Main Website: www.paruresis.org

All

We commend Anheuser-Busch for their paruresis friendly drug test policies; and we recommend their beer as well

As a previous employee I can also atest that they use hair testing.

mustang, thank you, good to have feedback.

phi

I wish more companies would follow suit to AB. I recently learned that are company is seriously considering random testing of ALL employees. Great, something new to worry about. Heck this is one of the primary reasons why I haven't persuded other interest. I have been with the company for many years, and I want to continue to work there. Should I go see my HR manager a head of time, or do I wait until they announce the policy? Should I go see a urologist?

Tyler,
I think what you said is that your present company, NOT AB, is considering implementing random urine testing for drugs.

This is a tough test for someone with paruresis to pass when their ability to provide a urine sample is often unreliable. Often, drug testers take the position that the employee is wilfully not providing a urine specimen. They don't understand that the "inability to prove a urine specimen" is not the same as "refusal to provide a urine specimen"

I recommend you go to a urologist and get a signed diagnosis or statement that you have shy bladder (paruresis) if that is what you have. Your urologist is undoubtedly familiar with the AUA discussion of shy bladder on their website at www.urologyhealth.org ,search for paruresis

SAMHSA has historically demanded that any allowance for shy bladder be based on historical evidence of the shy bladder condition. Any such analysis after a failure to provide a urine specimen is typically ignored.

Then this is an option you might want to consider:

See a employment lawyer and ask him to write a legal formal notification to your employer that you have the shy bladder disorder, which is a common symptom of Social Anxiety Disorder SEction 300.23 of the DSM IV or V. The notification should refer to the urologist signed statement and in addition would notify the employer that you are willing to take a saliva, hair or sweat test as a drug test, because you are incapable, because of incapable of providing a urine specimen.

It might also be good of your lawyer to note in the letter that in Georgia, a State law has been inacted that protects citizen rights to take an alternative test if they are unable to provide a urine specimen. This is the same state where Caterpillar Corporation previously fired an employee because they couldn't provide a urine specimen. They settled out of court and sealed the record. But the action of the Chamber of Commerce in supporting this law would seem to indicate, that at least in Georgia, they now realize that urine specimens are not something everyone can provide on demand from their employer.

This statement and issuing it to your Company's HR office is asking a lot of someone with SAD, but it is one credible way to proceed. You will have to decide on what you actually accomplish.

There is an excellent book called Coping with Social Anxiety Disorder by Eric Hollander, a psychiatrist, who describes shy bladder as a common symptom of SAD. I recommend this book to you, i found it in a college book store and it is very well written.

Please continue to let us know how you are doing with this issue as its a common problem in this urine obsessed nation.

Best wishes, Phil

I heard this could be changing soon, since AB was purchased by InBev they are cutting all sorts of costs across the company one item that is being considered is the cost for lab work associated with their hair analysis. This company is no longer what it used to be where it was focused on their employees and are now focused on the bottom dollar. I hate seeing companies like this take a step in the wrong direction.