It's not a problem or is it?

Accyexplorer

Accyexplorer

Nori Brick
Tackler
Yes,fair enough for those doing 'some jobs' ie nobody wants to be patched up on a Monday by that paramedic that's half cooked due to the bender on Sunday... but retail work?
Who cares if the fella on the till at Tesco/Asda had a couple joints over the weekend?.....I suppose they may over charge someone leaving the world in turmoil.

Penalising folk for what they do in their private time just seems a little wrong IMO.
If people want to have a drink or have a smoke and as long as it doesn't affect their work then "it's not a problem or is it"?


Workplace drug testing 'on the rise', say providers - BBC News
 
Smoking pot. Its class B, no its class C, Its legal here, its not legal there, Its OK for medical, no its not, Phew, I am so confused. I saw people get aggressive after drinking alcohol, very aggressive, never saw this when someone smoked pot. Do not operate machinery, Hee Hee.
 
I suppose it's a good tool for those bosses looking to cut costs on redundancy payouts (hmm) and as always I presume it will only apply to the lower earners not CEO's etc.
Perhaps a good starting point would be to drug test all them MP's in parliament ,I'm sure their off their heads on something :D
 
If the taking of drugs or alcohol impacts on your work, then of course it is a problem for an employer......because the employee is unable to fulfil their contractual obligations.
In short you cannot do the job you are being paid to do.
Your private life is your own business until it impacts on your area of work.......and if you were an employer you would see that......but you aren't and so you see it as an infringement of your Liberty.
 
Margaret Pilkington said:
If the taking of drugs or alcohol impacts on your work, then of course it is a problem for an employer......because the employee is unable to fulfil their contractual obligations.
In short you cannot do the job you are being paid to do.
Your private life is your own business until it impacts on your area of work.......and if you were an employer you would see that......but you aren't and so you see it as an infringement of your Liberty.
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I suppose it is a little selfish M,Drugs tend to stay in the system long after the effects wear off.
It's Monday morning and Jason on the fork lift had a few joints over the weekend. Jason turns a bit sharp and some of his load falls off the forks and on to Peter who is walking past killing Peter.

The insurance company demand a drug test and find drugs in Jason's system. Insurance refuses to pay out and a charge of corporate manslaughter is brought against the company. The company cannot afford the immense fine and closes for business putting Jason,his work colleagues out of work.

But as long as Jason can get stoned at the weekend, sod everybody else....I get it now :o
 
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Most companies already have policies about alcohol, drugs is just the next step.
If I make a mistake at work because my tiny brain is under the influence of something I could cause an accident and kill someone.
It doesn't really need a second thought about testing someone you suspect has been drinking or taking drugs and may not be safe to themselves or others around them
 
Accyexplorer said:
I suppose it is a little selfish M,Drugs tend to stay in the system long after the effects wear off.
It's Monday morning and Jason on the fork lift had a few joints over the weekend. Jason turns a bit sharp and some of his load falls off the forks and on to Peter who is walking past killing Peter.

The insurance company demand a drug test and find drugs in Jason's system. Insurance refuses to pay out and a charge of corporate manslaughter is brought against the company. The company cannot afford the immense fine and closes for business putting Jason,his work colleagues out of work.

But as long as Jason can get stoned at the weekend, sod everybody else....I get it now :o
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It isn't just selfish it is irresponsible.
I once had the unenviable task of sending home a member of staff who turned up for work still suffering the effects of an alcohol fuelled weekend.
The person was unfit to cope with the work responsibilities which were expected of them.....and as such they were unsafe to practice.
The person received a disciplinary warning and the time off was deducted from their holiday entitlement.

Now are you saying that I should have let this nurse stay on duty and put the patients at risk?
How would you have felt if one of your relatives was being looked after by someone who was the worse for drink?
Had I not acted, then I would have been just as culpable for any adverse events which had arisen from my lack of action.
 
