Drug Testing in the Workplace

[edgien]

Ponder this true story......Citizen Joehad worked for hislocal factoryfor almost 25 years, he was ahard worker as well as an extremely good worker with a clean workrecordand had one ofthe best attendance records of the entire plant of over800 employees, missing only two (sick)daysof work in almost25 years. Citizen Joe was very well liked throughout the plant as well as beingvery well respected by all and had almost became an icon ofsorts. Hehad helped the company to achievegreat success over the yearsthrough many ofhis own ideas and even built a "handling machine"of his own design thatafter someslight modification wasincorporatedthroughout the entirecorporation that ismade up of over 40 U.S. plantsthus throughthe processhelping a smallfabricating companywho hadobtained the patent and produced the machines for the entire corporationto grow to bea very successfuL companyin its own right. ......now Citizen Joehad quit buying andusing weedforover 20years but on occasionwould share a joint (or two or three..)with friendsduring a weekend canoe trip or other outdooractivity. After one such weekend outingand upon returning to work the following Monday, Citizen Joe was helping a fellow employee unload a large electric panelfrom offa truck, as the otheremployee was operating the fork lift, Citizen Joe was only trying tohelp balance the panel on the truck ,the forklift operator failed to get a good grab on the panel thus causingthe panelto falloff the truck causing much damage and almost hitting Joe in the process.Since the panel sustainedmajor damage (over 2500.00) by falling off the truckandwith the incident being considered an unsafe act where injurycould have occuredand the fact that Citizen Joe was justhelpingthe lift operator when the act occuredboth were called to submit to a drug test per company policy.On Friday of the same weekjust after lunchCitizen Joe was called to HR where hewas informed his test had came back positive showing marijuana present. Citizen Joeadmited he was not a regular user but had smoked some marijuana the previous weekend with a friendwithout really thinking and said he would agree to submit to regulardrug tests atany later date or datesto show his willingness to assure his employerit would not happen again.The reponsefrom HR was .."sorry Joe but wehave a zero~tolerance policy" and that he was terminated as of that day. Citizen Joe then saidthat although he was not a regular user he wouldagree toadmit himself to a treatment centerand even pay allthe costs associated,if only they wouldallow himto keep his job..the response from HR..."sorry Joe butif you would have come to us beforethis incident thenyou would have keptyour job and thatwe would have paid for the treatment but since this isafter the fact they had no other option"...he was terminated and escorted out of the door with a "were sorry" and a handshake...Citizen Joe was 49 years old at the timewith a familywithone daughter in college and a 16 year~old daughter (honor student)still at home....the lift operator who had actually caused the accident passed his test and still works for the company to this day..out of kindness the company would end up paying Citizen Joe hisfour weeks of vacation payand did not protest paying him unemployment benifits. After suffering severalweeks ofdepression and griefof losing his job, Citizen Joe finally was able to secure employment elsewhereand after several months of adjustment (different shift and lesser pay~lesser benifits) Citizen Joe finally was able toput it behind him and moved on with his life.......this isa common story shared bymany "casual users" who have sufferedthe pain and agonyof an unjust and unfair policy of drug testing in the workplace which has been forced onto privite buisness by the Government of the UnitedStates.

[Alfa]

Citizen Joe should realise that it is their loss and not a small one. Good people are hard to come by. Citizen Joe should also consider claiming intelectual property as far as the invention of the machine is concerned.