With over 1,100 stores across 49 states and $18.47 billion in 2021 sales, Kohl‘s stands today as the largest department store chain in the United States by store unit count. From its founding in Milwaukee in 1962 to now employing 140,000 people nationwide, Kohl‘s growth and household name recognition reflect some smart retail strategies over 60 years in business.
Key Kohl‘s Company Milestones:
- Founded in 1962 by Polish immigrant Maxwell Kohl
- Opened first Milwaukee-area department store in Brookfield, WI in 1962
- Expanded to over 100 stores by 1992, going public as Kohl‘s Corporation
- Reached 500 locations by 2003 after acquiring 26 MainStreet division stores
- Launched nationwide e-commerce site Kohls.com in 2001
- Opened 1,100th store location in 2011
- Earned $18.47 billion in nationwide retail sales in 2021
With almost double the stores of rivals like JCPenney, quadruple the reach of Nordstrom, and six times as many locations as Dillard‘s, Kohl‘s enormous U.S. presence provides jobs for 140,000 diverse Americans.
As a Picky Shoppers retail and consumer expert advising such a vast workforce, I‘m often asked:
Does Kohl‘s Drug Test Employees?
The answer based on employee reports is yes, select Kohl‘s stores in the chain administer drug tests to screen candidates and monitor current staffers. However, testing policies vary across locations depending on:
- State and city statutes on workplace exams
- Safety risks posed by specific positions
- Choices made by store leadership on screening rigor
Let‘s analyze why retailers drug test in the first place, then delve into Kohl-specific practices. Gaining perspective into if, why, and how this department store approaches employee screening helps inform your job search or career.
Why Do Retailers Perform Drug Testing?
Subjecting employees to drug exams costs substantial money and time yearly – so why bother?
- Mitigating safety risks tops the list. Impaired staff operating heavy machinery or driving company vehicles endanger themselves and the public.
- Legal obligations related to liability also abound, as failing to test particular roles in high-risk industries opens retailers up to lawsuits if injuries occur.
- Brand reputation matters to consumer-facing chains striving to provide friendly, reliable service.
- Performance management plays a role too, as drug dependencies drain productivity.
Balancing privacy invasion against duty of care motivates many retailers like Kohl‘s to screen candidates despite inconsistently enforcing tests in practice.
How Much Do Workplace Drug Tests Cost?
Subjecting each applicant to a standard 5-panel urine analysis pre-hire adds up quick for massive chains:
- With 140,000 employees and 65% turnover, Kohl‘s may hire 91,000 workers per year
- Assuming 60% of applicants receive offers, that‘s 54,600 pre-employment drug tests annually
- Standard urine tests cost about $42 per person through major labs like Quest Diagnostics
- Total testing expenditure would hit $2.3 million per year
Given sheer hiring volumes, Kohl‘s likely strategically screens priority roles most affecting safety and operations rather than mandate universal testing.
Kohl’s Pre-Employment Drug Screening Policies
So amid shaky motivation to screen every floor associate what policies exist on the books?
According to some Kohl‘s job postings, the company reserves the right to conduct drug testing contingent on offers. Multiple warnings appear about consenting to background checks during hiring.
This indicates pre-employment screening plays some role in Kohl‘s selection, although not formally universal. Actual testing frequency varies among store locations.
Which Locations and Roles Get Tested?
Anonymous employee discussion forums provide mixed reports of pre-hire testing experiences:
- Some describe completing supervised urine analysis or onsite mouth swabs before starting.
- Others applied, interviewed, trained, and worked for months without any mention of exams.
The takeaway seems to be that testing remains uneven, with each store mandated to manage own needs.
But common higher-risk roles like inventory, distribution, machinery operation, loss prevention (LP) face consistently higher chances of getting screened. These functions hold safety and compliance liabilities if staff seem dangerously impaired. Makes sense District Managers more commonly test candidates applying into these critical asset protection and operations areas especially.
