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drug tests

11K views 53 replies 27 participants last post by  Stonehenge 
#1 ·
I was wondering if any of you did drug testing on new hires we were thinking of doing it this year as a safty measure for our company. We will need to hire more employees this year but dont realy know how to go about it. any information would be greatly appreciated. btw this site is great i have learned alot from you guys.
 
#2 ·
e-man i'm in the same boat as you, i have to hire 1 new guy and i know, i have 2 people trying out for it and i know both of them smoke weed. i really don't want someone like that so i'm thinking of just finding someone else. i don't think it would be worth it and would look bad for the business. i think you would have to make a policy showing that you do this for all employies but i'm not sure, most companies say there manditory its a great idea. call your better business agency and ask them for any advice.
 
#4 ·
It's tough getting started, and you'll get one or two "surprises" - but the effort is worth it.

Worst part is the first time you can somebody because of it. You'll be shocked by who it is and they will argue big time that "their buddies were doing it and they were just in the same room"......

Best move we ever made here. Customers love it. Most employees like that we do it. Insurance company endorses it.
 
#6 ·
Champion America http://www.championamerica.com has a simple onsite tester in which you just place the substance (most delicate way I could put it) into a cup and read the results on the outside. The cup works in only five minutes or so it is stated. They are relatively inexpensive for the peace of mind that goes along with a clean workforce at $19.85 ea. The name in the catalog is "Drug Check 5".

Bruce
 
#8 ·
These drug tests (intrusion of privacy IMHO) are completely unreliable.

Take an OTC painkiller and you have got reefer madness.

Eat a bagel and you are booting smack.

Use some nasal spray and you are a crank addict.

In these days of full employment a potential employee
will tell you to take your stinky $8/hr no benefits job and
place it where the sun doesn’t shine.

The biggest scam is that an alcoholic that can stay dry
for a day will pass with flying colors. But since this screwed up society condones the usage of that poison and
the evil federal and state government condones its usage to keep the tax money flowing. They don't want to and/or can't turn the tap off.
 
#9 ·
It would sure narrow down the list of candidates who apply to work for us. I'd say about 90% would fail. I have some loyal hard working smart employees who smoke weed on their own time. They know if they get caught at work that they'll be out of a job. However, anyone driving the CDL truck has to be clean at all times.
 
#10 ·
Wow paranoia is rampant in the LAND OF THE FREE, don't you guys have a constitution or something? I thought facism had been defeated! Unless your employee is drunk/high on the job whats the big deal? It is no wonder you guys are having a hard time finding help. What an employee does on his/her own time is their business,as long as they are doing their job. I pay them for the hours they work, the other hours of the day belong to the employee. The workplace should be enjoyable, how will that happen with your prison like atmosphere? As a final thought, let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
 
#11 ·
what one does at home it that person business ...on the job it's mine ....it's almost impossible to hire a guy at our service rate and expect anything better than a lawn monkey ...sad to say but true ...

The one's running a crew is much different but we pay them more & expect more from them ..in any case we do make it clear that if an "accident" occurs a piss test will be needed for insurance or wc claims
 
#13 ·
At my day job as a locomotive engineer, I am subject to ramdom sampling drug tests, from my employer, another railroad whose tracks we use on a daily basis, and the FRA. (Federal Railway Adminn.) While there are differences of opinion on rights,and what I do on my own time, I want my crew clean when they report for work. And they expect me to also be clean. I have enough to oversee everyday, without worrying about my crew on drugs. I would encourage you to use this as a tool. It will keep you safe as an employer and keep your employees safe. It does work.

Paul
 
#14 ·
First, let me say that I conduct myself in a clean and sober manner.
I expect nothing of an employee more than I demand from myself.
If an employee can't deal with that they can go down the street to that next $8.00 an hour job.
That is how it is plain and simple, when we talk about rights then we also have to take into account that this is my business and I as a business owner have the right to set the employment guidelines.

Bruce

 
#15 ·
Drug testing is required by most workmen's comp carriers as a condition of employment.

We post DRUG TESTING in our add's for employees. If they do, they just don't bother to apply. We have not had a problem.

Stone makes a couple of good points. If your tokeing on the weekends, you can be straight all week, and still show hot in the test. Reefer has a long residual period since it's fat souble.

Coke, meth and other opiates are water souluble and rather quick to leave the blood stream. May or may not be there 24 hours later. Just like alcohol.

This society of ours condones, promotes and glorifies alcohol consumption. You can get drunk off your ass three nights per week and make it to work the next morning and not test positive. You ever smell someone who's been on a bender the night before. If I can smell it, your going down for a test. I was an EMT for a number of years, and alcohol is a far more destructive drug, and it's a drug, than any other controlled substance.

