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Original poster

DH nearly lost his job because of one night of fun! A lesson...

38 replies

sunandmoon · 12/11/2008 09:52

He went out on a saturday night with his old group of friends. They all had few drinks and shared 2 joints. DH used to smoke regularly before DD was born 3 yrs ago but then since having her, he "became" grown up and stopped buying any weed. He only have the odd joint if any of his friends have one which really happen once every few weeks! Well on the monday after his night out, he went to work and they were doing drug tests.. DH panicked because he didn't know anything about it. His job includes moving from site to site (10 years working for the same company) and he only arrived at that job the week before. The test was done randomly and he was one of them on that monday! Bad Luck really.. He then heard that few weeks ago 2 guys were fired because of a positive drug test. So DH instead of doing the test (which he knew was going to be positif) ran away and came back home extremely upset! He is a really hard worker and do many extra hours etc and his company look very well after him and trained him to be successful at what he does. So he managed to speak to his superiors and he was so ashamed of everything! They were upset that he didn't do the test but gave him an other chance at work. He is back at work this week with low paid! But better than be sacked I guess... And in a month time, we have to pay for him to be drug tested once a month for 6 months so he can start getting paid again the same rate if he proves negative... It has been a very stressful lesson for DH. We are both in our late thirties, he is the bread winner of the family, we have got a mortage and because of a joint, we could have been in a dreadful position! I needed to share our experience to encourage weed smokers to be extremely aware of what can happen because of the drug test at work!!! And remember that one joint with cannabis can stay in your body for up to 5 weeks...

OP posts:
nailpolish · 12/11/2008 09:55

what line of work is he in? i didnt know you could be forced to have a drugs test by your employers...

Original poster
sunandmoon · 12/11/2008 09:57

Construction.
We didn't know ever! Apparently it is written on your contract that they could do drug test. DH contract is 10 years old so nothing is mentioned on it... but still the contractors using his company decided to do it.

OP posts:
oatcake · 12/11/2008 10:02

OMG! Does his contract say that any positive findings will automatically result in reduced pay?

oatcake · 12/11/2008 10:03

... or the new contract...

if they haven't renewed his contract then surely he's working to the old one?

you / he need some advice. I know flowerbeanbag works in HR but not sure which area...

IAteMakkaPakka · 12/11/2008 10:08

I think it's not the time to be complaining that the contract's out of date

In a job like construction surely it's common sense to ensure employees are not under the influence of illegal drugs? It's a safety issue.

Original poster
sunandmoon · 12/11/2008 10:09

Thank you oatcake. I know it has been quite disturbing since really DH hasn't done anything wrong but just shared a joint with his friends for an evening...
His contrat is so old that there is no mention of his latest pay.
His superiors have told him that they would prefer to give him a reduced pay than a leaving package!!!
Construction work is so low at the moment that DH opted for the reduced pay..
I found it very unfair because they will use him to do the same work... but I guess they have to "punish" him in one way so the other workers don't think that he got it that easy!

OP posts:
thisisyesterday · 12/11/2008 10:10

I agree with IAteMakkaPakka.

you want to do illegal drugs, then you have to deal with the consequences.
he's very lucky he didn't lose his job completely.

IAteMakkaPakka · 12/11/2008 10:11

"DH hasn't done anything wrong but just shared a joint with his friends"

... which is illegal, and in his line of work particularly drug use could be dangerous for himself and others around him

nailpolish · 12/11/2008 10:11

makkapakka

thats fair enough, but there are countless jobs where being under the influence would be dangerous, this is the first ive heard of random tests being forced upon

sunandmoon - i think he has to face the consequences if he has broken his contract. if it says something like "postive drug tests shall result in dismissal" or whatever then he is lucky

Original poster
sunandmoon · 12/11/2008 10:13

I agree IAteMakkaPakka. This is why I wrote what happened to DH. DH would not go to work stoned or in any other drugs.. I am sharing his experience so everybody knows what can happen if smoking once in a while...

OP posts:
Original poster
sunandmoon · 12/11/2008 10:19

Well thisisyesterday and IAteMakkaPakka, DH is lucky to not have lost his job and he has learnt his lesson and definitely won't touch illegal drugs ever again...
It is barred from anybody approaching us because something we also learnt is that cannabis can stay in your hair if someone smoke it around you!!!

OP posts:
oatcake · 12/11/2008 10:22

thanks for sharing the experience - out of interest, I will ask DH if he knows about any clause in his contact relating to drugs.

and I can totally see both sides of the story. but in your dh's defense, how many people go out and get totally slaughted on a weekend to return to work monday, still a bit worse for wear?

