Drug testers at work and job losses

Falcman0o7 · 08-12-2015, 08:55 PM

Hi guys, Out of interest, Has anyone lost their job at you're work place because they tested positive to illegal drugs? we have lost 4 to METH over the last 12 months! And 2 of them you would never have have believed it.
I work with around 70 blokes, Obviously i won't say where but it's a high risk job. Why they do it baffles me, Ice is bad bad news let alone Jobs are not easy to come by especially here in tas.

MDS69 · 08-12-2015, 09:17 PM

With the company I work for there is scope for drug and alcohol testing. According to the EBA if an employee tests positive to an illict substance then the company must assist with rehab and counselling. Obviously the employee must be a willing participant in this process. If the employee won't cooperate well then I guess there is scope to terminate employment but this can't happen up front.

Falcman0o7 · 08-12-2015, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MDS69

With the company I work for there is scope for drug and alcohol testing. According to the EBA if an employee tests positive to an illict substance then the company must assist with rehab and counselling. Obviously the employee must be a willing participant in this process. If the employee won't cooperate well then I guess there is scope to terminate employment but this can't happen up front.

Wow, It's 0.0000000 % Or you're out.

pottery beige · 08-12-2015, 09:23 PM

charred stumpy lips for productivity win

Phildo · 08-12-2015, 09:52 PM

Here in WA, three cops got busted in random drug tests last week. They'll be fired.

The mining boom here is over. Lots of people, but no jobs. I spoke with someone recently who runs a company of 800 people, and he's still firing 1 or 2 each week for failing drug tests.

When there was a massive demand for staff a few years ago you could get away with a warning. Fail a test now and you're on the next plane home. Good.

LyleXR8 · 08-12-2015, 09:53 PM

Ours are all random, 1 first and final warning then out the gate,

**buggerlugs** · 09-12-2015, 08:49 AM

I was told Ice is the drug of choice for the miners as it is out of the system in 6 hours. I have no idea if that is true thou.............

msman · 09-12-2015, 02:07 PM

at my old place we had a bloke test positive to marijuana in his yearly medical.
we gave him the option to go himself or be shown the door, only thing he ended up getting for his 10yrs of service. good worker, great tradesman but wtf mate its not rocket science you know when your getting checked.

annoyingly even though eba says we could do random testing union wouldn't allow it.
this was on a large site working at height on equipment used in dangerous environment.

every site should be mandatory random testing, with door shown for failed test no bull**** second chances.

Falcman0o7 · 09-12-2015, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buggerlugs

I was told Ice is the drug of choice for the miners as it is out of the system in 6 hours. I have no idea if that is true thou.............

Hell no

**thefargo** · 09-12-2015, 08:14 PM

I have a government job. Just looking around at my co-workers I can tell there is NO chance of performance enhancing drugs being used.

Big_Daz · 09-12-2015, 11:33 PM

In my old job we had random tests, if initial test (done in the van on site) came positive you where immediately put on paid leave until lab results confirmed. After that you where on unpaid leave and the company tried to help get you clean at which time you could come back to work after a clean test...

Where I work now, which is a rather large express freight company, there is zero tolerance to it and if you are positive its see you later alligator...

**ebxr8240** · 10-12-2015, 03:23 AM

I always came up positive with Tramadol..

The Yeti · 10-12-2015, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebxr8240

I always came up positive with Tramadol..

Is that because you need it or is something odd happening

Tramadol is pretty intense stuff

**MercurySilver** · 10-12-2015, 11:24 AM

We have testing only if **** happens.
Hit something or drop something and u get tested.
If youve had a clean record, no written warnings for anything at all and test positive you go straight to third and final warning.
If youve had a warning prev for anything yours out the door.

Stupid
Should be random imo

XBROO · 10-12-2015, 11:32 AM

We have random swab and breath test, by work and the police. And yes you're gone either way.

**PHATAL** · 10-12-2015, 11:36 AM

Random drug and alcohol tests here. Also for cause testing if there is an incident. Instant dismissal for any positive result. If you cant provide a sample within two hours it is a positive result. If you dont turn up for the test within half an hour of your card being blocked it is a positive result. Instant dismissal is the way to go I think. Drugs and machinery or high risk work dont mix.

damo76 · 10-12-2015, 11:41 AM

I had to do a D&A for a casual job last week. Turns out I tested positive to opiates, I didn't declare the medications I am on for Hypertension ect so the terster phoned the potential employer and asked do they want to send it to the lab for further analasys.
Anyway sitting in the waiting room, I heard the reception staff talking between themselves how I had failed the urine test for opiates.
So much for patient comfidentiality.
Turns out the opiates were from pain killers.
The potential employer hasn't gotten back to me and is trying to brush me off, because now they now I have couple health issues aswell which is under control.
Sooo annoyed with this crap, just give me a job and i'll do it.

STEALTHY · 10-12-2015, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by damo76

I had to do a D&A for a casual job last week. Turns out I tested positive to opiates, I didn't declare the medications I am on for Hypertension ect so the terster phoned the potential employer and asked do they want to send it to the lab for further analasys.
Anyway sitting in the waiting room, I heard the reception staff talking between themselves how I had failed the urine test for opiates.
So much for patient comfidentiality.
Turns out the opiates were from pain killers.
The potential employer hasn't gotten back to me and is trying to brush me off, because now they now I have couple health issues aswell which is under control.
Sooo annoyed with this crap, just give me a job and i'll do it.

Just so you have another perspective on your situation, in the employers eyes, you cant be trusted to give honest info. If you're lying right out of the gate at the drug test, then chances are you wont be a trustworthy employee.