A some point in every ones life, there is more to life than getting high or drinking beer until you puke. As I have got older, that is more than true. As a product of growing up in the 70's, I was no angel by any means. But there is a time to grow up. And the effects of weed are there even if you have not sparked up for a day or so.

Chances are, and my work experience bears this out, that if they are getting high after work, on the week ends, then they are probably getting high at work. I had three employees last year that were terminated for reasons other than drugs. Other employees finanlly came to me and said one was getting high on the job and they feared for there jobs, because they worked with him.. I point blank now ask and tell my employee's, don't get high, because the owner can spring a random drug test any time. They don't, because we now have a different caliber of employee as a result.

Think about this as well, if you hire employees and pay them to drive vehicles as part of their job, and they are involved in a serious accident, the police can require blood test as part of the investigation.

If they are found to have THC in the blood, you now have a leagally imparied employee/driver and they are going to hang your ass so far out to dry, that you will never stand the chance of owing your own business again and will probably have to work at McDonalds nights to pay off the civil judgements, if your lucky enough not to be Bubba's cellmate at the Graybar Hotel.

Pretty simple decision I think...

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#17 ·
Kermit -

As your new leaders, I'd think you folks north of us would show a little respect. That's OK, though. We have your name on our list, we'll remember this when we take over ;) We'll recognize you by the long hair, bell bottoms and T-shirt with the peace sign on it, right?


Boy, if I didn't know better, it looks like there's a lot of people dating mary jane here.

site - if you don't care what they do on their time, but expect them clean when they're driving your trucks, how do you enforce/check/verify that? That'd seem pretty hard.

When I was in college I had a friend who'd smoke before he went to work, he'd smoke during his lunch break, and he'd smoke a couple times when he got home. Those were all on 'his' time.

And for others of you posting here - do you realize that potential customers may be reading this??? The knowledge some of you have seems so good that it can only come firsthand. I don't know if I'd advertise that here.
 
#18 ·
Thanks everyone for the replys I definately will make this a part of my management plan as for certain drugs not being noticed sometimes, I'd rather be safe than sorry
Kermit, as for castingthe first stone I would say the majority of business owners (including me)in America are sin free on this matter anyways
 
#19 ·
E-man,sorry I didn't realize youall didn't inhale. Kind of hippoccritical to by drinking beer while putting down dopers. By the way you guys down south sort of proved that prohibition didn't work in the twenties, why would it work now? We made lots of money running goodies during prohibition and make even more now. Didn't any of you see the movie traffic? Lighten up,and maybe you won't have a signifigant portion of your population in prison on stupid raps like possesion of a joint.The only people benefiting from the war on drugs is the enforcement industry.We are slowly but surely coming to realize that the war on drugs(by which we mean the drugs we don't like. The corporate drugs like alcohol and tobacco don't count,right?) was lost a long time ago. People are getting this stuff whether or not we like it. Lets tax it and control it to keep it away from kids the way we do with alcohol and all start acting like adults. Why do you guys want to control employees when their not at work? Do you tell them where they can live and who they can screw? Bet it would make them more efficient and be better for productivity! I'm disappointed that freedom meens so little to some on this forum.
 
#20 ·
Stone,
In answer to your question... we do it as manditory "post accident" (if they go to the hospital or a doctor on our Panel of Providers) and "random" at our choosing.

Post accident because if they are impared when injured, I don't want to pay for it - and random because if they stagger in we want the right to test them. Policies state we can do it pre-employment if we want, but we've never done it. I want the right to do it, though, as I really would like to keep what I've built these past 23 years.

Turfman99 has some very good points, however I can see some arguement for what the others have to say about this subject. However, today's lawsuit happy world has loads of people looking for a reason to get some free money - and when/if your business has any kind of significant net worth, your own sense of selfpreservation will probably kick in and take over, forcing you to begin to take steps to keep it instead of setting yourself up to support some poor schmuck that was in the right place at the wrong time (like the driver or pedestrian that gets involved with your driver in an accident).

 
#21 ·
Kermit what is country has become is just a bunch or drones
the will put up with an intrusive and costly federal government for their own selfish needs.

What we have in this land is social engineering through the laws and especially the bloated tax codes that only a CPA can understand (sometimes).

JA makes a valid point about self-preservation. But at the same time we cannot be complacent. Frankly our government
needs a major overhaul that the "system" will not let happen.

Our founding fathers must be turning in their graves especially with the last 8 years of the Clinton administration. Our evil federal government is must more oppressive that the British government was in 1776.

But there is no call to revolt and/or reform the federal government for most of us is fat and doesn’t want to lose our MATERIAL possessions by making waves. The feds have and will confiscate your wealth without a conviction.

I blame this complacency for we have lost now at least two generations of our youth to the public school system. Back in the 1960's before the introduction to the teacher union
youth protested in the streets to end the "war".

