Post by imojoebunny on Aug 21, 2014 15:38:43 GMT -5
It pissed me off the one time I had a hair test. They cut it from the crown of my head with no warning. It was very obvious for a long time. I have very long, straight blonde hair it was way more than 50 strands. I don't know why they didn't cut it from underneath. It was a well coifed woman who did it to, you would think she wouldn't be such a bitch, but she clearly enjoyed it.
The thing was, I did not even end up getting the job. They said they needed it to make the offer, then once they had it, hired internally. There was no chance it had anything to do with the drug test.
Hair tests suck but they capture more drug use history than a urine test. ... Also, if you are in a state where MJ is legalized, it doesn't matter. Employers can still choose to have a drug free workplace environment. It's mostly for safety reasons. If we have people operating heavy machinery or driving fork trucks around, they can kill someone if they are under the influence. Drug and alcohol testing is super important in the workplace, especially in manufacturing.
I get the drug testing == alcohol testing - having it active in your system is no bueno for almost any job. But if you are taking hair, that's going to show use from weeks ago, which could have been off hours and completely legit and no bearing on your ability to perform - same as alcohol. Except the hair test doesn't show alcohol, right?
I don't think I've ever had a drug test. And I had a high level clearance at one point.
And what if you're in a legalized state?
I live in WA and work in a refinery with a mandatory, random drug testing requirement. When pot was legalized we got an email about how our drug policy wasn't changing. Which makes sense -- alcohol is legal, but you can still be fired for showing up to work drunk.
I'm happy to submit to drug testing. When I worked at another refinery we had a major upset that put myself and a number of my co-workers at a huge risk (H2S-rich environment where there shouldn't have been). Turns out the the lead operator that caused the incident was doing coke that night. Random drug-testing frequency increased, and within a month 6 more employees were let go.
Post by citrusmint on Aug 21, 2014 16:31:19 GMT -5
We have random testing at my job. Funny how my random number always seems to come up right after I get back from vacation...
They do the hair testing here and it's just something we deal with. It sucks but this is the job I signed up for so it is what it is.
The last time I had it done, the tech took such a big chunk out of the middle of my head that my hair girl was like "WTF??" when she saw me a week or so later, LOL.
I don't think I've ever had a drug test. And I had a high level clearance at one point.
And what if you're in a legalized state?
I live in WA and work in a refinery with a mandatory, random drug testing requirement. When pot was legalized we got an email about how our drug policy wasn't changing. Which makes sense -- alcohol is legal, but you can still be fired for showing up to work drunk.
Actually that doesn't make sense to me at all. My understanding is drug tests indicate whether you have used drugs within a specific window in the past--a shorter window for a pee test, longer for the hair test. So someone could smoke pot responsibly on the weekend and then be fired when they fail a drug test when they show up to work totally sober on Monday. That would be like firing someone for drinking on the job because they had a few beers on Friday night.
(For the record I have no problem with employers issuing drug tests; it's absolutely their right, and if you use drugs it's your option not to work somewhere that does testing.)
I live in WA and work in a refinery with a mandatory, random drug testing requirement. When pot was legalized we got an email about how our drug policy wasn't changing. Which makes sense -- alcohol is legal, but you can still be fired for showing up to work drunk.
Actually that doesn't make sense to me at all. My understanding is drug tests indicate whether you have used drugs within a specific window in the past--a shorter window for a pee test, longer for the hair test. So someone could smoke pot responsibly on the weekend and then be fired when they fail a drug test when they show up to work totally sober on Monday.
(For the record I have no problem with employers issuing drug tests; it's absolutely their right, and if you use drugs it's your option not to work somewhere that does testing.)
At our company, it's not "zero tolerance," there's a near-zero amount that you are allowed to account for testing repeatability and reproducibility. I have no idea where the value for the maximum amount of marijuana is. Since WA state has defined a maximum that you can have in your system and still be considered "sober", I think our maximum is a percentage of that, just like it is with alcohol. Our policy is also all pee testing, I've never had to submit to hair testing. I don't really have an issue if this means that people can't use marijuana recreationally, given my experiences with drugs at work, I'm going to be overly-conservative on this.
I live in WA and work in a refinery with a mandatory, random drug testing requirement. When pot was legalized we got an email about how our drug policy wasn't changing. Which makes sense -- alcohol is legal, but you can still be fired for showing up to work drunk.
