Employee doing pills

I had one of my best friends and co worker die after over-dosing in the truck on his way home from a side job. I kick myself in the ass every day for not saying something and I only knew about his pill problem, not that he was shooting up. Your buddy will probably hate you for telling your boss but he needs help! Tell your boss to put him in rehab. Mandatory drug tests or something. But in the end he will probably still keep doing the pills.
 
A cdl aint that hard to get. Hell, I got one without the classes. So right there you have proof it aint hard. Fire the kid and just get a driver who you can be ok with not being that much use dragging brush until you get your license. Then fire the driver.

This rehab stuff people are talking about is nonsense. Rehab won't do a lick of good unless that kid really wants to quit and turn his life around. I know, I had close friends who fell from doing pills to heroin. Rehab is the kid's choice, getting him out of the company is yours.
 
"I'm a firm believer in addressing the source of the problem first. Talk to the kid and tell him how it affects not just his safety, but the safety of everyone around him while he's operating and that you won't tolerate it. If he gives you attitude or you see he keeps popping or if you even suspect he's still popping go to your boss."

A responsible move for a team member. No doubt the kid has no idea his problem is that noticeable(If it's that obvious, shoot a vid?), and when you tell him it's no secret and that eyeballs are always on him, he may figure out what not to do. After that point, tell him, you'll report anything that you see.
All this talk about zero tolerance; sounds like Nancy Reagan in here. :musculoso:
So easy to be tough talking, harder to be human. WWJD?

Drug testing makes sense IF after hours pot is not a dealbreaker.
Coke leaves the system in 3 days and pot in 30.
Let's pick our battles--unless you all have crystal-clean---wait, I mean 100% clean-- applicants sending you a resume' every day?
 
I remember reading a book by Oncken called "Managing Management Time" and this thread about being in the company of a driver with an altered state of lucidity reminded me of "the monkey on your back"
I googled "transferring the monkey on your back" and found this:

"Bill Oncken, Jr. developed four rules of monkey management to help managers give back monkeys without being accused of buck-passing or abdication. They are:

1. Describe the monkey. The dialogue between a manager and a staff member must not end until appropriate next moves have been identified and clearly specified.

2. Assign the monkey. All monkeys shall be owned and handled at the lowest organizational level possible.

3. Insure the monkey. Every monkey leaving you on the back of one of your people must be covered by one of two insurance policies: (1) recommend, then act, or (2) act, then advise.

4. Check on the monkey. Proper follow-up means healthier monkeys. Every monkey should have a checkup appointment.

If you follow Oncken’s rules, you’ll stop viewing your people as the major source of your problems and will soon start seeing them as major solutions, because each of their backs can be a depository for several monkeys."

http://howwelead.org/2010/09/20/the-art-of-managing-monkeys/
 
To everyone saying boot his ass, how does that solve the real problem? OK, so he gets fired and your company is once again safe, huzzah! Now buddy goes and finds another job driving truck with his CDL and is right back on the road popping pills while driving........but so long as he's not your responsibility it's all kosher, right?

Too often people take the easy way out rather than getting their hands dirty trying to help people or change things. An addiction isn't something people just stop because they get a job (look at smokers). Give the kid a chance, help him through it, show him you actually give a fuck. THAT will do more to save his life than firing him ever will. Once you've done everything within reason to help him and he either doesn't want it or it doesn't work then you resort to the option of letting him go. Some people can't be helped, but there are a great deal more who can if only someone takes the time to do it.
 
Your ins co will have none of...what?? I hear Boomslang still expressing zero tolerance for the behavior, while the rest of you are expressing zero tolerance for the person. Listen to yourselves!

similar to the mentality of finding 'defects' in 'hazard trees', then killing them. No middle ground, no management, no sense of retaining an asset. The kid got hired for a reason.
 
Re: the why give him the boot?

Well to consul him, address his mental illness, reasons for doing drugs in the first place etc
Takes a great deal of effort, knowledge and experience...
If the guy deserves it, do everything you can to save him, and take the truck keys off him....because why should an innocent loose their life.
 
Bring a safety concern to your supervisor. It is your supervisor's job from there. You are not going to "save" or "condemn" the kid. My accountant's heron addicted 19 year old just forged a140 dollar check, after 5 months clean. He only smaller the front end of his car into the back of another. 5,000 pounds of steel kills a lot. 25,000 pounds kills a lot more.
 
Just to be clear I'm not saying do not fire him under any circumstance. I'm saying give him a second chance and if he buggers that up then it might time to give him the ol' heave ho. I understand the liability angle, and it not being your job to act as a therapist, but just keep an eye on the kid and talk to him to see how he's doing. You're there in the truck anyway, so you can't say it's too much effort. I don't claim you'll be able to save him if he's too far gone, but if you don't know his situation you can't say for sure that you can't.
 
Pelorus said:
I remember reading a book by Oncken called "Managing Management Time" and this thread about being in the company of a driver with an altered state of lucidity reminded me of "the monkey on your back"
I googled "transferring the monkey on your back" and found this:

"Bill Oncken, Jr. developed four rules of monkey management to help managers give back monkeys without being accused of buck-passing or abdication. They are:

1. Describe the monkey. The dialogue between a manager and a staff member must not end until appropriate next moves have been identified and clearly specified.

2. Assign the monkey. All monkeys shall be owned and handled at the lowest organizational level possible.

3. Insure the monkey. Every monkey leaving you on the back of one of your people must be covered by one of two insurance policies: (1) recommend, then act, or (2) act, then advise.

4. Check on the monkey. Proper follow-up means healthier monkeys. Every monkey should have a checkup appointment.

If you follow Oncken’s rules, you’ll stop viewing your people as the major source of your problems and will soon start seeing them as major solutions, because each of their backs can be a depository for several monkeys."

http://howwelead.org/2010/09/20/the-art-of-managing-monkeys/
Click to expand...
I read that...Awesome advice/training for a supervisor right there. Delegate! Make your problems others...
 
AmericanArborist said:
How does anyone think its unreasonable to fire someone doing drugs on the job?! That ludicrous to expect to keep your job while snorting pills in a work truck.
Click to expand...
In NY if there was not a pre screen drug test and policy on the books, he has a disability and can not fired. He needs treatment...as much as it might not work . Same as firing an employee coming to work drunk. Against the law, he has a disability. I worked for a large company that did not know this and tried to implement a drug policy after the fact, shit storm and a half. Sure small companies can get away with it because most folks do not know their " rights", nor have the coin for a lawyer.
 
boomslang, would you say the same if this kid was smoking weed in the truck cab? or would he be just be a dumbass for smoking pot while driving a co. vehicle who should be fired?
we are arborists, we take care and deal with trees. leave resolving this kids substance abuse issue to a councilor or someone more qualified. an essential part of being arborists is safety. its probably a safe assumption he drives his own vehicle around f'd up, so sayin he'll just be driving someone elses' large trucks around if hes fired doesnt really matter.
you want to help him, tell him hes a dumbass, get his shit together, and find a more productive way to spend his money.
i used to struggle with addiction myself. no one gave me sympathy or held doors to opportunities open until i was ready. life was real. i blew chances and people told me i blew my chance because of my actions. reflecting on several years of bad decisions at times where i needed to make more big life decisions led me to change, not heart - to - heart conversations with semi strangers while kind of under the influence at work.
 
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