That said, occasional cashier or sales floor associate reports surface too regarding random urine panels or mouth swabs post-offer. So blanket policies don‘t quite exist.
Types of Drug Tests Kohl‘s Leverages
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Urine analysis constitutes the most common and reasonably accurate option – about half of Kohl‘s tests based on reports. Candidates visit medical labs to provide monitored samples detecting precise substance levels.
Oral fluid mouth swab tests take the remaining 40% share for quicker turnaround. Applicants simply swab their mouth to collect saliva onsite without invasive watching.
Hair testing fills the last 10% when three-month history visibility is needed to uncover deeper dependencies. But hair exams cost substantially more than common urine panels.
Ultimately urine and mouth swabs support affordability and convenience for high-volume retail hiring. Hair just provides additional background insight when deemed necessary by Management.
What Substances Are Targeted?
Typical 5-panel retail drug tests like those at Kohl‘s assess:
- Marijuana
- Cocaine
- Opiates
- Amphetamines
- Phencyclidine (PCP)
Both inactive and active metabolites get scanned via urine, oral fluid, or hair samples. Detection windows reach back days for substances like marijuana or up to months for recurring opiate use.
HR and hiring managers get alerted to positive results signaling candidate dependencies meriting further review, especially in safety-centric roles.
Consequences of Failing a Kohl‘s Drug Test
So what happens if a candidate or employee fails a Kohl‘s screening? Reactions vary between locations:
- Some Manager accounts describe immediately rescinded job offers pending testing results.
- Others allowed employees to retest upon providing valid prescriptions to explain detection.
- In rare cases, Kohl‘s placed failing staff into treatment programs before reevaluation.
According to its corporate policy, Kohl‘s prohibits discrimination based solely on addiction history if recovery occurred. Leaders are encouraged to assess dependency specifics rather than instantly terminate.
But for heavy machinery roles risking lives if operated unsafely while impaired? Most locations enforce zero tolerance rules.
Outcomes ultimately hinge on position type, store staffing needs, and District Manager judgement calls. Kohl‘s aims for consistency but individual leaders sometimes interpret enforcement differently.
Know your rights and enlist HR support if any proceedings feel unjustified or lack transparency after a failed test. As both candidate and employee, you deserve clarity into status changes prompted by screening programs.
Employment Rights and Background Check Access
Because Kohl‘s leverages external results to govern hiring choices, applicants and staff secure certain rights around that private data per the FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act):
- Advanced written notice that your background check may impact employment
- The ability to dispute false or outdated personal history data
- Access to copies of the background check report through HR
So if you feel Kohl‘s testing or decisions rested on inaccurate reporting or illegal factors, politely petition Management to clarify and remedy the situation. Consult state laws too limiting how deeply employers can discriminate against medical contents.
While Kohl‘s intends consistent testing practices, individual locations sometimes trip up on protocols. Speaking up fixes more issues than staying silent.
The Takeaway: Kohl‘s Testing Remains Inconsistent
In summary, select Kohl’s stores do perform optional drug screening during pre-employment and on staff causing concern. But blanket testing policies do not universally exist chainwide as of 2023.
The odds of getting examined fluxate based on:
- Where you apply geographically
- Intended staff role and safety risk
- Current policy shifts and process changes
- Who leads each store and interprets guidance
Synthesizing employee reports however signals that distribution, inventory, machinery operation, and loss prevention roles face consistently higher chances of testing tied to liability. Exercise extra diligence around substance use if applying into these spaces specifically.
That said, corporate directives forbid denying applicants solely based on addiction history if properly managed. So candidates in recovery carry reasonable odds if demonstrating reliability.
The bottom line? Understanding Kohl’s applicant screening processes lets observant retail workers, job seekers, and industry experts prepare accordingly and make informed career decisions.
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Marques Thomas graduated with an MBA in 2011. Since then, Marques leveraged retail management expertise to launch QuerySprout – advising countless consumers and retail employees on critical career questions just like this. His passion lies in decoding complex retail hiring processes into easily digestible answers.