The youth of today is completely dumbed down to the lowest common denominator by these tenured socialist union thugs
(public school teachers). They (youth)don't even know the bill of rights. Do to political correctness these "teachers" are
responsible for the feminization of society. They would rather play with their game boy all day while snorting smack.

To prove this fact that the youth of today are illiterate just go read some of the messages in the commercial lawn care forum.
 
#22 ·
If a guy smokes before work, during lunch then again at night then that must be some lousy herb.

The idea of sharing a bottle of wine and a splif with an attractive young lady in front of the fireplace after a good meal is totally disgusting and repulsive. NOT!

POOF...back to reality.

Schools are teaching our kids to rat out their parents. Social engineering like Stone said. Sherriff's departments are cashing in on seizure laws...this drug war is here to stay...replete with corruption that goes all the way up to our officials. Often they themselves use these very substances. All the while filling our jails with non-violent self abusers.

[Edited by turfquip on 03-14-2001 at 02:06 PM]
 
#24 ·
Kermit my man,

With all your social programs and your good systems in the Great White North, what the hell is up with your economy?? If everything is so damn peachy up there, why is the exchange rate about 40% ?? I think I am going to the GWFN for vacation and get a better value for my AMERICAN dollars!! I guess the social freedoms and all that other crap just kicked your economy in the ass big time.

Frankly gentlemen, it does not really matter a hell of a lot about the laws that are made, just that we have to obey them and pay the taxes to conduct our business. There is not a damn thing any one of us can do or say to change that fact.

Stone makes some very legimate points about the school systems and how our teenagers have become drones. I recognized this about 10 years ago, and have taken a very active and proactive role in my kids education and in supplementing their education with heavy doses of common sense education. It had paid off, and my kids can't wait to work for me or another place to make their money and become contributing citzens.

I know of one dude who had an on the job accident and went to be tested, they called him back and said something was wrong, the numbers were greater than they had ever seen. He said yeah, probably its the best s--- ever. They determined it to be as powerfull as a heroin fix. He hit it in the morning before work and be blasted most of the day and then hit it again driving home, and agian and again. Man dude was a mess.

So if your getting high before work, it's ok because its on your own time???

By the way, if you ask most medical professionals , they say that Mary jane is much less destructive than John Barleycorn.. My friend the cop has never seen a clown high on weed beat his wife like the drunks do, . So we have the basic debate about illegal drug use and legal drug use
( alcohol)?? Cops busted a meth lab in town last night.. not that unusal any more.

Adrenilin is a drug and that's what most people find a way to do. Several alternatives to getting high chemically:

Drag racing : 110 miles per hour in 11 seconds going straight.

Skydiving: Guys say this is a total rush.

Catching your first born child.

Elk hunting : call in a 1000# pissed off bull elk to 30 yards and get him before he gets you.

Watching my daughter graduate from high school.

Catching a 50 # salmon in 10 foot seas off the coast.

Enjoying a beach sunset with your significant other.

Different strokes for different folks.





 
#25 ·
Originally posted by turfman99


Adrenilin is a drug and that's what most people find a way to do. Several alternatives to getting high chemically:

Drag racing : 110 miles per hour in 11 seconds going straight.
Man are you out of touch. A new Suzuki STREET bike right out the crate runs in the high 9s.

Here is a link to the local track I used to race at (I have been in retirement since 1995).

Back in 1994 I was a semi-finalist at the race described
below. The scum managment a Maple Grove raceway only give my
15 mins. to get ready before that round so they would not have to pay a fine by running after a 8pm Sunday curfew and
my engine was so hot (13.5 to 1 pistons with a shaved head)
that I could not cover the dail in.

http://www.numidiaraceway.com/eventarch/bracketf/2000/index.html

Butch's bike is only 1260cc. It runs every week in the mid eights on a little 18" motorcycle tire (vs. a 15" car tire).
 
#26 ·
Turfman 99
Thanks for agreeing that we have a better social system here in the REAL land of the free. As to our economy it's doing fine, thanks. Our govt. keeps our dollar artificially low to give us an advantage in exporting goods to our biggest trading partner,YOU. While we have lost some jobs to the third world areas in your country, I now see that those same jobs are being lost by you to Mexico, Oh well, they were unskilled, lowpaying jobs anyway. Here in the shadow of our nation's capitol we have No worries of being shot, or raped or, well you get the idea. Can you say that about living in your nation's capital? From what I hear Washington isn't fit for man nor beast. We pay more tax but get more services. I don't know anyone here that doesn't have a job who wants one. More of us own our own homes(no we don't live in igloos) than in your country and if you care to check more of us live in cities than you folk.
Come on up some time and we'll show you what clean air and water are like. Plus we'll show you a good time at much less cost than you will pay in your own country. While you're here you can check out what a clean,safe city looks like and we promise you won't get shot or mugged! Sound good, come on up.
 
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