AIBU to think I need to report this? Or that I might lose job?

[PrincessCarrieFisher]

I've found out recently that a few people in my company do drugs.

Not at work, obviously, but they do it regularly outside of work. If they have done it outside of work, then I wouldn't know about it.

One of these people is a very very close friend, and it's no secret that we are good friends

Do I need to report? Drugs are strictly forbidden in our employee contracts. If it came to be known that I knew, and didn't say anything, I might get into trouble...

Part of me thinks that it's off work premises so it's none of my business

Ignore, it's got nothing to do with you, you've got no control how others live their life, and you work cannot force you to grass on anyone, it's irrelevant that you know.

I wouldn't unless you had another pjob lined up.

I once reported, this was in a hospital and the drugs were being traded in a patient area - to me it was a no brainer, not to the people who were caught.

I eventually left, but not after people stopped talking to me, the entire departments, except me were invited to a wedding etc etc.

There seems, on this forum, far less tolerance of someone perhaps making money illegally than endangering a company through working wasted

But there's no hint that they're coming into work wasted. I don't think anyone would have an issue with the op speaking to her employers if that were the case.

I don't think you sound sanctimonious OP, I think you sound genuinely conflicted about the right thing to to.
My tuppence worth is that I'd leave it alone, if it's outside work and isn't affecting their work it's not your problem. If it is affecting their work, it's up to your boss/bosses to work out why. I don't know what a personal trading account is but I'd stay out of that too, to make your own life easier more than anything.

OP. You seem a little excited at the prospect of reporting.

There is zero hint here people are doing it at work or coming in still under the influence.

Drugs are NOT my thing. I have a heart issue ... but as long as no one is slipping coke in my decaff and I'm not picking up the slack if they're off off I say it's none of my business and It's none of YOURS. So perhaps stop spending your time trawling through the employee handbook (and stop quoting it like it's the gospel!) looking for ways to create drama and just get on with enjoying your job.

In my company I would have to report it. It's a safety critical environment and me not reporting it could cost someone their life.

In your situation I would probably not interfere unless you have good reasons to think it's affecting their judgement at work. And even then, I would be very careful. I might say to HR "X seems not themselves at the moment" rather than "X is on drugs"

I would be very careful.

Especially as she hasn't witnessed it or even what drugs (if any) her colleagues are supposedly taking. If she went to HR she'd look like she was spreading malicious gossip.

she hasn't witnessed it

??? FGS. So dashing off to HR clutching pearls with an 'idea' that all her colleagues might do coke on a weekend.

Quite a few have said leave it and you've argued it and quoted previous posts, quoted your handbook, raised if and buts ...

Yep OP you really seem super excited for a bit of drama and for someone to give you a cookie and tell you you're a clever little girl for telling tales.

You really need to focus on something other than what your 'very good friends' are up to, and what you can grass them up for.

^ this.

You seem to thrive off and encourage drama!

Whether the company cares depends on their stated policy - it's not for people on mumsnet to define for them.
Whether the OP has to report depends on company policies, Inc code of ethics, and possibly her contract of employment, not the views of people on mumsnet.
She doesn't need to provide evidence, she could make a general report that she had reason to strongly believe drug taking was common among staff. The company could then investigate if they wished, or set up plans to get the practice to stop (reminders to all staff of policy, future checks, etc).
The OP could report anonymously so that people did not resent it, there are whistle blower schemes specifically for this reason.
If taking drugs didn't do any harm to people's performance I) they wouldn't be illegal, 2) People on here wouldn't be listing jobs where it shouldn't be allowed.
It's true no one can make her tell the company, but they can fire her, if her contract says she must report suspicions of illegal activity.

Whistle blowing never ends well for the reporter

So your close work friend is taking some drug (you don't know what exactly) on weekdays and is telling you she feels disorientated during the day.

Conveniently straight after you didn't like the answer to another thread where someone else at your job was probably trying to illegally profit with a banned personal trading account.

What a funny life you lead OP.

Gill- I think I've made it amply clear that this person is coming to work under the influence of drugs and making huge payments on behalf of the company. Potentially risky and can affect the business. I don't care what they do at home but coming to work inebriated isn't particularly ethical.

Neither is a personal trading account that hasn't been declared but apparently according to mumsnet logic EVERY financial offence is clearly insider trading and it's OK to get a close friend in trouble for their non delectation but not for drugs.

Cool

Gill- I think I've made it amply clear that this person is coming to work under the influence of drugs and making huge payments on behalf of the company. Potentially risky and can affect the business. I don't care what they do at home but coming to work inebriated isn't particularly ethical.

If the person's drug intake is negatively impacting the business (or potentially could so), then that would be grounds for reporting them. It's not your responsibility to police your colleagues' behaviour outside of work; but if they are coming in to work under the influence of drugs then that's totally different. For one thing, anything that impacts on the business could impact on you.

