[Paul Coleman]

one major one is someone's level of intelligence for example.

D'you think that explains why Ive ended up working for myself?

Do you really want anyone to answer that? 

[Rob_Mac]

I have had two random drug tests in the last two months, one at Talbot Heath - Poole/Bournemouth & one at another store (done that many stores this year I cannot remember).

You are picked randomly and pee into a sample bottle, he does what he does and it either comes back positive or negative.

I would never refuse and I wouldn't expect anyone who works with me to refuse either. Nothing to hide. I like a drink and enjoy a drink when I am working away but I don't overdo it in the week.

Anyone can scream discrimination at me but I wont employ smokers (they expect to have additional breaks!!!), they think they have a right to take them when they want and if you spent as much time as I do cleaning up smoking areas then you would see it from a different perspective.

At Halifax till Wednesday morning, the amount of staff that came out for a fAg every half an hour is staggering, same faces, ten minutes at a time (at least), got to get to the smoking area and then get back.

Same on every store I go on. It must cost Sainsbury's millions in down time.

Ask me for a job and smoke - jog on!!!

Rob

[H S and Son]

one major one is someone's level of intelligence for example.

D'you think that explains why Ive ended up working for myself?

Do you really want anyone to answer that? 

[JSMC]

firs tof all you better not  just test for drugs. You ar ethen allowing misuse of alcohol.

the policy if you do go ahead with drug testing should be substance misuse policy. you also mus thave this in your current H&S policy for your company before even thinking about bringing this in.

not as easy as just testing yer workers.

[Rick Davis]

im thinking of doing this and buying a test kit .
 this my first year of employing and im already on worker number 5 or is it 6 , ive lost count  .   i have  heard every excuse under the sun for lateness or slowness  so now im wanting to rule out any druggie before they step foot on a ladder
  i see theres a raft of drug testing kits online. Anybody bought a good one ? if so  id like to hear about it .

Why are you employing staff, make them all self employed. Get them to or get for them their own public liability insurance but make them pay for it. This will give them a sense of responsibility to themselves & save you money as well, always a good start. You can then afford to pay them more money because you are not forking out for holiday money or sickness pay. Also a big buzz is no work no wages makes 'em think a bit. You could pay them on a percentage for work done, that gives them an incentive then. The more they do the more they earn.
Also are you a good judge of people, maybe you could get someone else to do the interviews or sit in with you. Just a few ideas to put into the melting pot.

Rickster

[rycalshaw]

FUNNILY ENOUGH I,VE JUST BEEN SPEAKING TO SOMEONE THIS MORNING WHO CAUGHT A YOUNG LAD(CLEANER) SMOKING A JOINT ON HIS PROPERTY,HE MADE A VERY INTERESTING POINT,HE SAID WHAT IF THE LAD HAD GONE UP THE LADDER DOPED UP AND HAD AN ACCIDENT ,HE MAY TRY TO MAKE A CLAIM AGAINST  HIM (THE HOUSEHOLDER ) .

[Tom White]

im thinking of doing this and buying a test kit .
 this my first year of employing and im already on worker number 5 or is it 6 , ive lost count  .   i have  heard every excuse under the sun for lateness or slowness  so now im wanting to rule out any druggie before they step foot on a ladder
  i see theres a raft of drug testing kits online. Anybody bought a good one ? if so  id like to hear about it .

Why are you employing staff, make them all self employed. Get them to or get for them their own public liability insurance but make them pay for it. This will give them a sense of responsibility to themselves & save you money as well, always a good start. You can then afford to pay them more money because you are not forking out for holiday money or sickness pay. Also a big buzz is no work no wages makes 'em think a bit. You could pay them on a percentage for work done, that gives them an incentive then. The more they do the more they earn.
Also are you a good judge of people, maybe you could get someone else to do the interviews or sit in with you. Just a few ideas to put into the melting pot.

Rickster

There are rules about employing 'self employed staff'; if they're doing your work over a certain percentage; then they're YOUR employees, which means you're responsible for paying their income tax 'n' stuff.

[Pope vader]

if you give them a van and tell them where to work and when, then they are employed

[Pope vader]

http://www.ukdrugtesting.co.uk/

[Tom White]

if you give them a van and tell them where to work and when, then they are employed

There's a lot more to it than that.  Even if they use their own van and tools, if they do more than 50% of your work, they're employed.  Look it up - it comes under Employment Status -  there's a lot of rules governing this.

A successful window cleaner once explained to me how to do a 'work around' but even then admitted if anything went to court, the 'work around' would be on very thin ice.

[H S and Son]

http://www.ukdrugtesting.co.uk/

Are you sure?

That looks like one of those viagra sites Tosh uses.

[bobby p]

yes ,my main worry was what if a dopey went up the 2nd floor ladder  and toppled backwards . you lads know exactly how it feels on the ladders,you need your wits about you 100% , not 90% or 80%

 what i had in mind was giving  a basic drug test AT the interview only, but reading the posts i now see that im asking for trouble so im going to forget the idea .

 i might add that each lad who worked for me loved the job, i even overheard one saying i was the best boss he had ever had - but then a few days later was telling me that weed smoking was mucking up his life( after a full day of working at a snails pace) .  Week  before that he was climbing the 2nd floor ladders most of the day ,i cringe thinking about it  now
  Because i liked him as a person,i told him if he ever came to me in the future and looked me in the eye and  told me he was free of weed, id take him on again . He hasnt been in touch

[Rick Davis]

Yeh sounds completely screwed up then.

