My employer’s started random testing without suspicion for the above. They’ve apparently done it for about a year or so if there’s been an accident but now we can be tested for no reason. Apart from the usual method you have to empty your pockets aswell (possession perhaps?)
Has anyone else encountered this type of thing before? We’ve not had to sign in agreement with it (ie in contracts, not sure about new employees) and can anyone refuse if the firm have no reason to test you?
I’ve nowt to hide although there are some drivers who need an overdose of happy pills 
You tease.
I read the title and thought you were looking for people to test various drink and drugs. 
Then I read the content. 
They can’t force you to take one unless they have good reason, at which point if you want to stay in their employment then you’d best do it or face the sack.
You can’t be made to take a drugs test, but if you refuse when your employer has good grounds for testing you under a proper occupational health and safety policy you may face disciplinary action, including being sacked.
Under their Duty of Care they are entitled to either a test with good reason, or if it is 100% entirely random.
As drivers I think there’s cases before, I won’t go searching for links but I’m sure there are some, where its been said that as we are out on the road in a heavy vehicle etc then if there is any suspicion we are unfit for the job then a test is appropriate.
Where as an office worker might be able to argue that a test isn’t required for H&S reasons, we don’t stand a chance.
There’s a bit more about it here: direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/ … G_10026594
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Muckaway:
My employer’s started random testing without suspicion for the above. They’ve apparently done it for about a year or so if there’s been an accident but now we can be tested for no reason. Apart from the usual method you have to empty your pockets aswell (possession perhaps?)
Has anyone else encountered this type of thing before? We’ve not had to sign in agreement with it (ie in contracts, not sure about new employees) and can anyone refuse if the firm have no reason to test you?
I’ve nowt to hide although there are some drivers who need an overdose of happy pills
why would they do it after accident,dont the coppers do that,when i got hit by spinning car on m62 even though i was stationary ,in wrong place at wrong time[coppers words] i was still breath tested,if coppers have done it why does your firm need to do it
I would view it as a lack of trust from the employer (unless he had good reason) and probably wouldn’t work for them much longer as I’ve got a bit funny about being treated like an adult since I turned 18
Convicts get random drug testing, but for drivers? Bang out of order.
don’t see a problem with random testing myself, a driver at a place i used to work at used to smoke the happy stuff all day while driveing which was bang out of order.
how he got away with it is anyones guess
When I started on the busses years ago, there was random testing policies at every firm I worked for.
Never had it on the trucks, but don’t see why not tbh.
Wouldn’t bother me in the slightest, if I’m in any doubt as to whether I’m over any limits, there’s usually a reason and the chances are that I’d be off work anyway.
My wife works for Ryder in the Admin office, All of the staff there are subject to random tests including the office staff.
Iv never been sure why they would include the office staff when they dont go near any of the vehicles, but thats there rules and all the staff just get on with it.
logic:
My wife works for Ryder in the Admin office, All of the staff there are subject to random tests including the office staff.Iv never been sure why they would include the office staff when they dont go near any of the vehicles, but thats there rules and all the staff just get on with it.
Presumably so they can’t be accused of discrimination and leave themselves open to legal proceedings.
It seems that a company can random test their employees. This is normally introduced after sending letters to the staff and then asking them to sign to the effect that they 1. have understood 2. they agree to to testing. We dont like it as i believe it is an infringement of my civil liberty, but the company will only have a reason to dismiss as a staff member is refusing to adhere to company policy.
I got breath and drug tested at sainsburys @ hams hall after knocking the barrier off, it was raised when i arrived, and after booking in they had lowered it, which i hadnt noticed, cos it was a very low barrier.
