Thread: As more Americans fail drug tests, employers turn to refugees

You shouldn't have been subjected to it. Just because you were, doesn't mean it's right for other people. If there is no sign of impairment and no example of poor performance, there is no justifiable cause for drug testing on the job. They have tried for over 30 years to prove that the cost of drug testing is warranted either through reduced accidents or lower productivity and despite study after study after study, trying to prove that to justify the expense, so far there is absolutely no correlation between accidents, lower productivity and drug testing. Companies that don't do drug testing have the same safety rates and same productivity as those who do drug testing.

It's a total pious-framed scam against both the workers and the employers paying for the testing. When you try to prove your notion is right and the studies prove you wrong every single time, then it's time to wake up and stop a stupid and very very harmful practice of laying off workers for no valid reason.

Our country is in a mess. Unemployment, poverty, immigration, trade, income tax, war on drugs, and stupidity at all levels are distorting our beautiful country to the point of destroying it. It's time to stop the stupid and punishing our own people for no reason other than because you can. It's all got to stop. All this crazy nonsense must end. It's time to get smart and put the Americans back to work.

Mandatory drug testing might be a good thing. Well, it COULD be a good thing if used properly. That's the rub. These days things are seldom done as they should be. Yes, it does allow for discrimination or abuse by the employer. Some jobs present such a potential for danger to others - not sure you can wait until they are visibly impaired.

I just skimmed the article, but will prescription drugs be one of those that will work against an employee.

Yes, this article does seem like a 'we need all these people, because Americans are just lazy, drug heads, etc.'

These refugees cannot live on $8 an hour - but then the government will step in and help them.

People who work hard like to relax afterwards, some like to have a few cold beers, some like to smoke a joint, some like to eat, some like to go out and party, some like to have a high ball or martini, these are the happiness rewards of hard work. We're guaranteed that in our declaration of independence, our pursuit of happiness.

I truly don't see any real progress from the War on Drugs to our well-being as a people. For employers to exploit drug testing to fire American Workers and replace them with refugees and other immigrants and brag about it in the news, is truly the epitome of the insanity that has overtaken our country.

Excerpt:

How Illicit Substance Use Affects Workplace Performance

Not only does illicit substance use endanger workers, it is costly to employers because of lost productivity and reduced efficiency. NCADD reports that the use of illicit substances in the workplace affects performance of workers in the following ways:

• Tardiness
• Sleeping on the job
• Theft
• Poor decision making
• Loss of efficiency
• Lower morale of co-workers
• Increased likelihood of having trouble with co-workers/supervisors or tasks
• Higher turnover
• Costs of training of new employees
• Disciplinary procedures

http://www.recovery.org/pro/articles/buzzed-at-work-the-effects-of-alcohol-and-drug-use-on-workplace-performance/

Excerpt:

Drug Testing and Educational Programs

While large businesses typically have assessment or drug testing programs in action, many smaller businesses cannot afford to do so. This is a critical error, as drug users will generally apply only at places that do not have mandated drug testing. Drug testing and educational programs have been proven to provide benefits such as:

• Increased morale.
• Decreased workplace accidents.
• Reduced employee theft.
• Increased productivity.
• Reduced employee turnover.
• Decreased cost of insurance, such as workers' compensation.

http://drugabuse.com/library/workplace-drug-abuse/

If someone is tardy, whether they smoke pot or not, they need reprimands and warnings, and if they don't shape up, you can fire them. But someone who smokes pot who isn't tardy, doesn't steal, is not drowsy, doesn't turnover, doesn't cause accidents, and is a good performer should not be fired. Just as someone who doesn't smoke pot but is tardy, steals, is drowsy, causes accidents, and is not a good performer probably should be.

The point is using drug testing to fire good workers and replace them with immigrants and refugees is wrong. I feel really sorry for you that you can't see that.

Workers should be evaluated on their performance on the job, and if they're a good worker, they shouldn't be fired because they failed a drug test.

$8 an hour - (till they are here for a while, then they will want $15 minimum wage). Claiming legal/illegals do not work for less is not true - it is the reason they are here while our youth wastes away.

Not all but you really have to have a good family support system, helping with higher education - even that group has been damaged by imported IT workers and the push for non Americans in managerial, higher up jobs - and that has been pushed. Wiki leaks divulged emails sent by the big banks pushing foreigners for positions with a lot of control. obama's list had their race if non-white checked and if they were muslim, hispanic names were obvious.

Many of these jobs are high risk too for a lower wage that an American would want (your kids are taken care of by Americans, it seems the father is never brought into the social services give away), - e.g., high building window washing, animal/food production and then you have construction and they definitely take less $$ and half the crew are paid under the table. Money, money - sell Americans out starting with the gov't/congress & thru to the chamber of commerce, big corporations and stock holders.

