I certainly wish I'd been a little more serious with my college choices accounting would of been a better long-range choice than recreation but I sure have had a lot of fun!
I certainly wish I'd been a little more serious with my college choices accounting would of been a better long-range choice than recreation but I sure have had a lot of fun!
Float On: My "Happy Place" is on my little kayak in the coves of Table Rock Lake.
Just curious.....this letter you had to provide your supervisor with? Did this apply to non-narcotic, non-controlled medications? Say Lisinopril for blood pressure, for example. I don't like an employer knowing I take ANY meds of any kind at all - I find this a real cause for concern TBH. Rob
"Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
www.silententry.wordpress.com
Yes. In general I think it's an absurd intrusion, unless there's some demonstrated functional reason for it. An affront to basic human dignity. So I'm very surprised you are in favor of such things, if indeed you are as concerned with such things as you claim.
In my current job, I am subjected to random drug tests, and mandatory tests if I am involved in any sort of accident. But there are sound reasons for this, in this occupation. I also must inform my department's medical authority of all medications I am taking, and of any changes. If I so much as adjust a dose, much less have a new medication prescribed for me, I have to get certified by our medical authority before I can go back on active duty - and there are very sound reasons for this. I even at least twice a year have to go through an entire day of stress-testing, performance testing, and medical examinations to maintain my active duty status.
In my previous job, which involved science and engineering, some of our customers, generally governmental, required in their contracts that we do random testing and the whole drug-free workplace thing. We refused those contracts - our very civil-liberty-minded, non-druggy workforce of highly-skilled people would have walked.
The only job where I had to disclose any medication was when I was a cave guide, alone underground with 60 people walking a mile of stairs a day, in and out of heat and cold, and operating a cable tram car for the exit. Very understandable that they'd want to know if anything had side-effects that would make a person dizzy or worse.
Float On: My "Happy Place" is on my little kayak in the coves of Table Rock Lake.
The difference between the two? I don't trust any US employer not to discriminate against me based on whatever legally prescribed medication(s) I am taking at a given time - that ship has long since sailed - I am completely incapable of trusting a US employer to this level. Not going to happen for me. OTOH, when we are talking of illegal drugs - especially the heavy duty ones - heroin, crystal meth, cocaine, etc - I don't have a problem with an employer random testing for these drugs as I have seen these drugs ruin lives before. Not only that, but the way America is set up these days, so many people have no hope, no meaning, no happiness, no joy - just endless meaningless stress - many people are on the precipice of snapping these days, or not far from the precipice. Heavy drugs can lead people to rash acts when they have nothing worth living for in their lives - I'm OK with employers random testing in the sense that here and there, such policies may prevent a sitch or two from leading the network news on a given night. Rob
You understand that your legal meds will show up in your samples too? So if this corporation you don't trust knowing about your legal meds wants to, they can just look?
Your justification for random drug testing of employees is contrary to the principles this nation was founded on. It's search without reasonable suspicion/cause. It's an invasion of privacy. It's being forced to testify against yourself.
Good gracious, Rob.
This isn't easy for me to post as I have read over your argument here, Bae, and I don't entirely disagree with your points. What makes me not change my mind? How scary American society has become today and truly how many people are perched on the precipice of rash behavior based on the fact that so many people have nothing in their lives worth living for. I especially agree with your last sentence about random drug testing "being forced to testify against yourself" - I just wonder as a society if we have gone so far down (and I believe that we have) that we can't afford the luxury of thinking the way you have posted above? And I don't disagree with you, all I'm saying is that given the realities of current day American society, I'm not sure we can afford the luxury of thinking your way any more.
And yes, I do understand the implications of what I have posted and I also understand that this line of thinking goes against the grain of most of my thinking. I just know America too well to feel comfortable in a workplace without random drug testing - even as a temp serving banquets at the Convention Center I am tested and I am OK with it. Rob
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