Original poster
sunandmoon · 12/11/2008 10:29

I know oatcake, it happens regularly that at DH work, some workers have the worst hangovers but hey, they haven't started doing alcohol tests yet but maybe it will come soon too!

OP posts:
ilove · 12/11/2008 10:32

My husbands employer regularly do alcohol/drug/medicals

He works in a big chemical plant

QuintessentialShadow · 12/11/2008 10:33

It is good. Good that people get a fright like this. Smoking weed IS illegal.

People do all sorts of things for "recreational purposes". Some of it has serious consequences, to others as well as yourself.

I hope the builder who forgot to put sewage for my bathroom, before they concreted over the floor, wasnt stoned. Now I have an upstairs loo with no sewage, and it is not possible to break up my concrete floor as it has underfloor heating.

But you know, it is not your dhs house, it is not the builders problem, he just come in screw up a job and go on his merry way, with or without a joint hanging from his lips.

flowerybeanbag · 12/11/2008 10:36

It isn't uncommon to have random drugs/alcohol testing, particularly in safety-critical industries or jobs. But an employee should be fully aware that there is a policy of random testing, and of what the consequences might be of a positive test.

It doesn't have to be in your contract, particularly if it's an old contract, but there should have been some consultation and communication of this new policy (as there should be of any terms and conditions), it should be in a staff handbook or something similar.

So if he was genuinely unaware that there was a policy, he could if he wanted challenge the outcome. Having said that, you said he knew that people were dismissed a couple of weeks ago due to a positive test, so regardless of whether there is a policy, it sounds as though he was aware that he might be tested.

He could consider challenging it, but may decide it's better to keep his head down and behave himself.

oatcake · 12/11/2008 10:54

flowerybeanbag rocks!

flowerybeanbag · 12/11/2008 10:58
Original poster
sunandmoon · 12/11/2008 11:00

Thanks flowerybeanbag.
DH only heard about the 2 dismissed guys that monday morning and only moved to that site a week before. He didn't know about the drug test if not if wouldn't have the smoke over the week end.
He wont challenge the outcome... and has totally gave up the idea of the fun joint once in a while... he isn't ever a cigarette smoker!!!
I guess is contract should be renewed since the job he is doing now is totally different from what he use to do may years ago...

Sorry QuintessentialShadow to hear your story. But my DH doesn't do bathrooms!!! My thread is a lesson for workers who have a joint once in a while, not for people to critizice builders... DH is a hard worker and a wonderful father and husband. He has learnt a lesson and won't do it again. And make sure next time to find a reputable builder...

OP posts:
QuintessentialShadow · 12/11/2008 13:25

They are reputable builders. Or, I thought they were. Longstanding firm.

But you have to please bear with me this morning. My new home is screwed, or at least all the concrete on my ground floor is screwed. The delay is going to be WEEKS, as they have to hack up 86m2 of concrete, do the sewage pipe, relay underfloor heating and concrete. I am just very very upset today. I so hoped we could move in for Christmas and be out of my parents hair.

OrmIrian · 12/11/2008 13:32

Sorry QS What a pita!
What I don't understand is how anyone's safety could be compromised by him smoking a dooby on Saturday night? Or have I misread it. What about having a skinful on Saturday, or a swift pint or 3 on Sunday evening. Much more likely to have an impact than dope 36 hrs before

And as for illegality, yes of course it is, but there are many many things that are illegal - do they 'test' to ensure he never breaks the speed limit, or drives whilst using a mobile phone? Much more inconvenient and dangerous to other.

WowOoo · 12/11/2008 13:32

Hmmm.

Think people who would actually listen/read your warning are either working really really hard or sitting in front of TV like dead cabbages trying to relax.

Lucky he got away with it sunandmoon x

OrmIrian · 12/11/2008 13:33

Sounds like a perfect excuse to pay him less during a difficult time.

WowOoo · 12/11/2008 13:34

Orm you are soo right.
Alcohol testing would be a far far better idea.

onepieceoflollipop · 12/11/2008 13:38

I can see this both sides. Technically the op's dh could go on holiday for 4 weeks, smoke one joint at the start of his holiday and if he is tested a week after his return to work he could still test positive.

Yes, cannabis is illegal, but it is the one substance that will still show up on a urine test up to 6 weeks after it has been smoked. One could end up in the situation where colleagues have used far "stronger" drugs, say 48 hours before, and test completely negative.