Advice on co-worker taking drugs at work

[NVP]

And to all the weed drug test experts in here, I passed mine FYI <12h.

TFW reading your result

You a user?

But if he is doing weed

 

[Colonel_Klinck]

Crash statistics say otherwise.

Yeah but this person wasn't driving.

It stays in your system for days. Therefore anyone smoking it in your opinion should all then have their driving licenses taken away as they will all be driving with it in their system.

How long does it take for the effects to wear off?
Weed's short-term effects start to taper off after one to three hours. Some effects, like memory problems or trouble sleeping, can last a few days.

Researchers don’t know how long the effects of chronic use last. Long-term effects can last days, weeks, or months after weed use has ended. Some effects may be permanent.


How can anyone possibly want people stoner driving high all the time, etc.

I used to smoke a lot in my 20s and early 30s. I could get really stoned at night and on the morning I would be fine. Unlike drinking where if I had a skinful the last thing I'd feel like doing in the morning was driving.

Also some of those side effects seem odd. I get the memory issues but trouble sleeping? Never suffered that unless I was really high in which case I wouldn't want to be going to bed anyway. Just having a normal smoke actually aided sleep imo.

I will say that smoking while being in any caring position probably isn't the best idea ever. Though there are as many levels of being stoned as there are drunk. Would you consider 1 glass of wine to put the average person in a position of not being fit to care for someone? I know teachers who go for a drink at lunchtime where they'll have a couple of glasses of wine. Does that mean they should be sacked?

 

[Haggisman]

I know teachers who go for a drink at lunchtime where they'll have a couple of glasses of wine. Does that mean they should be sacked?

Of course not. They should be reminded that they have a duty of care towards the children they are supposedly looking after, and that if anything happened to one of the kids which could be attributed/contributed to being under the influence then they may also find themselves facing criminal negligence charges.

If it happens again then of course they should be sacked.

A "couple of glasses of wine" will put you over the drink drive limit, certainly not a fit state to be looking after a group of other people's children

 

[Haze]

It stays in your system for days. Therefore anyone smoking it in your opinion should all then have their driving licenses taken away as they will all be driving with it in their system.

How long does it take for the effects to wear off?
Weed's short-term effects start to taper off after one to three hours. Some effects, like memory problems or trouble sleeping, can last a few days.

Researchers don’t know how long the effects of chronic use last. Long-term effects can last days, weeks, or months after weed use has ended. Some effects may be permanent.


How can anyone possibly want people stoner driving high all the time, etc.

Quoting the daily mail as usual, or speaking from 1st hand experience of smoking it? Did you even read my reply? I said I don't condone smoking at work....

 

[McBain]

Outrageous response from management, my first feeling is they must be a tin pot company.

 

[Diddums]

I do love me a good weed thread in GD. You can spot the non-smokers a mile away, regurgitating the usual "weed is bad mkay" press rubbish. Everyone tars this whole weed smoking thing with a very wide brush, ignoring the many, many variables that can and will affect how weed works.

I'll break it down a bit here with a bit of an explanation:

• How old are you?
• How healthy are you?
• How often do you smoke?
• How long have you been smoking?
• How strong do you roll your spliffs?
• What else is in your weed? Is it cut with anything which will screw you up?
• What weed / hasj do you smoke?

Honestly the ignorance displayed by the usual suspects in this thread says enough about them to land them on the "I haven't got a clue what I'm talking about so just ignore me" bench for the rest of eternity (which for some is hardly a surprise).

The attitude shown by some is akin to me calling someone an alcoholic regardless of whether they have a sherry after dinner on their anniversary, or 8 cans of Stella every night.

I smoked weed every single day for 7 years solid. Every single day without fail unless I was in a foreign country (I was living in Holland at the time). I would often have a spliff whilst driving too. If anything it made me more cautious and relaxed rather than always in a hurry and getting impatient with other road users. It calmed me down a lot and those of you who know me will know I can be ever so slightly agitated by slow people. Never, ever been in a collision. Not once, in 17 years if driving. The thing is because I smoked it every day I was resistant to it, I knew exactly how much to put in a spliff, I knew exactly what I was smoking, I was young and healthy. The only place which was a nono was work. I smoked at work once and was useless for the rest of the day so never did it again. This is all my personal experience. Someone's experience smoking a spliff once every 6 months will be vastly different.

But hey you smoked weed once so you're a pothead amirite? Cmon, grow up

 

[Drumroll]

Report. Enough of people simply trying to accept the unacceptable.

 

[Eurofighter]

Don't care.

 

[Haze]

Crash statistics say otherwise.

LOL really..... Cannabis stays in your system for weeks, just because the blood test comes back with cannabis in their system, it does not mean they were driving high

 

[Junglist]

Someone's experience smoking a spliff once every 6 months will be vastly different.

I think a lot of people who have only seen people acting high on TV or have tried it once in their life struggle to understand that. If you have any form of tolerance towards it, the effects it has on you dealing with day to day life is minor... bar short term memory. My short term memory is awful sometimes, often forget what I am watching once the adverts hit.

Hell, I failed my first driving test and the night before I decided not to smoke. The time I smoked the night before my test I passed with 1 minor.

 

[ttaskmaster]

Lol, it's weed . You don't wind up hurting or killing people because you've just smoked a spliff.

I never said you do.
However, if it impairs you in any way it is then a factor in your negligence, which can result in you killing someone.
I don't know what the OP's duties are, but if you gave a child the wrong dose of medication or forgot to lock the kitchen knife drawer (or any number of other things, even seemingly minor ones) because you were stoned, then that is negligence. If it results in harm or death, it is your fault and you are ******.

What if he uses it for Anxiety and it helped him cope and be a part of society by working?

