Does Giant Eagle Drug Test?

If you’re thinking about applying for a job with Giant Eagle, it’s natural to wonder does Giant Eagle drug test before they hire you.

Giant Eagle is a popular place to work. As well as having minimal job requirements for entry-level positions, they’re known for being an employer that cares about their employees and is serious about creating a great workplace atmosphere.

Pre-employment drug testing has become standard operating procedure for the majority of companies and whenever you’re hunting for a new job, it’s a good idea to be ready to take and pass a drug test.

Giant Eagle is a regional supermarket chain with over 200 stores across Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, Alaska, Indiana, and West Virginia.

In addition to the Giant Eagle brand, this business also runs a couple of other brands.

Market District is an innovative supermarket dedicated to serving the needs of customers who are passionate about their food.

GetGo is a gas station and convenience store brand offering a range of freshly prepared food along with all of the services you would expect from a quality gas station.

Let’s go over what we know about Giant Eagle’s drug testing policy, which applies to all of their brands.

Does Giant Eagle Drug Test During The Hiring Process?

When you make an application to work for any of the Giant Eagle family of companies, you agree to abide by their terms and conditions.

The terms and conditions include consent and release for drug testing purposes, which states that you understand that you must submit to and pass a drug test as a condition of employment with Giant Eagle.

That statement makes it clear that you should expect to be asked to take a drug test as part of the Giant Eagle Hiring process.

However, in reality, you may not be given a pre-employment drug test, and many current store employees report that they didn’t have to take a drug test for most entry-level positions.

Confused? Who wouldn’t be?

Employee experience on the ground contradicts the information given in Giant Eagles’ job application terms and conditions.

There are a couple of reasons why this could be the case at this time.

Reason number 1 is Covid.

It seems that in response to the difficult situation created by the Covid response, Giant Eagle relaxed their drug testing policy. Prior to 2019, drug tests for new recruits were routine.

Currently, in 2022, employees report that drug tests aren’t being used during hiring.

Of course, this could change any day, so it’s best to be prepared.

Reason number 2 is that some Giant Eagle locations are independently owned instead of being under the corporate umbrella.

Many Giant Eagle supermarkets in Pennsylvania and Ohio are independently owned and they have their own hiring procedures.

You can see a full list of the independent stores on this page

To apply to any of those stores, you need to contact the store directly. You can’t apply via the Giant Eagle jobs portal.

You may not need to take a drug test at independently owned Giant Eagle supermarkets.

The best way to find out is to have a friend go to the store and ask an employee. Don’t go yourself, you don’t want to raise any suspicions!

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Who Does Giant Eagle Drug Test?

Even though pre-employment drug tests are not routinely administered at the moment, some positions still require a drug test.

Pharmacy at Giant Eagle Drug Test

If you’re applying to work in the pharmacy, you will need to pass a drug test. This is standard for any pharmacy because:

• They have to be certain that you won’t be tempted to steal drugs.
• You have to be competent to fill prescriptions and offer medical advice.

Warehouse At Giant Eagle Drug Test

Giant Eagle warehouses are busy places with lots of forklift trucks zipping about and delivery vehicles coming and going.

Given the increased risk of accidents in warehouses, drug testing is commonplace to make sure that all employees are working in a safe environment.

When you apply for a job at Giant Eagle for pharmacy or warehouse positions, there’s a strong likelihood that you’ll need to pass a pre-employment drug test.

Does Giant Eagle Do Random Drug Tests?

If the Giant Eagle store you go to work at conducts random drug tests, the information about testing will be included in their drug testing policy, which you will receive as part of your employment paperwork at your company orientation.

Again, this will vary depending on whether your store is corporately owned or if it’s under independent ownership.

Current employees indicate that random drug tests are taking place at Giant Eagle.

The type of drug test used is a mouth swab drug test, which screens a saliva sample for the following substances:

• Opiates
• Cocaine
• Marijuana
• Amphetamines and methamphetamine
• Phencyclidine (PCP)

These drugs are usually undetectable after 48 hours have passed since the drug was last used. The exception is Marijuana which can be picked up for much longer because it can remain in the body’s fat cells, especially if a person is a heavy user or is overweight.

The best way to know if you’ll pass a drug test is to take a test at home.

You can buy home test kits at pharmacies (Walmart or Walgreens, for example) and from online retailers (Amazon).

Follow the directions included with the test, then if you get a clear result, keep away from any drugs until you’ve finished the hiring process.

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What Other Drug Tests Does Giant Eagle Do?

If your location has a drug testing policy in place, other drug tests that the company can require are reasonable cause drug tests and post-accident drug tests.

Reasonable Cause Drug Tests

A reasonable cause drug test can be ordered if a supervisor trained to spot the signs of intoxication is satisfied that you appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol while you’re at work.

Any other staff member can raise a concern about your behavior, and customers can also make a complaint.

Post Accident Drug Tests

The other situation where you could face a drug test at Giant Eagle is after a workplace accident.

Companies need to protect themselves from lawsuits, so they always try to establish the cause of any accident that results in injury.

If you’re involved in an accident and your employer has reason to suspect that the accident was caused because you were under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they can require you to take a drug test.

If a drug test is positive and you’ve made a workers’ comp claim, the company may use the positive drug test result to fight your claim.

Does Giant Eagle Do A Background Check?

When you’re being considered for a position at Giant Eagle, the company will run a background check on you.

Your background check will confirm that the information you supplied on your application about your identity and employment record is accurate.

The background check will also search county, state, and federal databases to look for any criminal record you may have.

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) a background check can go back for 7 years and report all criminal records, including arrests, outstanding warrants, misdemeanor convictions, and parole and probation dates.

The FCRA doesn’t impose a time limit on the reporting of felony convictions, however, and these can be reported no matter how long ago the offense took place.

Some states have passed their own laws concerning background check time limits, and for the states that Giant Eagle operates in, only Maryland has a limitation in place.

How To Apply For A Job At Giant Eagle?

At Giant Eagle, job applications are made online.

To get started, go to their careers page.

From there you can access the jobs on offer at Giant Eagle, Market District, and GetGo by clicking on each brand, then selecting “Hourly” from the next page.

Use the menu on the left to filter by job category and location, then look through the various available positions.

You can see more details about each job by clicking on a listing.

Then click on the red “Apply Now” button at the bottom of the page to begin your application.

The application asks for your personal details and some basic information about your qualifications and experience.

Note – If you don’t have a high school diploma or a GED, you can still join Giant Eagle as an entry-level, hourly-paid employee.

There’s a simple set of assessment questions to complete, then your application is finished.

You should hear from the Giant Eagle human resources department within a week if you’re a suitable candidate, and they will invite you to come in for an interview.

Again, the interview is very basic. They’ll explain the job to you and ask you questions about yourself, and how you would handle certain customer service situations.

Once you pass the background check, they’ll email you to let you know you got the job. Then you’ll go in for your orientation, where you’ll complete your employment paperwork and go through the training program so you can get started at your new job.

To apply to an independently owned Giant Eagle, check the locations on this page and then contact the store directly.

Conclusion

Giant Eagle has several brands that you can apply to and they all follow the same hiring and employment procedures.

Currently, most pre-employment drug testing appears to be on hold because of the Covid situation, but that could change at any time, so you should be prepared to take a drug test if you’re offered a job.

Applicants for pharmacy and warehouse positions still need to take a drug test.

Once you’re hired, Giant Eagle reserves the right to carry out random drug tests, drug tests if you appear to be under the influence of drugs, and drug tests after any workplace accidents.

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