Margaret Pilkington said:
Now are you saying that I should have let this nurse stay on duty and put the patients at risk?
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No,Like I've said, if your job effects the life's of others (especially nurses etc) drug test seem reasonable enough to me.

What about those folk on certain prescription drugs? I'm sure your aware that Anti-depressants for example can affect folks performance. More so than having a couple of pints or a few joints at the weekend.

Sorry for sounding like Mr conspiracy but companies aren't treating folk like humans anymore they are treating them like machines where every ounce of efficiency is attempted to be squeezed out of them. They don't want them running on 80%, they want them running on 100% all the time.

As you know,we live in a society where money is worshipped over everything else (it's making for a sick society). It's obvious that jobs like nurses, surgeons or paramedics shouldn't be working under the influence but testing people who sell clothes or who are on the till at Asda is taking things a bit far imo.
 
Accyexplorer said:
No,Like I've said, if your job effects the life's of others (especially nurses etc) drug test seem reasonable enough to me.
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So it's an infringement of your freedom if applied to you but is O.K. when applied to others?

We should all turn up for work in a condition fit to do that work responsibly.
 
Less said:
So it's an infringement of your freedom if applied to you but is O.K. when applied to others?

We should all turn up for work in a condition fit to do that work responsibly.
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Your ok Less,I don't think they do drug tests in mordor ;)
 
Accyexplorer said:
As you know,we live in a society where money is worshipped over everything else (it's making for a sick society). It's obvious that jobs like nurses, surgeons or paramedics shouldn't be working under the influence but testing people who sell clothes or who are on the till at Asda is taking things a bit far imo.
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No, I don't think it is. If you enter into a contract with an employer(to work for them) then shouldn't you make sure that you are fit to do that job?
Isn't your employer entitled to expect value for money......a responsible attitude, and of course safety of the people you work with.
If for any reason you cannot keep to your part of the contract, then the employer is within their rights to find someone else who is capable of doing a good job.
Even on the Till at Asda, you need to have your wits about you.

Those people who take drugs for medical reasons are under the surveillance of a medical team and if their performance was reduced due to the medical treatment, then the doctor would have to sign them off as unfit to work, but even those on antidepressants become attuned to the drugs in their system...if you like, their tolerance of them makes work possible...in effect they get used to the way they work for them personally.

Jason your argument for recreational drugs and alcohol doesn't hold water.

If you know yourself to be compromised by your recreational activities, you have two choices......give up the activities or give up the job.
 
This is all bs, probably just brought up in order to agitate the fecal matter ... nothing to do with drugs and booze ... come to think of it, if booze isn't a drug, then what is it? Bottom line is that it's about common sense and responsibility. If you are aware that you have to show up for work at eight ack emma on monday, just don't be quaffing the booze, or toking, or snorting, or hitting at three. Nobody gives ... or should give ... a flying you-know-what about what you do on your time off. Just don't show up for work, or drive, or operate chainsaws:eek: when you are still trashed. If you do, you have a problem ... probably one you would have had even if you spent a sober, straight weekend. People who do this are ignorant, irresponsible assholes, drunk or sober.

A sense of responsibility, a large dose of common sense, and an IQ large enough to figure out how to pour water out of a boot without having to read the instructions written on the heel is all you need to manage, or to balance your recreational habits with your work.

I'm having a quiet toke right now ... but all I have to do today is housework, and walk the hound. If I go out to the bar later, I will take a cab there and back. I've already taken my window shaker out ... yes, Summer is gone:mad:. So, nothing else I have to do today requires sober concentration.
 
