chrishill 0 Posted March 3, 2005 jesus wept what a day. Just started a new job, been there 2 weeks and went for my medical this morning. Did all the usual vision/hearing stuff and a drugs test. The drugs test came back positive on one of the results, and I'd like to stress at this point that hand on heart I've not taken anything. Ok so test comes back positive, and the nurse shrugs it off saying that the same happend yesterday and they'd have to send it for futher testing, so i'm thinking, ok, must happen all the time. at 4.30 i'm dragged in to see HR with my boss, they give me the opportunity to admit to drug use and for me to resign there and then. Obviously at this point I'm seriously worried, i know i've not taken anything, i know the tests wrong but at the same time they're not going to take my word for it, so i request another test. over to the medical centre we go, i give them another sample and guess what? CLEAR! totally clean, clear and fine. I swear I was close to cracking after that, even though it came back ok all i could think about was how close I came to loosing everything, house, car and any chance of a decent job ever again. It's all sinking in still, i think I may have a few beers tonight to calm me down. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
daves16v 1 Posted March 3, 2005 Close one mate..........phew! Just don't have too many tonight so they have an excuse to breathalyse you in the morning. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Hub 0 Posted March 3, 2005 Jesus mate close call!!! Just don't be smoking any dope to calm your nerves :silly: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ady_G 0 Posted March 3, 2005 That really annoys me, this place is getting more like the USA every day! It's an infringement on your personal liberties, they should only be concerned with your ability to perform and do the job. Ady Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tekara 0 Posted March 3, 2005 Good to hear alls sorted now, i never trusted drug tests, personally never had one though. Ive have lost my rag with them after that. Did they have the decency to apologise at all ? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim 2 Posted March 3, 2005 That really annoys me, this place is getting more like the USA every day! It's an infringement on your personal liberties, they should only be concerned with your ability to perform and do the job. Ady Agreed. Who would you rather employ.. someone who smokes a recreational joint once every week or two, or someone who goes out and gets blind drunk every single day of the weekend and a few times a week? One person is breaking the law, one isnt. Its a pretty screwed up state of affairs IMHO. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chrishill 0 Posted March 3, 2005 to be fair they tested for alcohol too, and have the same policys for that. I was angry for a minute or so but at the same time they do have to follow the rules, for all they know I could have been a smack addict! They did appologise and my manager is pushing for a full investigation into what happened. The HR woman was very very appologetic, but I was still reeling from the whole thing to take it in, i'm sure something will be said tomorrow. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim 2 Posted March 3, 2005 Well it must have been a nightmare mate. I'm glad you got the all clear in the end.. wouldn't want a scare like that. I know you've said you don't smoke it, so this is all hypothetical but.. what if you'd been abroad to Amsterdam or something where smoking a few joints is perfectly within the remit of the law? Can they sack you for breaking no laws?! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chrishill 0 Posted March 3, 2005 well i questioned them about passive smoking, I was out at the weekend and in a bar full of smoke you never know whats floating about, in that case they said there probably wouldnt be enough in my system to fail the test, but as for the amsterdam thing I really dont know. i guess its still in your system (for up to 6 weeks so the nurse said) and they 'could' see that as an imparement to your job, pretty dodgy ground! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
godskitchen 0 Posted March 3, 2005 What job do you do? I think drug testing it OTT unless your flying or driving or something of that sort. BUT if you just paper moving in an office!!!!!! Now that takes the pi55 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chrishill 0 Posted March 3, 2005 web developer! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
G60Jet 1 Posted March 3, 2005 drug testing at work what the hell do you do? i thought test like that are illegal. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chrishill 0 Posted March 3, 2005 nah its legal, I'd just looked it up and so long as you give consent (which i did) its fine. This is interesting though... 'If you take Ibuprofen (the over-the-counter pain killer) you will test positive for taking cannabis. This is a fairly well known 'false positive'. Others famously include poppy seed bagels leading to failed tests for Opium and night-nurse style remedies causing people to fail for cocaine. Stating any unprescribed medications that you may be taking can be a key part of beating the test by creating the legitimate need for a subsequent re-test. This can be expensive if you are in the unfortunate position of being forced to pay for your own test, as is the case in some jobs and private schools' I took 2 tablets this morning for a headache, no idea if they had ibuprofen in but I'm damn sure i'll be finding out. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
G60Jet 1 Posted March 3, 2005 Did they tell you they would be doing a drug test with your pee? if not then its illegal lol just taking the piss really Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
daves16v 1 Posted March 3, 2005 I use to work for an American company with offices in Las Vegas and here in Notts. A manager at the US office heard they were going to start random drugs testing so he put in an application for a transfer to the Notts office.......you can guess why. He ended up being my manager. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RadoAds 0 Posted March 3, 2005 Why do they need to test for drugs if your in web design, its not as though your gonna cause any harm to yourself or others by being completely stoned let alone feeling the after affects of last night?? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted March 3, 2005 Ouch... my job is pretty tough like that, but as yet haven't started testing. interesting read about legal drugs giving flase positives.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bristolbaron 10 Posted March 3, 2005 Some companies just have these policies 'because they can' But if there are others employed by the company that use a company car or machinery etc, then they cannot descriminate and just check these people they have to adopt a company policy and check everyone! Also, it's possible they may be looking to sack someone who they suspect of drug use, this is very difficult to do unless you have a policy in place that includes testing or the person openly admits it. A muppet at the company I just left was sacked for offering coke to collegues at our christmas do! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chrishill 0 Posted March 3, 2005 Why do they need to test for drugs if your in web design i guess they're worried about half finished pages and sloppy design work! The company's main business is industrial filters and purifiers, theres alot of chemicals and hazzards involved in the production of them, but it still seems heavy handed. The thing I'm most annoyed about now it sunk in is the way I felt like I was being pressured into confessing to something I'd not done, and the humiliation of having to be escorted to the toilet where they put bleach in the bowl, selotaped up the taps and wouldnt allow me to flush the toilet or wash my hands til they'd been in to check i'd not been up to anything. Not sure how to approch it tomorrow but I'm definatly going to have words. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
daves16v 1 Posted March 3, 2005 Whatever line of work you're in you CAN be affected by drugs. If you had your own company, paying your employees a decent wage you would want to get the best out of them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chris VR6nos 0 Posted March 3, 2005 I use a lot of night-nurse! A muppet at the company I just left was sacked for offering coke to collegues at our christmas do! I miss all the good parties Chris Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dinkus 10 Posted March 4, 2005 Heh heh, this is pretty mad. I thought you had to be on drugs to be a web developer? :lol: Interesting about the Ibuprofen and Night Nurse stuff tho. I already knew about the Poppy seeds things (hurrah for Brainiac). Either way, I hope they grovel suitably and drop the rediculous idea of drug tests of office jobs. As people say, if you're driving or operating machinery then yeah, a drug test is good. If you're working in an office then it's not really relevant unless you're seriously off your face when you get into work, which I should hope an observant manager would spot... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Henny 0 Posted March 4, 2005 ah, man, I'd LOVE for them to bring drugs testing in here where I work... A Managerless office would be sooooo nice to work in... ;) :lol: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dinkus 10 Posted March 4, 2005 I would have thought your daily grind must feature vacuuming all the coke out of the mixing desks at least once? :lol: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kangaroo 0 Posted March 4, 2005 Could have been as bad as this guy. Got fired for smoking roll-ups!! :shock: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
