primitives discuss alcohol screening on the job

[franksolich]

http://sync.democraticunderground.com/10025491129

Oh my.

xmas74 (25,385 posts)    Thu Sep 4, 2014, 11:50 PM

Should employers be allowed to screen for alcohol in random testing?

In the past my employer only ran drug screenings if there was an injury on the job. Recently it was announced that there would be random screenings at any time and for any reason. (Random is the key here.) We were also informed that alcohol would be part of the screening and that, for example, if we had been up drinking the night before it could show up. (Management actually made a joke about running some random screenings the day after the Super Bowl or if the Royals actually pull this streak off and last into October, as examples.)
 
Me? I'm not a heavy drinker. I like a glass of wine, sometimes two on occasion. In the summer heat I like an icy cold beer or a summer shandy or even a hard lemonade/country cooler. In the winter I sometimes enjoy my coffee or hot cocoa spiked. And sometimes I just want a nice weekend brunch with a Bloody Mary or a screwdriver or I want to go out for a margarita with my friends. I enjoy it but it's always in moderation and it's not a regular occurrence. I've never gone to work with alcohol on my breath, I've never been hung over at work and I've never had a drink during a long lunch.
 
Am I the only one who thinks that this is unfair? I've never felt that drug screens were fair in the first place but this, imo, is too far. I don't understand why my employer thinks it's ok to know if I've had a drink on my own time. Of course, they could be full of crap about the screenings and just trying to put a scare in us but I wouldn't put it past them to try something like this.

NYC_SKP (60,823 posts)    Thu Sep 4, 2014, 11:57 PM

1. Off the top of my head, I'd say it depends on the job.

Heavy equipment jobs, jobs that involve driving or require safe behaviors, definitely.
 
For certain other jobs, possibly not.

Minimum wage farm labor, for example, or part time waitstaff, I'm not so sure.

^^^Skippy.

xmas74 (25,385 posts)    Fri Sep 5, 2014, 12:00 AM

2. No heavy equipment or driving.

Honestly, I think it's a way to intimidate, since they've made jokes about random testing during times that people would more likely be drinking at home.

NYC_SKP (60,823 posts)    Fri Sep 5, 2014, 12:04 AM

3. I'd like for there to be a general protection against that sort of search w/o probably cause.

But if they are private employers with at-will employees, I'm afraid they aren't prohibited from initiating such a policy.
 
This is the kind of thing unions help to prevent.

xmas74 (25,385 posts)    Fri Sep 5, 2014, 12:06 AM

4. My coworkers are far too scared to speak out

and they have their own issues with unions that I've yet to understand. Few know anything about unions but are very vocal in their displeasure.
 
If we had unionized we wouldn't be worrying about this crap now.

dogman (4,509 posts)    Fri Sep 5, 2014, 12:25 AM

11. I beg to differ.

Many Unions initiate testing to prove they provide a superior workforce. My Union did and advertised the fact that they did. Union leadership is often very conservative about social issues. For instance our self insured health coverage prohibits paying for abortion except for rape, in which case a police report is required. Unions are good for money and benefits primarily, sometimes they will even settle a grievance.

Hoyt (17,011 posts)    Fri Sep 5, 2014, 01:37 AM

13. If one is into gunz, they should not be drinking or even taking prescription/OTC drugs that

alter judgement.

Certain jobs would fall in that category.

NYC_SKP (60,823 posts)    Fri Sep 5, 2014, 09:13 AM

14. Yes, this certainly fits with the heavy equipment and driving types of jobs.

Surgeons, too, shouldn't drink.

Art_from_Ark (20,342 posts)    Fri Sep 5, 2014, 12:07 AM

5. I've always heard that it takes one hour for the body to process

one 5-ounce glass of wine, one shot glass of whiskey, or one 12-ounce can of 5% beer (although there are apparently differences between the processing capabilities of men and women). At any rate, unless you were drinking, say, 11 beers at 10 p.m., it seems like all of that alcohol should be out of your system by the time 9am rolls around.

xmas74 (25,385 posts)    Fri Sep 5, 2014, 12:09 AM

7. True

but they also said they could call us in on our own time, have us clock in and then drop a drug test.

Art_from_Ark (20,342 posts)    Fri Sep 5, 2014, 12:13 AM

9. That's getting ridiculous

Absolutely ridiculous. You are not their property. You shouldn't have to report to the company during your off time and there's no emergency situation.
 
And the fatcats who are behind that testing crap can guzzle away at any time without suffering any consequences.

