General / Off-Topic Your Brave New Work World

[Ralph Vargr]

So, I got another gig. First thing they do, before anything else, is a background check, and a drug screen. SOP.

Forty years ago, they weren't doing that drug screen at all. This shows just how little trust exists in the modern workplace. I'm just going to be an engineering consultant, for a university. No money being handled at all. A simple task of RF engineering. You can't fake the work. You either get it right, or not.

So someone with a metric boatload of creds, and references, is venting REDACTED, because no one trusts anyone else.

Note: LabCorp fired their receptionist, and replaced her with an IPad. The rest of the visit was even more cordial....

I had to shower, afterwards. The whole process is degrading. Lab tech was hostile to every client. I would not like the job, either, but I have had to do a lot of nasty, hard work in my time without dumping on others.

The US military was better than this.

What have we become?

 

[lysan]

So, I got another gig. ---snip---
The US military was better than this.

What have we become?

slaves, but we already knew that. I hope I can stay in my little corner and hide until retirement....

 

[Vasco Sapien]

I worked for a Large American I.T Corp some years ago and an American friend (who joined the company at the same time as me) had to undergo a drug test.. i didnt because i was employed through the UK wing of the company. Seems it was an American practice and not allowed under UK law.

Anyways My American Friend was somewhat of an avid smoker of exotic fumatory condiments and was terrified of the Drug test... So much so that he went out and purchased himself a 'Whizzinator' and borrowed some clean pee for someone else.

He passed the test with flying colours and had a great story to tell over a few pints.

Still makes me laugh to this day, The thought of him walking into that medical centre making subtle sloshing sounds as he walked. lol

 

[Jenner]

I worked for a Large American I.T Corp some years ago and an American friend (who joined the company at the same time as me) had to undergo a drug test.. i didnt because i was employed through the UK wing of the company. Seems it was an American practice and not allowed under UK law.

Anyways My American Friend was somewhat of an avid smoker of exotic fumatory condiments and was terrified of the Drug test... So much so that he went out and purchased himself a 'Whizzinator' and borrowed some clean pee for someone else.

He passed the test with flying colours and had a great story to tell over a few pints.

Still makes me laugh to this day, The thought of him walking into that medical centre making subtle sloshing sounds as he walked. lol

Hilarious.

 

[Gully Foyle]

So, I got another gig. First thing they do, before anything else, is a background check, and a drug screen. SOP.

Forty years ago, they weren't doing that drug screen at all. This shows just how little trust exists in the modern workplace. I'm just going to be an engineering consultant, for a university. No money being handled at all. A simple task of RF engineering. You can't fake the work. You either get it right, or not.

So someone with a metric boatload of creds, and references, is venting REDACTED, because no one trusts anyone else.

Note: LabCorp fired their receptionist, and replaced her with an IPad. The rest of the visit was even more cordial....

I had to shower, afterwards. The whole process is degrading. Lab tech was hostile to every client. I would not like the job, either, but I have had to do a lot of nasty, hard work in my time without dumping on others.

The US military was better than this.

What have we become?

A colder, less innocent and machine-like. And we let them.

By enabling anti heros like Drumpf, for starters

 

[Robin of Spiritwood]

Why the fuss over a simple test? It's pretty much the industry standard in any security or military work, and is routine for anybody handling transport or heavy machinery, for good reason.

 

[Gully Foyle]

Think they needed a better lab tech


Ralph, why didn't an E2 do it? lol

 

[Patrick_68000]

What have we become?

Cowards, of course

 

[verminstar]

Drones, slaves, resources, statistics, collateral damage, older...take yer pick they all apply in their own way...

If they did a drugs test on me...haha ye thatd be interesting but heres an aspect ye didnt think of, and its more relevant to Americans which Im not...what makes ye think its illegal substances they looking for?

 

[Robin of Spiritwood]

Drones, slaves, resources, statistics, collateral damage, older...take yer pick they all apply in their own way...

If they did a drugs test on me...haha ye thatd be interesting but heres an aspect ye didnt think of, and its more relevant to Americans which Im not...what makes ye think its illegal substances they looking for?

Because Chemistry.

Tests for substance xyz are to detect xyz.
Payment to a lab to do that test won't cover other tests. If other tests are being done, the lab goes bankrupt.

