample. You’ll urinate in a sample cup which will be taken to a lab for analysis. The company will decide what to do with the results once the lab sends them back. It’s unlikely that you’ll need to take a drug test at Trader Joe’s unless you’re applying at a store with stricter policies.
Can You Fail Your Drug Test if You Use Prescription Drugs?
No, there’s no way you can fail a drug test if you’re on prescription drugs. Just make sure to let them know beforehand that you’re on prescription drugs and you can give them your doctor’s contact info so they can confirm with him or her that you really are on a prescription.
How to Pass Drug Test at Trader Joe’s?
Unlikely you should worry about being drug tested while applying for a job at Trader Joe’s unless you live in a state like Texas. However, if you have to face a urine drug test; you must be prepared for it.
Many light to moderate users try using on their drug test day drink like Mega Clean or Herbal Clean QCarbo20. Such detox drinks might help to drop THC levels below cutoff levels for a short period of time up to 5 hours. Remember that such drinks won’t be effective if you take them on the night before your test though.
However, if you use marijuana often (heavy user), such detox drinks won’t increase your odds of passing your urine test unless you have already abstained from drugs for at least 35-65 days before your test.
I have seen that some heavy users have resorted to using synthetic urine as their emergency plan if their test were unsupervised. However, if you try this, there is always the risk of being caught and facing dire consequences of not being hired.
Summery
Trader Joe’s is a big name and one that people are familiar with. It’s also a great place to work. Drug policies differ between different stores despite them all falling under the same brand. Those looking to work there in California will have nothing to worry about while people in Texas will need to be a little more careful.
Thank you for reading our article “Does Trader Joe’s drug test new employees?”
We would love to hear about your experiences going through Trader Joe’s hiring process and drug testing procedure.
We believe others who are applying for jobs at Trader Joe’s will definitely appreciate and benefit from it.
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Helpful links:
“How Long Does Weed (THC) Stay in Your Urine? – Important Data You Need to Know!!!”
“Fact or Fiction – You Can Beat a Drug Test with Home Remedies?”
Learn more here:
PMC, Chemistry, Metabolism, and Toxicology of Cannabis: Clinical Implications
American Journal of Clinical Pathology, The Effects of Adulterants and Selected Ingested Compounds on Drugs-of-Abuse Testing in Urine
Jpo.Wrlc.org, The marijuana detection window: Determining the length of time cannabinoids will remain detectable in urine following smoking