I know that in the states there's a thing called Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA)

The Act does permits polygraph tests to be administered to certain applicants for job with security firms (such as armored car, alarm, and guard companies) and of pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors, and dispensers. The law does not cover federal, state, and local government agencies.

Government jobs related to local & national security may have a sanctioned polygraph exam for new hires. These include: Police officers, Firefighters, Armored transport personnel, FBI, CIA, DEA, Secret Service, Border Patrol, Customs & Postal Inspectors.



I am curious as to what kinds of jobs WITHIN the government will make you take the test as a screening for applicants? Will it be only jobs that involve a possible THREAT to the country? There are TONS of government jobs such as health services, mounties, and postal workers. And I don't see these jobs having a requirement for polygraph tests... Is that correct?

The main reason I ask of this is because of the fact that I might fail some things asked of me when taking a polygraph test and I know I don't want to be a Police officer, Firefighter, Armored transport personnel, FBI, CIA, DEA, Secret Service, Border Patrol, Customs & Postal Inspectors or anything of that sort. Because I know for sure these government jobs require a lie detector test. Anything with "high security" will probably involve one. 

But I'm asking if they will require one for anything "non-high security". 

All I'm really looking for is a 100% correct answer to my question. I realize that almost ALL the jobs that might/will require a lie detector will be a Government one. BUT within it, I am not 100% sure if they ALL do or just some (ie. high security jobs). 

IF ANYONE knows about how this works in Canada, I would GREATLY GREATLY appreciate it. I really need to know and it's been a real pain in the ass for me. Google search has failed me 

I am fine with drug screening test and all that sort of stuff. The ONLY thing I am unsure of is with is a polygraph test.

yoyobibi wrote on Apr 21^st, 2011 at 5:14am:

The chances of finding someone who is well versed in Canadian polygraph practices in hiring are slim. I recommend you research it on your own and come back and tell us. I did a cursory look and found out something surprising: fire fighters are given pre-employment polygraphs. See the attachment. If this is the case, then perhaps this type of "abuse by polygraph" may even be more wide spread in Canada. Keep us informed.

In Canada almost all law-enforcement jobs require the polygraph. All federal government jobs that have a Top-Secret clearance also require a polygraph. The polygraph procedure is identical to the American one because the polygraph companies that supply the equipment and procedures are also American. And of course the polygraph is an American invention to begin with. 

The Province of Ontario (Canada’s most populous and most important province) has outlawed the use of pre-employment polygraph screening, so there it is not used for sure because it is illegal. (Ontario has taken the lead in prohibiting the use of mandatory polygraph tests under its provincial Employment Standards Act. Polygraph testing has no place in any selection program.)

Here is an interesting presentation (RCMP Pre-Employment Polygraph Program Overview and Effectiveness Study Presentation):
http://www.acb.gov.jm/html/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/RCMP-Polygraph-Presentatio...
The presentation: slide 8 states “No trick or surprise questions”.  This is very inaccurate and misleading as there are many trick questions and surprises throughout, and especially at the end (as anyone who has actually undergone one can attest). But the RCMP is very good at marketing, so the view that the recruiting process is fair, effective and transparent is continuously pushed forward (although the reality is very different).

By the way, the RCMP only started using PEP in 2005 and later, so a current polygraph examiner never had to do it as part of his or her recruiting process.