Declare everything, most employers just want a trustworthy employee, minor injuries wont bother them (if your back is snapped in half it might be a different story, but minor **** they'll overlook)

I'm thinking you did yourself out of a job by trying to hide it!

**PHATAL** · 10-12-2015, 11:50 AM

Allways take any prescription meds with you to the tests and make sure they have your name on the packet.

damo76 · 10-12-2015, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by STEALTHY

Just so you have another perspective on your situation, in the employers eyes, you cant be trusted to give honest info. If you're lying right out of the gate at the drug test, then chances are you wont be a trustworthy employee.

Declare everything, most employers just want a trustworthy employee, minor injuries wont bother them (if your back is snapped in half it might be a different story, but minor **** they'll overlook)

I'm thinking you did yourself out of a job by trying to hide it!

Yes I guess you are right, reason I was dishonest about it was I was declined a job 5 years ago due to a minor problem, they said I was a liability.
I didn't want that to happen again as I really needed this job.

**ebxr8240** · 11-12-2015, 12:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Yeti

Is that because you need it or is something odd happening

Tramadol is pretty intense stuff

Yes rotator cuff and neck issues..
They know about it.. Its just some use these prescriptions
to cover up other drug use..
The few days off till proper test was fine..
After second test they didn't bother testing again..

STEALTHY · 11-12-2015, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by damo76

Yes I guess you are right, reason I was dishonest about it was I was declined a job 5 years ago due to a minor problem, they said I was a liability.
I didn't want that to happen again as I really needed this job.

By trying to mislead the 10% of employers who see you as a liability, you've blatantly lied to the 90% that would overlook that but want honesty. Its basically you either had 0% chance of the job, or 90% chnace...personally i'd go with the 90% ;)

I've always declared everything, if i was ever unsuccessful for a job, then so be it, if an employer is picky on such things, they're not someone i'd want to work for anyway!

msman · 11-12-2015, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by damo76

So much for patient comfidentiality.

thats the only thing i hated about the yearly medical, everything you said to the tester/dr/nurse or the questionnaire was then forwarded to employer.
admin chick went thru it because she had nothing better to do, just file it you idiot you shouldn't be reading every single ******* word.
you sat down with your department leader and went thru it with them, what ever the result. waste of 30mins if everything was ok.

and when we went to mine spec ,somewhat, drug tests it was interesting to say the least.
hot nurse standing behind me with a mirror in front and i have to pull the johnson out, yeah little bit of stage fright set in and needed a few glasses of water and second go at it.

CoupeKing · 11-12-2015, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by damo76

Yes I guess you are right, reason I was dishonest about it was I was declined a job 5 years ago due to a minor problem, they said I was a liability.
I didn't want that to happen again as I really needed this job.

Why not lie...everyone else does on their resume.

They can afford to be picky when 300 people (80 of them with a non-related Degree) apply for the position.

mik · 11-12-2015, 02:26 PM

drug testing ......should be more of it, we do not see enough of it out on the road either .

**GasoLane** · 11-12-2015, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mik

drug testing ......should be more of it, we do not see enough of it out on the road either .

You will in NSW now. Quite a bit going on around here and the Gov has been running TV commercials for RDT (Random Drug Testing)

It's got a lot young people worried around here

mik · 11-12-2015, 04:23 PM

Locally we have the RBT set up probably half a dozen times a year, I've been driving for 38 years, I might have been drug tested once or twice that I can recall in all that time,
and from that the only conclusion I can come to is they are not really serious about wanting to find offenders.
If nsw is going to crack down good on nsw I say.

MITCHAY · 11-12-2015, 04:51 PM

I can never understand why anyone would risk their job at best, the lives of themselves and others at worst.

Same as those that are quite happy to head down to the pub after knock off for a few and drive home knowing they depend on having a license to do their job. Some really dumb people.

xisled · 11-12-2015, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GasOLane

You will in NSW now. Quite a bit going on around here and the Gov has been running TV commercials for RDT (Random Drug Testing)

It's got a lot young people worried around here

They may be spending dollars on adverts but its all smoke and mirrors.

The one and only time I have been drug tested was a couple years back.

It took around 20 or so minutes from time I was stopped to time I drove off. They had 4 officers all doing the tests. Basically all 4 officers were sitting there waiting for 4 tests. All came back negative and we all drove off at the same time.

So looking at the time frame of each test. That is only 3 or so people being tested an hour times by each officer, there is 4 officers who will be there around 5 hours.3 X 4 = 12. 12 x 5 = 60. That basically only testing 60 drivers in 5 hours with 4 officers working the tests.While 1000 cars drive by.

I think for the time the test takes unless they do a major blitz on a busy road and with a lot of officers and stopping a large amount of cars, the return they get is not worth it for the time it takes.

My own opinion there should be more testing and the sooner we get drink and drug drivers off the road, off heavy machinery the better.

Drink driving on the other hand, will bring in the fines test a large amount of drivers in a short amount of time.

Franco Cozzo · 11-12-2015, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by STEALTHY

I've always declared everything, if i was ever unsuccessful for a job, then so be it, if an employer is picky on such things, they're not someone i'd want to work for anyway!

6 years ago when I was fresh out of school I got an interview with the VACC for an apprenticeship, and the guy interviewing me had previously treated me like crap leading up to the interview.

The first thing they ask me in the interview is:

What do you know about our organisation, the VACC?

Right off the bat I snap and return:

I KNOW YOUR WEBSITE DOESNT WORK PROPERLY!

He lost his ****, no apprenticeship for me

Anyways 6 years later they come to my workshop and come begging for $600/year to sign my business to the VACC, so I can get access to information they provide.

News flash bro Google is free, I've sent the rep out twice now with his tail between his legs