Revanchist (654 posts)    Fri Sep 5, 2014, 12:33 AM

12. What line of work are you in where they can make demands like that?

Not asking for a specific company name, just curious who would make such outrageous demands such as that.

xmas74 (25,385 posts)    Fri Sep 5, 2014, 07:54 PM

16. I'm a cook.

I used to be in a different position with the company but in the past year they've made a number of demotions and are hiring others for much cheaper wages.

dogman (4,509 posts)    Fri Sep 5, 2014, 12:09 AM

6. Why not, alcohol is usually more of a problem.

It is legal in more places and more readily available. Personally their are better ways to test capacity to do a job safely. Another facet is the policies to deal with positive tests and whether they are carried out equally and fairly.

xmas74 (25,385 posts)    Fri Sep 5, 2014, 12:10 AM

8. We were told if we have a positive we would be terminated.

It just seems too invasive.

dogman (4,509 posts)    Fri Sep 5, 2014, 12:17 AM

10. Too often that is not the case.

Some get fired and some don't. It is often at the discretion of a company official. Any test without cause is to invasive. When I worked on call I did not partake but when it was not assigned call, for which I was paid bonus, I did not take all calls. I also did not say why I didn't take them. You have to make sure it is worth surrendering your privacy to work some jobs.

etherealtruth (11,686 posts)    Fri Sep 5, 2014, 09:24 AM

15. I don't like random drug screening ... but

alcohol will clear from your system fairly quickly ... if you drank 'last night' ... it would likely not be detectable the next morning. obviously if you drank very heavily until four AM and were randomly tested at eight AM .... you would be positive.
 
http://www2.potsdam.edu/alcohol/DrivingIssues/1127227453.html#.VAsL-KOwWYw

greendog (2,800 posts)    Fri Sep 5, 2014, 08:15 PM

17. The department of transportation's rule for truck drivers...

...is that you can't drink within 4 hours of going on duty. I've worked for large carriers that told us DOT says 4 hours, we say 8 hours. With most carriers, if you have ANY alcohol in your system in a random test you will lose your job. I've been tested 8 hours after drinking a few beers and was was fine.

xmas74 (25,385 posts)    Fri Sep 5, 2014, 08:18 PM

18. My position doesn't deal with heavy equipment.

I truthfully think this is a way for them to scare us. They've made comments about how we can be called in on our day off and drug tested as long as we are "on the clock" during the test. In other words, they want to control us even on our days off.

greendog (2,800 posts)    Fri Sep 5, 2014, 08:25 PM

20. You're right, they're trying to mess with you.

If they fired you for having a legal substance in your system on your own time I think you'd have a pretty good law suit.

ade Grumpy (8,838 posts)    Fri Sep 5, 2014, 08:21 PM

19. Employers can test for whatever they want, unlike the government.

We have the Bill of Rights to protect us from government drug tests, specifically the Fourth Amendment. The federal courts consider a drug test a search under the Fourth Amendment, meaning the government has to have probable cause. There are only limited exceptions--public safety, some law enforcement, school kids, for example. That's why state laws mandating drug testing of all welfare recipients, for example, get struck down as unconstitutional.
 
We have no such protections against our employers. It's you against the boss, and we know who wins.
 
Unless you have a union and are able to negotiate the issue to protect workers' dignity and privacy rights. (And even too many unions haven't been very good on this.)

[USA4ME]

Testing at work to see if you're drinking on the job? Sure.

Being able to call you in at any time to test and see if you've been drinking?

Bouncy.

Either the primitive is lying, or they weren't paying attention to what was actually said, or they had selective hearing and interpretation to what they did hear, or some combination of that.

.

[BlueStateSaint]

Testing at work to see if you're drinking on the job? Sure.

Being able to call you in at any time to test and see if you've been drinking?

Bouncy.

Either the primitive is lying, or they weren't paying attention to what was actually said, or they had selective hearing and interpretation to what they did hear, or some combination of that.

.

I'd take the first option.

[Texacon]

 

I don't drink but ...

Me? I'm not a heavy drinker. I like a glass of wine, sometimes two on occasion. In the summer heat I like an icy cold beer or a summer shandy or even a hard lemonade/country cooler. In the winter I sometimes enjoy my coffee or hot cocoa spiked. And sometimes I just want a nice weekend brunch with a Bloody Mary or a screwdriver or I want to go out for a margarita with my friends. I enjoy it but it's always in moderation and it's not a regular occurrence. I've never gone to work with alcohol on my breath, I've never been hung over at work and I've never had a drink during a long lunch.