It seems the drug testing methods need some updating. You can use an opiate pill, heroin, cocaine, crack, meth and it will not show after 3days absence. If you take a valium for muscle relaxation or tension, it will stay in your system for 4-6 days. If you smoke marijuana at a party, a month later you will test positive. Obviously, the harder, more dangerous drugs need a higher threshold of detection and the minor ones or light use of them need less detection. Alcohol is basically if you have in your system. Not all failings are at the job application stage but the random on the job testings.

Just to remind some who don't know, our borders have been open for much longer than 16 years.

They have been open since before Pres. Reagan gave the 'amnesty', in 1986. The 'amnesty' that just kept on giving.
The borders had been open for at least 10 or more years before that. If that hadn't been true, there would have been no one to receive the 'amnesty;

Our 'factual' news media, along with our politicians, pretended it didn't exist - so it must not have existed.

To fill a country with drugs in order to keep the people in control, so to speak, is not a new concept. I think that is what is happening now. Again I believe the drug profits go all the way up the food chain to the board rooms of this country.

Then we have the increased prescribing of strong pain killers. I'm sorry, I just don't believe their were that many people in chronic, horrific, pain before Oxycontin came on the scene. This country is evidently awash in that particular medication.

Does anyone think that just happen without design?

Again, I see the dangers of drug taking and don't have a problem with testing, if not abused.

The problems of employment associated with drug taking listed below--
=========================================

• Tardiness
• Sleeping on the job
• Theft
• Poor decision making
• Loss of efficiency
• Lower morale of co-workers
• Increased likelihood of having trouble with co-workers/supervisors or tasks
• Higher turnover
• Costs of training of new employees
• Disciplinary procedures

===========================

certainly could be attributed to taking drugs.

Many of these, however, are present with a lot of people today. Possibly, there are many reasons for it, but one is simply many people have not been taught morals and ethics. They have been taught they can be lax in their school work, their ethics, their work.

There are young people today still living at home playing video games into their early 20's.

There are grown, able bodied, men whose job is getting paid by the government to 'take care of my Mother'.

There are grown people who are professional students and are doing nothing more in life than going to college on one grant, scholarship, etc, or another.

There are people who think it is OK to sit and play games (or watch porn) on the employers computers, text or talk on the phone incessantly when at work.

There are those who think it is fine to take office supplies home - after all everyone does it and 'they had more than they needed' - or merchandise, even.

All of those things could also be attributed to the fact that our schools, and sadly some parents have not taught their children the basic work ethics, and our society certainly has not.

Yes, the illegals are getting a free pass on taxes, rules, etc., and they are getting freebies. The fact is, though, many, many of them are working 2 and three jobs - even the young people. As one told me, 'it's what we do' A lot of our young people think they should run around the country screaming how 'unfair' the world is.

Yes, all that could be because of drugs, but it also could simply be the lack or ethics, honor and responsibility.

But I do believe this article is propaganda. It ranks right up there with the 70's mantra "Americans need to quit having children, our country can't support any more", or "Peak Oil", or 'Eggs are bad", "Saccharin bad - Aspartame good", OR "Let's pass this amnesty - and THEN we will enforce border laws".

Actually, look back, the list of 'truth's' or 'pronouncements',aimed at brainwashing, is endless.

Exactly, nntrixie!!

We really must stop the Mexicans from saturating our country with their drugs that destroy our young people's futures. 100% of the brown heroin comes from Mexico and most of the meth and marijuana. IMO

Originally Posted by Judy

If someone is tardy, whether they smoke pot or not, they need reprimands and warnings, and if they don't shape up, you can fire them. But someone who smokes pot who isn't tardy, doesn't steal, is not drowsy, doesn't turnover, doesn't cause accidents, and is a good performer should not be fired. Just as someone who doesn't smoke pot but is tardy, steals, is drowsy, causes accidents, and is not a good performer probably should be.

The point is using drug testing to fire good workers and replace them with immigrants and refugees is wrong. I feel really sorry for you that you can't see that.

Workers should be evaluated on their performance on the job, and if they're a good worker, they shouldn't be fired because they failed a drug test.

You're completely overlooking the preventative side of this issue.

You need to quite misreading or misinterpreting the meaning of my post. I never said it was okay to use drug testing as a means to fire American and hire refugees. I resent the fact that you are attempting to label me with that.

What I'm saying is every company has the right, no, the responsibility to keep their workplace safe, productive, and efficient. If it takes drug testing to do it, than so be it. You might feel differently about it if you were running a large company. I also feel employees should be helped when possible with the voluntary signing up to a rehab program as a condition of continued employment after their first positive drug test ....... second positive pop and you're out!