Just wanted to put a word in for those who according to AccyExplorer 'just work on a till at Asda' - don't know if you've ever tried it but it's not as easy a job as he/she seems to think.Don't get me wrong, of course I'm not comparing it to someone whose work directly affects the health of others but believe me dealing with some members of the public on a daily basis can be quite stressful & would be even worse for both the employee & the customers if anyone tried to do it with a hangover from any substance whether it be alcohol or recreational drugs
 
Eric said:
This is all bs, probably just brought up in order to agitate the fecal matter ... nothing to do with drugs and booze ... come to think of it, if booze isn't a drug, then what is it? Bottom line is that it's about common sense and responsibility. If you are aware that you have to show up for work at eight ack emma on monday, just don't be quaffing the booze, or toking, or snorting, or hitting at three. Nobody gives ... or should give ... a flying you-know-what about what you do on your time off. Just don't show up for work, or drive, or operate chainsaws:eek: when you are still trashed. If you do, you have a problem ... probably one you would have had even if you spent a sober, straight weekend. People who do this are ignorant, irresponsible assholes, drunk or sober.

A sense of responsibility, a large dose of common sense, and an IQ large enough to figure out how to pour water out of a boot without having to read the instructions written on the heel is all you need to manage, or to balance your recreational habits with your work.

I'm having a quiet toke right now ... but all I have to do today is housework, and walk the hound. If I go out to the bar later, I will take a cab there and back. I've already taken my window shaker out ... yes, Summer is gone:mad:. So, nothing else I have to do today requires sober concentration.
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Isn't there is the morale problem though E? I mean, a work place where folk are randomly tested is one that will be short on trust and good feeling won't it?

Mr conspiracy says:-

There's also the problem of, if folk are tested for drugs today, it isn't such a big move to start to check folk for other undesirable activities tomorrow. Why stop at drugs,why not test folk for STD's,tax evasion or marital infidelity? What is so particularly problematic about these 'drugs'?

Obviously, being off your box at work at work is one thing but I believe a employee should be appraised on their performance and companies are businesses not law enforcement agencies. its funny that on the one hand folk don't want a nanny state, but on the other seem perfectly happy to condone nanny capitalism.Companies should not be allowed to deal with employees (private) illegal behaviour unless it's effecting their proformance.

A employer is allowed to sack you for testing positive for a bit of weed yet the US airforce is allowed to give its pilots amphetamine to improve their concentration over long periods.
U.S. Combat Pilots on Speed - ABC News

Gives a whole new meaning to fighting the war on drugs ;)
 
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It would not be in the interests of an employer to test for sexually transmitted diseases unless that employer ran a brothel.....which is illegal in this country.

You ask what is problematic about these drugs, but this has been answered in previous posts...even you have put forward very good reasons why being under the influence of drugs or alcohol is unsafe.

You are just trying to fudge the issue.
What happens in America has little relevance to this issue......and tax evasion, marital infidelity....if they meant that you were not doing your job properly then an employer might be concerned.......and any issue that meant you were compromised in your job should and would be brought up at yearly appraisals, along with some actions to remedy any performance deficits.
 
Accyexplorer said:
Why stop at drugs,why not test folk for STD's,tax evasion or marital infidelity? What is so particularly problematic about these 'drugs'?

Obviously, being off your box at work at work is one thing

the US airforce is allowed to give its pilots amphetamine to improve their concentration over long periods.
U.S. Combat Pilots on Speed - ABC News
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Evading tax or having it off with someone else's wife probably won't affect your ability at work(although the second can be tiring).

To quote your attachment 'Their judgement is impaired and they do very bad things. They are among the sickest of all drug addicts'.
We can't have the checkout staff at Asda killing 4 customers and injuring 8 more, can we?:eek:
 
Margaret Pilkington said:
It would not be in the interests of an employer to test for sexually transmitted diseases unless that employer ran a brothel.....which is illegal in this country.

You ask what is problematic about these drugs, but this has been answered in previous posts...even you have put forward very good reasons why being under the influence of drugs or alcohol is unsafe.

You are just trying to fudge the issue.
What happens in America has little relevance to this issue......and tax evasion, marital infidelity....if they meant that you were not doing your job properly then an employer might be concerned.......and any issue that meant you were compromised in your job should and would be brought up at yearly appraisals, along with some actions to remedy any performance deficits.
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Perhaps if the infidelity was being committed in front of customers on the check-out of the above mentioned supermarkets then the employer would have every right to show concern?
 
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