Not long after pot was legalized in WA, there was a guy on TV all bent out of shape because he had been fired from his job for using pot. He didn't seem to get the message that despite the fact it was legal in the state of WA, his job was a drug free environment. This is not unlike alcohol.
At my last job, not only could I not drink if I was working, if I had alcohol on me I could be fired....even if it was in my car. I'm not sure how they would have enforced that but I wasn't about to try the system. Didn't seem worth losing my job over.
Mr. Pom has been drug tested at all of his jobs. He was in the field for oil & gas was/is H2S trained and in a dangerous environment. His last two jobs were management and now a consultant. He's an engineer and spends very little time in the field, but still undergoes regular but random drug testing. He now works for a Fortune 500 company, and it occurs about as often as it did with his other employers even though he is upper management. Only pee testing as far as I know.
I got drug tested at my last hospitality job- at a country club. LOL. It has to be rare for there to be drug testing of hotel/hospitality kitchen staff because almost every place I've ever worked, a good majority were high as a kite most of the time.
Actually that doesn't make sense to me at all. My understanding is drug tests indicate whether you have used drugs within a specific window in the past--a shorter window for a pee test, longer for the hair test. So someone could smoke pot responsibly on the weekend and then be fired when they fail a drug test when they show up to work totally sober on Monday.
(For the record I have no problem with employers issuing drug tests; it's absolutely their right, and if you use drugs it's your option not to work somewhere that does testing.)
At our company, it's not "zero tolerance," there's a near-zero amount that you are allowed to account for testing repeatability and reproducibility. I have no idea where the value for the maximum amount of marijuana is. Since WA state has defined a maximum that you can have in your system and still be considered "sober", I think our maximum is a percentage of that, just like it is with alcohol. Our policy is also all pee testing, I've never had to submit to hair testing. I don't really have an issue if this means that people can't use marijuana recreationally, given my experiences with drugs at work, I'm going to be overly-conservative on this.
Oh yeah I don't disagree with you or with a company's right to have that policy (edited for clarity--I don't necessarily agree with the policy itself). I'm just saying testing positive for having used marijuana in the past week is hardly the same as arriving to work high.
If they are doing tests that determine if you are high in that moment that is of course different.
If someone tests positive they're like "oh, we'll test you again on XYZ date, go back to work and get clean! *wink wink* ". It's only an issue if you come to work stoned.
I really don't even know why we drug test everyone.
I'd be really pisseded at them taking such a big chunk of hair if it's noticeable.
Also, I find hair drug tests kind of discriminatory to women. A man can just shave off their hair to avoid it but a woman really can't (well I guess technically she could). What does a company do when someone is bald or has a shaved head? I've never had a hair drug test and I haven't had a urine test in 10 years.
Ummm, a good drug tester will tell them to drop their pants. The hair does not have to be long or come from the head. lol. I do work that often involves custody issues with drug users, and have this come up quite a bit. And then if a guy comes in with a shaved head AND pubes (including ass), well, you can pretty much assume he's using. Ha.
I live in WA and work in a refinery with a mandatory, random drug testing requirement. When pot was legalized we got an email about how our drug policy wasn't changing. Which makes sense -- alcohol is legal, but you can still be fired for showing up to work drunk.
Actually that doesn't make sense to me at all. My understanding is drug tests indicate whether you have used drugs within a specific window in the past--a shorter window for a pee test, longer for the hair test. So someone could smoke pot responsibly on the weekend and then be fired when they fail a drug test when they show up to work totally sober on Monday. That would be like firing someone for drinking on the job because they had a few beers on Friday night.
(For the record I have no problem with employers issuing drug tests; it's absolutely their right, and if you use drugs it's your option not to work somewhere that does testing.)
If someone drinks on Saturday night and is sober for work Monday, why is the person who smoked a joint Saturday night fired even though they are also sober by Monday morning?
Should be an interesting case. The company is Dish Network, so not heavy machinery, and Colorado is legal for recreational pot use also.
Actually that doesn't make sense to me at all. My understanding is drug tests indicate whether you have used drugs within a specific window in the past--a shorter window for a pee test, longer for the hair test. So someone could smoke pot responsibly on the weekend and then be fired when they fail a drug test when they show up to work totally sober on Monday.
(For the record I have no problem with employers issuing drug tests; it's absolutely their right, and if you use drugs it's your option not to work somewhere that does testing.)