Same for any other medication that might impair your abilities. You know, the ones that say things like 'don't operate heavy machinery'?
If you cannot carry out your duties as a result, your employer (who you dutifully informed regarding the nature of your condition and the medicinal side effects, of course...?) will have to find you a role you can do, or discuss other options.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

I think a lot of people who have only seen people acting high on TV or have tried it once in their life struggle to understand that. If you have any form of tolerance towards it, the effects it has on you dealing with day to day life is minor... bar short term memory. My short term memory is awful sometimes, often forget what I am watching once the adverts hit.

Hell, I failed my first driving test and the night before I decided not to smoke. The time I smoked the night before my test I passed with 1 minor.

I know someone who has drunk driven for 15+ years. he's only had 3 accidents. so out of the 1000+ times he has driven drunk he has been fine for the majority of them.

just because you passed a test after smoking a spliff the night before doesn't mean it was okay to do so.

 

[Trusty]

If he's going out during lunchtime to have a spliff, it sounds like he's addicted. I'm not making excuses for his behaviour, he shouldn't be doing it at work, but perhaps looking at it from a health perspective rather than demonising him might lead to better results. If we replace spliff with vodka, someone going out during the day to down some vodka, we'd be trying to get help for the person.

Just my 2 cents

 

[A2Z]

While I completely agree he shouldn't be smoking it at work, it's only weed jeez. Have a quiet word with him telling him people can smell it, and ask can he not smoke at work/bring it to work should suffice. Running straight to a manager and wanting him to get dismissed? Way over the top. And FWIW no I do not smoke.

 

[Orionaut]

Crash statistics say otherwise.

I know someone who has drunk driven for 15+ years. he's only had 3 accidents. so out of the 1000+ times he has driven drunk he has been fine for the majority of them.

The proportion of legally drunk drivers who actually have serious accidents is tiny.

Saying that somebody is ten times more likely to have an accident while drunk sounds terrible, but 10 times <A very small number> is still <A very small number>

Statistically, the average drunk driver could drive home drunk every night since the birth of Christ to the current day and still not be involved in a fatal accident.

(Cue the howls of righteous outrage )

 

[ttaskmaster]

While I completely agree he shouldn't be smoking it at work, it's only weed jeez.

Just to recap:
'weird behaviour, work really sloppy, disappearing off at will, constantly going for smoke breaks, eyes all bloodshot, reeking of weed, avoiding conversation'
I don't care if it is "only weed", that sort of behaviour is unacceptable from any employee, let alone one who is supposed to be looking after children. Any of my reports that behaved like that, especially when they're still new, would not be round very long!

 

[builder22]

another 'nothing against weed' post, but....to think that someone who smokes weed at work (and also at home....nobody only smokes it at work) won't be impaied in any way is just mental

if that were the case there'd be no point in smoking it

 

[Junglist]

I agree with most of what you say but having bloodshot eyes and avoiding conversation are hardly that bad. I like to be left alone on my lunch breaks

 

[ttaskmaster]

I agree with most of what you say but having bloodshot eyes and avoiding conversation are hardly that bad. I like to be left alone on my lunch breaks

That's not something you get to decide though, especially together with all the other things mentioned. You're being paid to meet someone else's standards and to take responsibility for someone else's life.
This guy is well below standards - The reason is not important, at this point. He has failed himself and others, and should be removed from that role.

 

[Junglist]

That's not something you get to decide though, especially together with all the other things mentioned. You're being paid to meet someone else's standards and to take responsibility for someone else's life.
This guy is well below standards - The reason is not important, at this point. He has failed himself and others, and should be removed from that role.

As I said, I agree with you on all the other counts apart from having red eyes and avoiding conversation. Those bits don't stop you from being able to do a job correctly. Since just before Christmas I've been trying to cut down my smoking and only smoke on weekends and despite that, my eyes still always look like I'm stoned. Would be pretty naff grounds to try and give me the sack because I 'look' like being something when i am not. Same as avoiding conversation with colleagues, if that's what he meant.

All the other bits I agree with you on. It's just not professional at all.

 

[wnb]

My other half works as a live-in careworker looking after children. It's a small company, heirarchy is
Owner>area manager>house managers.
In the particular house she works in the children are a little older and mature (15 and 16 iirc) but there should always be 2 members of staff on site with 2 children.


A fairly new member of staff has had some weird behaviour, work really sloppy, disappearing off at will to go and get himself a takeaway etc.
Constantly going for smoke breaks, eats a couple of mouthfuls of food at meal time then bins the rest. quite a few other bits as well but nothing significant.

Last night, my partner said she could smell weed on him, and he went out to his car for a smoke and when he came back in the smell was even stronger, his eyes were all bloodshot and he avoided conversation with her, he made his excuses, grabbed a drink and some snacks and went to bed for the night, but the smell was so strong that it remained in the kitchen for a while after he left.

She immediately contacted her manager (who was at home at the time), who in turn has contacted the area manager.
They have pretty much said that they aren't going to act on it because
- it will be her word against his
- a drug test wouldn't prove he was doing it on shift (WTF), he could have done it in his own time, he might have done it in his own time and the smell was in his car then when he sat in it on his break it then transferred to his clothes without him actually smoking it.
- he might turn it around as her being racist (again WTF)

I am now self employed but at my last place of work, they did random drugs tests, and regardless of when they were taken if you had drugs in your system it would be instant dismissal.
Further by their logic, he could have walked to work smoking a joint (or drinking etc) and stubbed it out before starting shift and that would be ok ??

I am shocked to see that company that is supposed to be caring for children doesn't take something like this extremely seriously.

She doesn't know what to do as it seems they are brushing this under the carpet now.

fwiw she gets on with her manager, their is no bad blood between them.

Make a safe guarding referal to social services, I'm shocked the managers have not done this already.