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I've never had to take a drug test for a position but I would have absolutely no problem with taking one because I don't do drugs, I have nothing to hide.
Life isn't fair today, it wasn't yesterday, and it won't be tomorrow. If you want the money, you follow the rules. I guess it all depends on how badly you need the money.
I took a pre-employment drug test 20 years ago. I am also subject to Federally mandated drug and alcohol tests. If I test positive for drugs, or .02 for alcohol, I lose my job, license, and the ability to ever work on another airplane. My career would be over. I wouldn't even be allowed to work for another company.
Most companies will tell you that the hardest part about hiring people, is finding someone that can pass the drug test. That's a sad statement on the part of our nation.
SRF, this sounds pretty familiar to me, too! I have never used drugs, nor will I ever. I'm not real thrilled with the idea of drug testing but I like the idea that the guy piloting the 80,000 # rig in the next lane is very likely to be drug free... (I also like the air- and ground crews on my airline to be well paid, but I think that's another thread!)
True story: Have NEVER used drugs. Have prostate problems. Two Christmases ago, I got popped for a random urinalysis. Our contracted Medical Review Officer was on vacation. I sat at home for almost 2 weeks w/o pay until he returned and decided that I wasn't hiding anything.
In our company, albeit small, we are required to take a drug test from the CEO (me) on down - failure to do this would cause us to forfeit some of our largest contracts.
I do not understand why there is such a big deal in taking a drug test unless you are trying to hide something.
Recently, when trying to add to our graphics and devloper team, nine of the 15 candidates failed a drug test. Some of the comments were "oh, I thought I was okay since I hadn't taken anything in the last 24 hours" or "well my friend told me about this "cocktail" that I could take to mask that I had taken anything."
fragglewaggle - please excuse me for saying this - but for goodness sake grow up. This is the real world and a lot of it may not make a lot of sense. You might be in a different position than management and therefore the risks may differ because of it. What you also may not be aware of are the insurance requirements of which there are many.
Until you understand the real inner workings of corporations, insurance requirements, requirements by corporate clients - then I would reserve comment and just comply with their requirements. Or look for a job with zero potential and no requirements made of you.
Employers, including me, are more and more required to jump thru hoops just to be able to afford insurance that covers our business, let alone the cost to provide a comprehensive MM and Health Insurance plan for our employees.
Did you consider that many of the companies you will apply to in the future are facing these same issues and are being required to pay these additional expenses, testing, etc. just to qualify for the insurance plans available to them?
You may want to rethink your attitude in this regard. It's just business. You may not like it or you may, like you indicate, take offense at the idea because it makes you less in your own eyes but please do consider why a potential employee may need to prove to a prospective employer that they are truly drug free.
As an employer you DO hold the key to stop this insanity. REFUSE to do business with health insurance providers that require you to presume guilt in potential employees
Many years ago i FAILED a drug test to be a clerk in an office - why - because I had back surgery and was on prescription medicine that made me test positive for HEROIN! - Luckily when they told me about the result I was able to show them my prescription bottle to prove I had a legitimate reason for taking the pain medicine.
I got the job - but what if they would have simply turned me down because of the stupid test without asking for an explanation.
Unless someone is operating machines or other safety hazard type positions - drug tests are a SEVERE invasion of privacy.
A clear police record - job references - and a good resume should be enough for a jewelry store clerk.
I have had to take a drug test for probably most of the jobs I've had. I'm a receptionist so what am I going to do-ring a call to the wrong number?? But that's the way it is. I have never used drugs but sometimes I have been concerned that they could pick something up erroneously. But it has never happened. The last job I had we had ongoing random drug testing. So the 50 year old receptionist (me!) at least twice had to for a drug test! But that's life. I have nothing to hide and it doesn't violate my moral principles. So...why not go with the flow? Yes, my previous company sometimes did have trouble finding receptionists (among the younger ones primarily who could pass the drug test and criminal background check.) That's surprising I know. It can work to your favor, though, if you are drug-free.
I *personally* feel that being asked to produce bodily fluids on demand is an invasion of *my* privacy. Is that a good enough answer?
Not really.
Taking an accepted legal phrase like "invasion of privacy" and completely altering it's definition and then defending it as "your truth" (visions of Colbert here but at least he's joking when he does it)....is *odd*.
By that logic, I could call drug testing a "genocide" or "assault and battery" maybe "arson" or even "vehicular homicide" as long as we can just re-define things.
As an employer you DO hold the key to stop this insanity. REFUSE to do business with health insurance providers that require you to presume guilt in potential employees
Many years ago i FAILED a drug test to be a clerk in an office - why - because I had back surgery and was on prescription medicine that made me test positive for HEROIN! - Luckily when they told me about the result I was able to show them my prescription bottle to prove I had a legitimate reason for taking the pain medicine.
I got the job - but what if they would have simply turned me down because of the stupid test without asking for an explanation.
Unless someone is operating machines or other safety hazard type positions - drug tests are a SEVERE invasion of privacy.
A clear police record - job references - and a good resume should be enough for a jewelry store clerk.
1) They didn't shoot you down for the job. In almost all cases they would ask for an explanation or even re-tests.
2) It's not an invasion of privacy. You might not like it, you might find it rude or offensive and I wouldn't disagree on those points....but public <> private.
Unless someone is operating machines or other safety hazard type positions - drug tests are a SEVERE invasion of privacy.
A clear police record - job references - and a good resume should be enough for a jewelry store clerk.
Agreed. I have no problem with drug tests for people who hold positions where they could put others in harms way, i.e., bus drivers, pilots, nurses, etc. But for an hourly jewelry clerk? It's excessive.
At the competing jewelry store at which I worked previously, a manager and associate were fired for theft. Were they on drugs? No, they were just thieves. No drug test in the world would have stopped this theft.
Further, as someone who works a full-time professional job and works retail only during the holiday season, I can attest to working with white-collar, professional-level people who snort, smoke and inject more illegal narcotics than I care to know about. And none of these higher-ups get tested...or fired.
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I have never used drugs, nor will I ever. I'm not real thrilled with the idea of drug testing but I like the idea that the guy piloting the 80,000 # rig in the next lane is very likely to be drug free... (I also like the air- and ground crews on my airline to be well paid, but I think that's another thread!