Rickster

[richard jagger]

Why when someone come on here with a perfectly normal request all this human rights poop starts its messing up the U K as a country.I think if you put a man up  ladder on behind a van wheel you have a duty to see that his free of drugs. THEY ARE NOT LEGAL.If he was drunk at work would that be fine.Its nor fine to take drugs at all never mind work. I thinks there are so many who do or did they cannot accept that's its wrong Human RIGHTS I disagree MY AA ( AS IN DONKEY)

[Helen]

im thinking of doing this and buying a test kit .
 this my first year of employing and im already on worker number 5 or is it 6 , ive lost count  .   i have  heard every excuse under the sun for lateness or slowness  so now im wanting to rule out any druggie before they step foot on a ladder
  i see theres a raft of drug testing kits online. Anybody bought a good one ? if so  id like to hear about it .

Taking the drugs debate away from this.......

Bobby P you are frustrated with employing and clutching at straws at what to blame
I know I've been there.

Interview stage:
Application form:
Question - Are you a drug taker or have you ever taken any form of illegal substances?
If they answer yes - don't take them on,
If they answer no you are covered if the worst should happen. (lying on application form!)
Anyway away from that, you will go through numerous amounts of people and then suddenly you will hit on a good one, so be patient.
Be firm but fair
Oh jeez it's taking me back a few years..... i need a drink

[Paul Coleman]

im thinking of doing this and buying a test kit .
 this my first year of employing and im already on worker number 5 or is it 6 , ive lost count  .   i have  heard every excuse under the sun for lateness or slowness  so now im wanting to rule out any druggie before they step foot on a ladder
  i see theres a raft of drug testing kits online. Anybody bought a good one ? if so  id like to hear about it .

Taking the drugs debate away from this.......

Bobby P you are frustrated with employing and clutching at straws at what to blame
I know I've been there.

Interview stage:
Application form:
Question - Are you a drug taker or have you ever taken any form of illegal substances?
If they answer yes - don't take them on,
If they answer no you are covered if the worst should happen. (lying on application form!)
Anyway away from that, you will go through numerous amounts of people and then suddenly you will hit on a good one, so be patient.
Be firm but fair
Oh jeez it's taking me back a few years..... i need a drink

That would be very unfair on someone who used to partake but decided to change their life around.  Apart from that, it can't be proven one way or the other without gaining access to medical info that is confidential.
Maybe it would be more reasonable to ask "Have you taken any illicit substances in the last xyz years?" and/or "How much alcohol do you drink?"

[H S and Son]

Why when someone come on here with a perfectly normal request all this human rights poop starts its messing up the U K as a country.

Dont know.

I think if you put a man up  ladder on behind a van wheel you have a duty to see that his free of drugs.

That sounds disturbingly 'human rights' to me.


IMO its the responsibility of the individual behind the wheel or up the ladder to ensure they are safe to do so. Farming it out to someone else to ensure that is the case is just crazy.

[CLEANCARE WC]

yes ,my main worry was what if a dopey went up the 2nd floor ladder  and toppled backwards . you lads know exactly how it feels on the ladders,you need your wits about you 100% , not 90% or 80%

 what i had in mind was giving  a basic drug test AT the interview only, but reading the posts i now see that im asking for trouble so im going to forget the idea .

 i might add that each lad who worked for me loved the job, i even overheard one saying i was the best boss he had ever had - but then a few days later was telling me that weed smoking was mucking up his life( after a full day of working at a snails pace) .  Week  before that he was climbing the 2nd floor ladders most of the day ,i cringe thinking about it  now
  Because i liked him as a person,i told him if he ever came to me in the future and looked me in the eye and  told me he was free of weed, id take him on again . He hasnt been in touch

was that the lad that looked like otto the bus driver from the simpsons?

[bobby p]

yes ,my main worry was what if a dopey went up the 2nd floor ladder  and toppled backwards . you lads know exactly how it feels on the ladders,you need your wits about you 100% , not 90% or 80%

 what i had in mind was giving  a basic drug test AT the interview only, but reading the posts i now see that im asking for trouble so im going to forget the idea .

 i might add that each lad who worked for me loved the job, i even overheard one saying i was the best boss he had ever had - but then a few days later was telling me that weed smoking was mucking up his life( after a full day of working at a snails pace) .  Week  before that he was climbing the 2nd floor ladders most of the day ,i cringe thinking about it  now
  Because i liked him as a person,i told him if he ever came to me in the future and looked me in the eye and  told me he was free of weed, id take him on again . He hasnt been in touch

was that the lad that looked like otto the bus driver from the simpsons?

no mate,       "otto" is still on board, for the time being (has been off sick since tuesday )
 Dan ,do u know any of the roys group lads? An ex-Roys lad with a foreign voice wants a start  with me ,says he was made redundant

[Steve_c]

theres 9 in 1 tests , cheap enough online

but im now not sure if im going to buy any,youve made your point

from now on im only going to employ non smokers, thatll rule out the weed boys

Don't be so silly, you need a doctor at your cost to perform this. At point of employment you will need to send your employee to have a medical at which point a simple urine test will prove negative or positive. You buy a crap test kit form the Internet and you wont have a legal leg to stand on. Pay peanuts and you get monkeys. wise up Bob before you land yourself  in court. Good luck with getting decent workers.