They refused to let me back into my vehicle until i complied with their request for testing, even though i held the keys. What got up my nose was the fact that they used the words DNA test, and i point blank refused, and told them only the police are allowed to do that. I was told to phone my company, who also told me, not to do it, even though they are a major customer of ours. After some wrangling, they agreed i could, but i still refused, even though they told me that it was costing them £500 to send a real doctor in to do the test. However it was clarified, that it was not a DNA test, but a breath test, and a drug test, to which i agreed to it, on condition they explain to their security staff, the difference between a DNA, and the other tests they were about to carry out. Every part of the test was carried out with expertise, and explained every step of the way, i believe that because of this, our company has agreed to introduce the same test, as 1. we have our own company nurse 2. we seem to follow the same set of rules as sainsburys do anyway, as if we are the same company.
As an added bonus, sainsburys have these tests in every depot, and they can and will test any driver who is involved in any incident whilst on their premises. If a driver refuses, he, and the company will be banned from all. sainsburys depots.
logic:
My wife works for Ryder in the Admin office, All of the staff there are subject to random tests including the office staff.Iv never been sure why they would include the office staff when they dont go near any of the vehicles, but thats there rules and all the staff just get on with it.
My daughter in law works for Veolia in the office and they too have the same policy.
i had to do one recently as part of the induction. it doesnt bother me as i rarely drink (1 bottle of behaven and 4 cans of stella this year) and i wont associate with anyone connected with illegal drugs.
as for office staff, would they be as efficient if they were doped up or drunk? anyone who turns up for work (no matter what they do) should be fit to work in my humble opinion
I’d like to see it introduced everywhere.
Our company brought up this subject one time thinking that it would be a threat to us, when i told the shop steward that i thought it was a good thing as i was tested a few times when with the forces he took me in to a meeting with the managment to discuss how the forces did it and said that this would roughly be the way that the union would want it done.
- the testers are entitled to show up at any depot, always unannounced
- everybody who is in the depot gets tested no exceptions
- you can only leave after giving a sample and anyone who shows up after the testing has started also has to give a sample.
- one sample for you and one for the company.
even if a rep or driver was tested one day at one depot and then at another depot the next or shortly after then he/she still had to take the test, and anybody who just happened to call in sick once it became common knowledge that the testers were on site had to go for a pre arranged test at a later date.
it seems that the idea was quietly dropped not long after.
grousebeater
Coffeeholic:
You tease.I read the title and thought you were looking for people to test various drink and drugs.
Then I read the content.
Heroin is too expensive and crack is too moorish IMHO.
I now only stick to having about 10 expressos with a splash of methodone a day , its cheap and easier
to obtain on the street.
Suffolk ReeferBoy:
Coffeeholic:
You tease.I read the title and thought you were looking for people to test various drink and drugs.
Then I read the content.
Heroin is too expensive and crack is too moorish IMHO.
I now only stick to having about 10 expressos with a splash of methodone a day , its cheap and easier
to obtain on the street.
As alluded to on another post I’m more of a ketamine man myself. Although falling into a K Hole when your driving can be a bit dangerous.
But I find MDMA very handy for those 40 hour shifts
I think its just a ploy to get free adblue
These days my only drug is life and football, all the others have pretty much fallen by the wayside, so they could test but they won’t find anything. I wouldn’t be too happy about it though and might consider a job change instead of agreeing.
Muckaway:
My employer’s started random testing without suspicion for the above. They’ve apparently done it for about a year or so if there’s been an accident but now we can be tested for no reason. Apart from the usual method you have to empty your pockets aswell (possession perhaps?)
Has anyone else encountered this type of thing before? We’ve not had to sign in agreement with it (ie in contracts, not sure about new employees) and can anyone refuse if the firm have no reason to test you?
I’ve nowt to hide although there are some drivers who need an overdose of happy pills
You should have a read of this…
direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/ … G_10026594
And just in general i’m thinking when planners/transport managers ask drivers if they can make a drop that is 2 hours away in 1 hour, then they too could be asked to be tested. You should be able to ring up someone higher and say my planner/transport manager needs a drugs test, he’s asking me to do the impossible?