Because Law.

It is criminally negligent to let your company hire drug using pilots. If the pilots aren't actually being tested for illegal substances, the company becomes instantly and irretrievably liable once the first accident happens.



What do you think they are really looking for?

 

[verminstar]

Because Chemistry.

Tests for substance xyz are to detect xyz.
Payment to a lab to do that test won't cover other tests. If other tests are being done, the lab goes bankrupt.


What do you think they are really looking for?

What they are always looking for...leverage ^

 

[Robin of Spiritwood]

What they are always looking for...leverage ^

I do not follow.

 

[Ralph Vargr]

Why the fuss over a simple test? It's pretty much the industry standard in any security or military work, and is routine for anybody handling transport or heavy machinery, for good reason.

Robin, two generations ago, the workplace wasn't the battlefield it is now. I've taken many drug tests. This one was handled by a tech who was as sympathetic as a game developer...

 

[Ralph Vargr]

I do not follow.

Fear, Robin. Control. Power. Lawsuits.

How old are you? You have probably accepted this as normal. Those of us that are older, remember better workplaces.

Note: I'm not flying, just consulting on a simple radio engineering project.

A colder, less innocent and machine-like. And we let them.

By enabling anti heros like Drumpf, for starters

It could have been Evil Dief...

 

[verminstar]

I do not follow.

Power, control, something they can use against ye...leverage. What Ralph said basically. Thats how the system works in this new age ^

 

[Zak Gordon]

They want ALL your data and we mostly give it to them. It won't be too long before the 'manditory' drug test becomes a retinal scan and dna profile in this kind of thinking.

As Ralph said this was not for a job that might really need that level of scrutiny. Pilots/military is fair enough etc, but this was really just a regular civilian job where knowing your drug history is probably not really that relevant, but 'data' is required for legal coverage.

What we see is the 'slippery slope' in progress. As i often say America leads the world in most things, including ALL the worst aspects of employment rights and just about everything that is covered in many other threads (from farming practices to environmental dangers).

Sadly Ralph just got some first hand discomfort at how far we have let this kind of thing go, and it was pretty mild in truth. Spare a thought for all 'zero hour' contract workers or those people in China making your Iphone that need to be protected from jumping of their factory-home roof with nets (because their working life is so bad death is an option to living).

This IS the world we create by being wrong. We all need to watch and understand Fritz Lang's Metropolis, it's very relevant.

 

[lysan]

A colder, less innocent and machine-like. And we let them.

By enabling anti heros like Drumpf, for starters

Lets not go down that road, no politics remember

 

[lysan]

They want ALL your data and we mostly give it to them. It won't be too long before the 'manditory' drug test becomes a retinal scan and dna profile in this kind of thinking.

As Ralph said this was not for a job that might really need that level of scrutiny. Pilots/military is fair enough etc, but this was really just a regular civilian job where knowing your drug history is probably not really that relevant, but 'data' is required for legal coverage.

What we see is the 'slippery slope' in progress. As i often say America leads the world in most things, including ALL the worst aspects of employment rights and just about everything that is covered in many other threads (from farming practices to environmental dangers).

Sadly Ralph just got some first hand discomfort at how far we have let this kind of thing go, and it was pretty mild in truth. Spare a thought for all 'zero hour' contract workers or those people in China making your Iphone that need to be protected from jumping of their factory-home roof with nets (because their working life is so bad death is an option to living).

This IS the world we create by being wrong. We all need to watch and understand Fritz Lang's Metropolis, it's very relevant.

I've been living in that environment for as long as I can remember. We even got mandatory flu shots, however I always escape and I will never take any flu shots as long as i live.

every 6 month we need to go through a test for (insert all kinds of chemicals here) and this one we can't escape because our ID badge is just blocked if we don't

 

[Deleted member 110222]

I know the authorities have lots of information on me.

Otherwise I wouldn't be on the sick for reasons including psychotic tendencies. Not to mention the drugs I'm prescribed...

It's that or a secure ward for me.

 

[lysan]

I know the authorities have lots of information on me.

Otherwise I wouldn't be on the sick for reasons including psychotic tendencies. Not to mention the drugs I'm prescribed...

It's that or a secure ward for me.

we all got our demons to fight, however sometimes i wish my retirement was next week.