 

Sorry, that just hit my funny bone. 

KC

[USA4ME]

I don't drink but ...

 

Sorry, that just hit my funny bone. 

KC

A little drink here...... a little drink there....... nobody will know. (hic).



.

[BadCat]

A 'summer shandy'??

Chez gay.

[Carl]

The primitive is only telling .0000001 of the total story.

[Ralph Wiggum]

A 'summer shandy'??

Chez gay.

Leinenkugel's has a "summer shandy" that is quite tasty.  Not gay at all, IMHO.

[vesta111]

The primitive is only telling .0000001 of the total story.

Things have changed big time since the 1980's.   I tell you the  Temp Agency's do drug testing but unless they are off the charts will send out workers that score high on drugs as the Company's need the man power.

Spot checks are done when an accident occurs to the laborers.   However the supervisors, company  workers are never checked and  a Company Officer taking Coke will have no problem.-------

I remember when the first testing for pot came out in the military,   What a mess that was,  the tests were  in the beginning  very bad, destroyed the lives of thousands of men.    Bad tests sent hundreds of those that did not drink, smoke or do drugs home.     

[Texacon]

The primitive is only telling .0000001 of the total story.

I disagree.  I think the primitive is telling quite a bit more than ....  .08 of the story!

 

KC

[CollectivismMustDie]

I disagree.  I think the primitive is telling quite a bit more than ....  .08 of the story!

 

KC

Pitt could tell 3-4 times more of the story, than that.

 


CMD

[JohnnyReb]

DUmmies want jobs that allow them to drink, smoke pot and screw while on the job.....so, that leaves "sex worker" as their only option. Now that explains their concerns with getting it legalized.

[DLR Pyro]

Art_from_Ark (20,342 posts)    Fri Sep 5, 2014, 12:13 AM

9. That's getting ridiculous

Absolutely ridiculous. You are not their property. You shouldn't have to report to the company during your off time and there's no emergency situation.

and yet you DUmmies think your employer should pay you a minumum of $15.00 per hour just to show up and take care of all of your medical costs from free birth control to gender reassignment to medicinal marajuana...

[I_B_Perky]

xmas74 (25,385 posts)    Fri Sep 5, 2014, 07:54 PM

16. I'm a cook.

I used to be in a different position with the company but in the past year they've made a number of demotions and are hiring others for much cheaper wages.

So the dummie is a cook. Not a chef... a cook. So the company can call you in on your own time and test you? First off... easy way to stop that, dummie. Don't answer your damn phone.  Unless you are on call. I could see that possibly. Especially if they are paying you something for being on call.

And what was the different position, dummie? Sounds like you got demoted. From what? Waitress?

Sorry dummie...I ain't buying it. I just ain't buying it at all. You are either lying or not telling the whole story.

[Karin]

I'm not buying it either.  Complete bouncy, especially for "a cook."  He's just trying to cook an agenda, like unionization or the evilness of companies. 

[freedumb2003b]

greendog (2,800 posts)    Fri Sep 5, 2014, 08:25 PM

20. You're right, they're trying to mess with you.

If they fired you for having a legal substance in your system on your own time I think you'd have a pretty good law suit.

WRONG!!!  dumpmonkeys who have never had to actually have people report to them should not be allowed to post.

So long as the same rules apply to all employees equally and absent a collective bargaining agreement that specifically enjoins the employer, an employer can set up any rule it wants.  In fact almost all places today have an "alcohol/drug free" policy in place.  This would just be measuring to ensure its effectiveness.

Typical DUmbass -- "if I don't like a workplace rule I can sue."  Well, anyone can sue for anything but no lawyer would touch such an action.

[BlueStateSaint]

WRONG!!!  dumpmonkeys who have never had to actually have people report to them should not be allowed to post.

So long as the same rules apply to all employees equally and absent a collective bargaining agreement that specifically enjoins the employer, an employer can set up any rule it wants.  In fact almost all places today have an "alcohol/drug free" policy in place.  This would just be measuring to ensure its effectiveness.

Typical DUmbass -- "if I don't like a workplace rule I can sue."  Well, anyone can sue for anything but no lawyer would touch such an action.

You forgot someone.

Laserhaas, 'Private Attorney General.'

[freedumb2003b]

You forgot someone.

Laserhaas, 'Private Attorney General.' :stoner: :whistling:

Is that like:



Fred Garvin.  Male Prostitute.