Re: the OTHER test

[puff -at- guild -dot- net]

Mike Stockman writes:
> On 10/18/00 1:46 PM, Brent -dot- Jones -at- Level3 -dot- com (Brent -dot- Jones -at- Level3 -dot- com) 
> wrote:
> >I've been in the field for 12 years, and had never been forced to
> >consider the issue until a couple of years ago. Now I come across
> >it rather frequently. I'm curious as to whether others have noticed
> >this same trend and, if so, what their reaction to it are.
 
> I just left contracting to be a wage slave, and have never (in over 10 
> years of contracting) been asked for a drug test. Of course, I had a 
> strong tendency to work for smaller companies and startups, not 
> megalithic companies with offices in all major cities plus the sea 
> bottom. Perhaps companies have to reach a critical mass of middle 
> management (with too much time to fill) before they require drug tests?

     Interesting little gotcha I learned about the other day.  This is
likely just a state law thing (Pennsylvania is a "right to work"
state) but it boils down to:

     Companies are allowed to ask you to take a drug test as a
condition of hiring you.  However, they are not allowed to hire you
and then later _add_ a condition that you're required to take a drug
test to keep your job.  This is actually part of a more general thing,
that they're not allowed to later impose additional conditions.
Anyway, you might want to consult with a lawyer sometime, just to find
out what the details are in you region.

     Me, I make it a point to eat poppy seed bagels as often as
possible (well, besides that, I *like* 'em :-).

Steven J. Owens
puff -at- guild -dot- net