To think my work can’t be the only one like this?

[WoodysRoundup]

I work in a customer facing role, long long hours, little sleep between them. Short breaks and people often don’t eat for 24 hours due to getting home and going straight to sleep.
There is a culture of taking drugs beteeen my collegues but a few days ago I was stressed and broke down for a minute in the back room. After being given a hug and pulling myself together I was offered some cocaine

I’ve heard of Chefs who work 80 hour weeks taking cocaine to get through but this was the first time I was offered on shift. (I have done it occasionally outside of work I won’t lie. But I’ve stopped now )

Anyone else had experience of this?

I know of people who've been dismissed from their work for gross miscounted and who have been struck off their professional registers for being in possession of drugs at work.

misconduct obviously.

I was told by a uni lecturer that the firm he worked in (solicitors, London) that a notice was handed round asking them to please clean up their coke lines afterwards as the cleaning staff had complained.

Years ago, in a very busy (fairly posh) restaurant I worked in, most of the chefs were on coke to keep going as they'd be working 14-16 hour shifts. I've also heared of it being rife in high stress sales environments.

So it's not unheard of by any means.

You would have to be more specific about the role before I could say if I was surprised...

If I broke down at work my manager might do a number of things: speak to me to try and understand what the problems were and how she might resolve them; Encourage me to speak to our workplace health services and/or HR as appropriate; Make sure I knew how to access the independent support services my employer pays for which offers everything from legal/employment advice to counselling. One thing neither she nor anyone else I know would ever do is offer me class A drugs.

For goodness sake, find a new job before this one destroys you.

Yes. I saw it all the time when working in Hospitality.

I have seen a brigade of chefs racking up lines on the pass before service.

Unfortunately, until people are prepared to pay 75% more to dine out (I costed this once to see what we would need to do get salaried staff within 40hrs a week) then it will continue as people work their staff to exhaustion.

All the people I know of were in the medical profession.

This sounds normal for bar work.

I agree management are definitely aware.

I must add though, I don’t take part in these activities and although very very tired some days, I can manage my job without the use of drugs.

horse racing is full of drugs... youd find it hard to find some one that diesnt do drugs.

Not in my line of work.id get struck off

Common in a lot of hotel work.

Not common in my workplace.

I used to work in the media in London. I started getting panic attacks and went to see the work counsellor.

First thing he asked me was "do you take cocaine?" I was and said "no, do lots of people here?" He told me loads did!

I'm a lawyer and it's certainly not unheard of, especially in London (I've heard - not in London myself). You hear lots of tales of young lawyers working three days straight without leaving the office and surviving on cocaine and adrenaline, basically.

Christ this is totally news to me, I would not be subjecting myself to this sort of abuse, if your crying at work, because of work, you work in the wrong place (unless your an actor and that's your job)

Jeez that explains some chefs I've worked with!

AFAIK nobody in my line of work does coke + either at work or recreationally

My husband is a chef. He has never come across it at work, so it's not all kitchen staff.

It sounds like you're in the wrong job. I would prefer to be unemployed rather than needing drugs to keep working there. Can you look for something else?

Strongly agree with Bluesmarties.

Not in my line of work (Thank god, as I work in schools) but ex dp worked in finance and cociane was absolutley rampant, but that industry is obviously well known for it.

No, not aware of anyone who takes illegal drugs in my workplace and can almost guarantee if someone offered cocaine in the loos at work they would be escorted out of the office on gross misconduct grounds almost immediately.