I've been in a similar situation when working in my education. I knew a colleague of mine was a recreational drug user in her private life. That in itself was none of my concern and entirely her lookout. However, I became aware she was taking drugs with a student - a student whose care she was entrusted with. Then I had to report her.

I completely disagree with Magic. Who said that loads of the previous posters were easy going about this because either they or their partners were regular drug takers themselves!! that's an assumption and a half.

Yes, I smoked a couple of spliffs at uni..... but.....

I'm still fascinated by the question that I previously asked OP, but that she hadn't answered. Or can anyone answer?

Colleague is 'disorientated'? Why? Why would you be disorientated at work? Got flu? A more serious medical condition? Or as a manger what would you do? I'd suggest someone got themselves straight to the GP.

But that disorientation is from cocaine, the night before? No. How many hours do you think the affects of cocaine last for? Taken at 10pm. Person sleeps, gets up, showers, goes to work, and has the affects, i.e. Disorientated, 12 hours later, at 10am.

No. I suggest not. I don't think it the affects last that long.

But op is clearly over invested in all of this. Maybe she needs to stop thinking about others / colleagues and examine her own personality and her own life, to concentrate on what is clearly missing.

Does it seem to impact their work?

In this case either report or talk to this person. If they are a really good friend that would be the best, no?

Outside of work? Not your business.

I know a few genuInely brilliant people that go to work high. Still not sure how that works but they seem to come up with innovative things. So yeah...

So you've gone from saying 'you wouldn't know' they're doing drugs to they are coming in 'inebriated'. Make up your mind up, OP.

Sometimes I wonder why I post because people jump to so many assumptions

So don't post. You've provided very little information, forcing people to make assumptions. Link the other thread so people can see what was said.

You only brought up the personal trading account because people were telling you YABU.

OP: AIBU?
MN: Yes
OP: No, I'm not, so there

Gill- I think I've made it amply clear that this person is coming to work under the influence of drugs and making huge payments on behalf of the company.

Really? Is that an assumption. Or do you have ANY proof WHATSOEVER, that they are under the influence?

Agree with oblomov.

How do you know this exactly? Do you actually know they were doing this?

I've been disoriented at work, but not because of drugs but because DD hadn't wanted to go to sleep. At all.

What else... if they do drugs on the weekend or the evening... isn't that similar to drinking on the weekend? Idk.

What, people in the City/financial trading taking cocaine? Whatever next!

This would only be of interest if you were their manager and had proof it was affecting their work.

At a general level, risk-taking and ignoring of warnings, poor judgement in financial trading may be related to risk taking/drug use. Using all kinds of drugs is quite common in this environment.

But you won't enhance your own position reporting.

So to summarise

1. You don't know what they're taking but think it's coke
2. Therefore you haven't actually witnessed it
3. You have no direct evidence of their being intoxicated which has damaged the company
4. You don't seem to understand the difference between an offence of dishonesty/ conflict of interest and the suspicion of doing illegal acts outside the office in personal time
5. Your HR person is more likely to put a note on your file than theirs. Reporting an unsubstantiated suspicion says more about you and your place in the team (your boss quite probably does coke at the weekend too. I remember being shocked at seeing my boss do coke at a company party but since it was out of office hours the only issue was how much of a twat he looked to junior staff)

Gill- I think I've made it amply clear that this person is coming to work under the influence of drugs and making huge payments on behalf of the company. Potentially risky and can affect the business. I don't care what they do at home but coming to work inebriated isn't particularly ethical.

So, you don't know what drugs she's taking, but after failing to get the response you wanted from your initial post, in which you admitted you had no idea what substance you friend may have been taking, she was very freely disclosed when she took it and the alleged side effects (which appear to be remarkably long lasting) and she's a danger to the stability of the company?

Did the conversion go like this: ' Good morning op , I took a massive quantity of a non specific drug last and the side effects are leaving me terrifically disoriented some 9 hours later.'

Pull the other one op it has got bells on it.

I rarely make payments of £150,000. But if anyone is concerned, they could have a word with my manager. Re that hash cake a took at a party. Mind you, I am an old codger and that was pre the Berlin Wall coming down. But if you are still concerned, re the affects it could still be having, and my authorisation level, for paying the more regulars: Kevin from purchasing, his £8.90 travel expenses, then do raise it as a concern.

Is there any chance that your friend might drag you into this if she does get find out? eg, 'Oh I thought everyone at work was ok with my drug usage, I mean PrincessCarrie knew all about it and did not say anything'

Only you know your friend and if that is something likely to happen. I would be careful that you don't get dragged into it by association.

OP are you the person with a private trading account? Was your other thread a reverse? I can't work out why you seem determined to "prove" having a private account is justified and not that bad.

I also think it's weird younstarted off saying the other trading thread was written by someone else but then later on you mention it was your thread. Why weren't you honest?