At our company, it's not "zero tolerance," there's a near-zero amount that you are allowed to account for testing repeatability and reproducibility. I have no idea where the value for the maximum amount of marijuana is. Since WA state has defined a maximum that you can have in your system and still be considered "sober", I think our maximum is a percentage of that, just like it is with alcohol. Our policy is also all pee testing, I've never had to submit to hair testing. I don't really have an issue if this means that people can't use marijuana recreationally, given my experiences with drugs at work, I'm going to be overly-conservative on this.
but what about medicinally, as prescribed by a physician to treat a debilitating condition? I cannot believe someone cannot use rx marijuana at night for pain relief/appetite stimulation/suppression of nausea for fear of losing his/her job, even if it's completely legal in his/her state and said employee is NOT impaired during working hours.
unless someone is concerned about impairment (alcohol, marijuana, whatever) during work hours or consumption on work premises, drug tests seem stupidly intrusive.
If someone drinks on Saturday night and is sober for work Monday, why is the person who smoked a joint Saturday night fired even though they are also sober by Monday morning?
If someone drinks on Saturday night and is sober for work Monday, why is the person who smoked a joint Saturday night fired even though they are also sober by Monday morning?
Because
To be fair, my DH said he once smoked so much pot he could only see in black-and-white for a few hours. So I guess there is some madness to it at some point... Then again, I drank so much once I wet the bed, so I mean... how is pot worse than alcohol?? Maybe I shoulda saved this for a confessions post...
At our company, it's not "zero tolerance," there's a near-zero amount that you are allowed to account for testing repeatability and reproducibility. I have no idea where the value for the maximum amount of marijuana is. Since WA state has defined a maximum that you can have in your system and still be considered "sober", I think our maximum is a percentage of that, just like it is with alcohol. Our policy is also all pee testing, I've never had to submit to hair testing. I don't really have an issue if this means that people can't use marijuana recreationally, given my experiences with drugs at work, I'm going to be overly-conservative on this.
but what about medicinally, as prescribed by a physician to treat a debilitating condition? I cannot believe someone cannot use rx marijuana at night for pain relief/appetite stimulation/suppression of nausea for fear of losing his/her job, even if it's completely legal in his/her state and said employee is NOT impaired during working hours.
unless someone is concerned about impairment (alcohol, marijuana, whatever) during work hours or consumption on work premises, drug tests seem stupidly intrusive.
Marijauna is still a schedule 1 controlled substance under federal law, so employers have the right to ban it, even for medical use. There are some licensed professions that ban it for all their members, regardless of whether it's legal in their state or not. And having a prescription for medical marijuana doesn't protect you from federal prosecution.
but what about medicinally, as prescribed by a physician to treat a debilitating condition? I cannot believe someone cannot use rx marijuana at night for pain relief/appetite stimulation/suppression of nausea for fear of losing his/her job, even if it's completely legal in his/her state and said employee is NOT impaired during working hours.
unless someone is concerned about impairment (alcohol, marijuana, whatever) during work hours or consumption on work premises, drug tests seem stupidly intrusive.
Under our policy, it's treated the same as other banned substances (vicodin, oxycodone, etc.). If you have a problem that requires you to be prescribed them, you are considered unfit to work and moved to STD/LTD. This was all in my paperwork when I had my c-section I can see how this would be ridiculous for the vast majority of employees, but I can't stress enough how important our safety culture is. I'm not saying I think our policy should apply to all workplaces, just that I can see why it's important in some workplaces.
Post by petitefrite on Aug 22, 2014 0:07:26 GMT -5
I thought I was the only one who felt this way! Yes, I think it would be absolutely humiliating to take a drug test. I don't do illegal drugs, and taking a drug test to prove it just makes me cringe. So, uncouth.
Drug tests are very common here. A lot of people here though work in the oil field or work with heavy equipment. They are all drug tested for safety reasons.
Post by irishbride2 on Aug 22, 2014 5:10:30 GMT -5
In most cases, it is because of insurance. For example, where I work our liability insurance and such are MUCH cheaper if they do a drug test at employment as well as drug tests if someone is hurt on the job.
I work in education.
I also have a friend who runs a manufacturing company and he said they would not even be able to get insurance if they did not drug test.
In Vegas drug tests are very common. I think most casinos drug test. I had a drug test recently and the only awkward part was when the girl handed me a bag and said "I'm sure you know the drill" before walking away. Um, I'm not sure what you mean by that but this is my first drug test so I actually don't know the drill, thank you very much!