I assure this isn't my own personal experience, but if I was to be hired at a business, and the drug test came up negative...Then after a couple years of employment took the test again, but this time had been doing drugs would you be immediatey fired, or interviewed as to why it came up positive? Also if you refuse to take the test would you be fired immediatley, or interviwed as to why you didn't take it?
2007-09-04 22:33:48 · 6 answers · asked by Stephen J 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
i worked for a company where yes....immediate termination...
but you were offered information on drug treatment...we knew up front...signed...and it was enforced without mercy...
gotta' say...
i'm in healthcare...and agreed with the policy..i mean really...who wants someone drunk/high setting up your IV's? i sure as hell don't!
2007-09-04 23:01:55 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Every company's policy is different.
For many, if you use or refuse, it's termination.
However, many companies know that there can be false positives. There are some medications that can read as a positive drug test. Say you are taking pain medication for a back injury. Say that medication is an opiate based medication. What do you think will happen? The drug test will be positive for "opiates" which includes heroin, morphine and fentanyl.
If you take a drug test and test positive, you have the right for a retest. If that happens, MAKE SURE you list ALL medications that you are taking. Better yet, take the prescriptions with you...they MUST be labeled with ALL of the pertinent informaiton...doctor's name and phone number, medication and dose, frequency of dosing, pharmacy name and phone number, YOUR name and address and phone number. The employer must be able to verify the prescription.
That happened to me once many years ago. I tested positive for opiates for a prescribed painkiller. I retested and I was fine...although I had to retest every month for about 6 months. I have not taken narcotic painkillers in years. I also do not use illegal drugs, nor do I drink.
When it comes to illegal drugs or drugs that are not prescribed to you, you have a problem. Not all companies are cold hearted. Some will offer you a chance to straighten out. Others will not. Check your company policy.
EMT
As for what Mick said, I have a very hard time believing that. A company has every right to enforce a drug free work place. If you don't want to be submitted to drug screens, then don't work for a place that has a drug free policy.
2007-09-05 01:51:49 · answer #2 · answered by emt_me911 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the business' individual policy. In my 20+ years in health care I have worked at places where people would be repeatedly sent for counseling or rehab and places with zero tolerance-immediate termination.
In my current job I was called for a test and honestly told the staff nurse that I had recently gone to a Violent Femmes concert where a lot of marijuana was being smoked. She rescheduled me for 2 months in the future!
You have to check the policy when accepting employment.
2007-09-04 22:49:30 · answer #3 · answered by barbara 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on your employer and how oppressive they are. I use drugs and I've never submitted to this illegal search by an employer. I refused one employer's request for a urine sample citing my constitutional rights, and they threatened to fire me, but my supervisor put in a good word for me and showed them my stellar production numbers along with my perfect attendance records and the issue was conveniently forgotten. I later convinvced a number of workers and the heads of several departments that these tests were more immoral than drug use itself, and eventually the company dropped its policy. They cited economic reasons, but I like to think this was a small victory for freedom and it gave me hope that some Americans still respect the libertarian principles that our founders envisioned for our nation.
2007-09-04 23:07:11 · answer #4 · answered by mick t 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
every company has a diffirent policy
ours is
drug test positive - fired
refusal to take test - fired
all off this is in our terms and agreements which we signed when we started with the company
so its not a suprise as we know what the outcome of a positive test or a refusal to take test will be
so simple answer for us is " dont take drugs "
all the best
Ian
2007-09-04 22:43:47 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ian's correct... your company may be totally different from someone else's. Your HR should have a copy of company policies, if you are unable to locate yours.
Most are simply if you use or refure, you're gone...
2007-09-04 22:46:35 · answer #6 · answered by Dan B 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