Royal Mail to start drug and alcohol testing?

[Barnacle]

I think this is the point.
If you aren't displaying any signs of being under the influence of either drink or drugs, then how can they reasonably expect you to give a sample?
On what grounds?
I won't be doing it on principle as I don't drink, at all, and certainly don't do drugs of any kind that would affect my work or safety of others.

Think each round they'll choose a random batch of staff to test. Any who refuse will probably be suspended. Probably any who refuse too many times will be sacked.

This is likely. The CWU have tried to put a stop on something that under current legislation employers are entitled to do and the random testing element is a key part of it - the testing must be shown to be random.

[2chorizon]

I think this is the point.
If you aren't displaying any signs of being under the influence of either drink or drugs, then how can they reasonably expect you to give a sample?
On what grounds?
I won't be doing it on principle as I don't drink, at all, and certainly don't do drugs of any kind that would affect my work or safety of others.

Think each round they'll choose a random batch of staff to test. Any who refuse will probably be suspended. Probably any who refuse too many times will be sacked.

This is likely. The CWU have tried to put a stop on something that under current legislation employers are entitled to do and the random testing element is a key part of it - the testing must be shown to be random.

Its a computer generated random sampling, ie the computer programme selects a number of random clock numbers on any given day, and all those whose number comes up get the tap on the shoulder.
(you’ll be escorted straight to test)

From what i have read today if drug & alcohol testing is mentioned in your contract then they can test you. (refusal will result in disciplinary action inc dismissal

[Barnacle]

I think this is the point.
If you aren't displaying any signs of being under the influence of either drink or drugs, then how can they reasonably expect you to give a sample?
On what grounds?
I won't be doing it on principle as I don't drink, at all, and certainly don't do drugs of any kind that would affect my work or safety of others.

Think each round they'll choose a random batch of staff to test. Any who refuse will probably be suspended. Probably any who refuse too many times will be sacked.

This is likely. The CWU have tried to put a stop on something that under current legislation employers are entitled to do and the random testing element is a key part of it - the testing must be shown to be random.

Its a computer generated random sampling, ie the computer programme selects a number of random clock numbers on any given day, and all those whose number comes up get the tap on the shoulder.
(you’ll be escorted straight to test)

From what i have read today if drug & alcohol testing is mentioned in your contract then they can test you. (refusal will result in disciplinary action inc dismissal

From what I have read, because it is UK Employment Law, it doesn’t need to be in a contract.

We’ll have to get clarification of that. However, refusal to do a test provides its own result.

[Tman]

From what i have read today if drug & alcohol testing is mentioned in your contract then they can test you. (refusal will result in disciplinary action inc dismissal

Even if it's not mentioned in your contract but RM change their policy they will be able to test you.
People protesting about "can't" "won't" "not allowed" "I refuse to take part" " I'd rather be a scag-head" etc etc are laughable.
They'll do it because it will be a part of the job, and as so many other companies already have this policy in place precedents have been set.
Choose your battles, etc etc.

[Jefferson Starfish]

At the end of the day, if you don't turn up at work under the influence of drink or drugs you've got nothing worry about.

[Valentina@1]

At the end of the day, if you don't turn up at work under the influence of drink or drugs you've got nothing worry about.

Cannabis can be detected many days after use in urine so this not entirely true is it?

[Barnacle]

At the end of the day, if you don't turn up at work under the influence of drink or drugs you've got nothing worry about.

Cannabis can be detected many days after use in urine so this not entirely true is it?

If it is in your urine after several days, and if the level after several days is over the legal limit, then you should not be driving. It wouldn’t be a case of you being ‘caught out’ it would be a case of being rightfully caught.

[Jefferson Starfish]

At the end of the day, if you don't turn up at work under the influence of drink or drugs you've got nothing worry about.

Cannabis can be detected many days after use in urine so this not entirely true is it?

Ok I'll rephrase it.

If you don't turn up at work with drink or drugs in your system, you've got nothing to worry about.

[darkgable]

Understand the need for this . But seems bizare to role this out at the busiest time of the year. most Delivery offices are under staffed as it is !

[yellowbelly]

Understand the need for this . But seems bizare to role this out at the busiest time of the year. most Delivery offices are under staffed as it is !

Christmas (or 'peak' as RM like to call it) is generally a period when people are likely to partake to excess - so good to time to get the numbers
down then as far as RM are concerned? As long as the Tracked are done of course!

[LouBarlow]

From what i have read today if drug & alcohol testing is mentioned in your contract then they can test you. (refusal will result in disciplinary action inc dismissal

Even if it's not mentioned in your contract but RM change their policy they will be able to test you.
People protesting about "can't" "won't" "not allowed" "I refuse to take part" " I'd rather be a scag-head" etc etc are laughable.
They'll do it because it will be a part of the job, and as so many other companies already have this policy in place precedents have been set.
Choose your battles, etc etc.

It isn’t part of the job at all. Read your contract then hop over to the government website and read up on employment law in this scenario. I can’t speak for these new contracts but mine makes no mention of it and I won’t be consenting. You can believe what you like frankly.

[Pidleypoo]

One of the most astounding parts of all this for me is that this company is looking the other way with regards to nearly every other health and safety issue.

You’ve got days worth of mail and parcels on loops that have been made stupidly big that what is meant be 2 bags because that’s all you can get on a lwt being double that and the bags are overweight with no scales in sight.

Deliveries with boxes and boxes of mail and d2d’s pilled high down most aisles and no one cares.

They look the other way when people don’t use the correct equipment and don’t take their breaks and come in early for free and doorstepping parcels left right and centre.

Loads of people can’t even get safety shoes and uniform with newbies sent out without a raincoat.

Vans are falling apart and offices have asbestos in them.

Then this company that can’t even deliver all of the items that people have paid them to deliver are now wanting you to give a third party ( one that they’ve hired so they’ll be garbage ) your medical info.

Then we all known the managers that will use this to target certain people ( the real reason it is coming in ) it won’t be random.

There is simply no way I’m giving any of my medical info to anyone this company has hired and unless they have reasonable grounds to suspect I’m under the influence of alcohol or illicit drugs then I certainly will not being submitting to any testing.

I do not not trust them.

[TopperGas]

if you are asked to be tested I doubt we can decline without facing disciplinary action, I can't see any Employment Tribunal finding in a favour of an ex-employ who declined to be tested.

[2chorizon]

A couple of snippets from Reddit:

I get randoms, rail industry here. When they happen. They put blue dye into the toilet water and also turn off the taps. For guys a least, you cant even lock the door. They also ask you to come out asap so they can measure the temp of it to ensure its real. They also test he creatinine levels to ensure its not diluted. Pretty serious. You can fail for opiates if you eat a crazy amount of poppy seeds (on some bread rolls).


They have them in my company (construction but I'm office based off site). They haven't tested me yet but if they try I'm going to refuse under section 8 (right to a private life) and 9 (right to religious freedom) of the human rights act.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/comments ... in_the_uk/

[Pidleypoo]

if you are asked to be tested I doubt we can decline without facing disciplinary action, I can't see any Employment Tribunal finding in a favour of an ex-employ who declined to be tested.

There are two problems with that.

1) they have to have reasonable grounds to test me.

2) I have reasonable grounds to refuse testing.