Do you work with a bunch of drunks?

[pdqdl]

I wasn't sure which area to post this, so I stuck it here.

I have problems with alcoholics & drug heads working for me. I have at least solved the drunk problem with this jewel:

http://www.alcotester.com/al-7000.htm

This little toy fits in your pocket, costs less than $200.00, and quickly ferrets out the drunks before they get in your truck. It is damned accurate too.

There are a number of similar units on the market, but this is the only one that I found that is economical to operate and requires no calibration procedure. When it goes out of calibration after several hundred tests, it tells you to put in another $30 module. No shipping and waiting for your unit to be returned is involved, you can have a spare module ready for the next test in five minutes.

I'm still waiting for a similar testing machine for pot, crack, crank, and some of the other popular drugs.

 

[jefflovstrom]

I am glad I dont have your problems.
Jeff

 

[mckeetree]

I am glad I dont have your problems.
Jeff

Me either.

 

[custom8726]

Me 3 J/K man Unfortunetly our industry attract's just those types:bang:

 

[IcePick]

?

Yeah, perhaps you should be more careful on who you're hiring? I know you don't have to have a bad ass resume to get a job with a tree crew, but first impressions go a long way.

 

[mndlawn]

And I thought I had bad luck hiring employees.

 

[tree md]

I used to work with a bunch of drunks but I got rid of most of my dead weight over a year ago. My main guy is a 26 year Army and National Guard vet and has the same philosophy as me when it comes to a time to work and a time to play.

My other main guy is a recovering alcoholic who I have had to pull up out of the gutter a couple of times. He is from a small town not far from where I am from in N. GA. I don't work him when he is drinking. He has worked for me for two years and has relapsed twice. As long as he keeps trying and don't give up I'll not give up on him. When he is sober he is a beast. He can hump 200 pound logs all day long and is very proficient with a saw.

I am the only drunk on the crew.

However, I believe in a time to work and a time to play. I have never shown up for work drinking or drunk. I drink a lot less than I did when I was younger anyway and have pretty much given up the hard stuff. Very rare for me to drink more than 2 beers in one setting anymore. And I can't stand to work hung over.

Coming up working for tree services it was pretty common place for guys to smoke dope. I can't say that I have always been a saint myself but when I was a child I did childish things, when I became a man I put away childish things. If someone does their own thing in their operation I have nothing to say about that. I have seen better climbers than myself who use drugs and I actually caught the owner of one of the largest tree services in the old town I lived in toking it up just before he entered a tree to do a crane job. It was his operation and his prerogative. I was just an employee and he was the guy who signed my check. I would never do it though. There is too much liability to the people on the ground and the property below. I have too much respect for myself, the people who work for me and the people I work for to ever put their lives or property in danger due to gross negligence on my part.

Not to mention the fact that I'm sure the first thing OSHA would do in the event of an accident is do a drug and alcohol test. I imagine someone would have a lot of splaining to do if they came up dirty and would probably loose everything they owned.

 

[clearance]

Just because some one is clean and sober, it doesn't mean they are ok. I know this personaly, when you don't drink, don't use, never cut loose, it can get to you, you think you are ok because you are clean. But that is no garauntee. I am a way better worker than an employee. What I am saying is that although I work hard, I could be a problem when I used and drank, and still can be. People are better straight, but it doesn't make us perfect.

That was a pretty good post tree md. You sound like a decent boss.

 

[outofmytree]

I can't say that I have always been a saint myself but when I was a child I did childish things, when I became a man I put away childish things.

Lot of wisdom in that old book.

Been young and dumb myself. I seem to be maturing but that could just the booze talking.

 

[danieltree]

I was the drunk at one point. I have been sober a few years now and can tell you the difference in my work is a thousand percent. I never would drink during work hours but was usually so hung over I was probably dangerous. I can not find a limb dragger that does not smoke pot , I discourage its use before work and forbid it during work but when they leave my job and I am not paying they can do what they want . I let them know that I carry workmans comp and they are covered but if something happens the first thing I am going to do is piss test them. I find that the quality goes up if the pay goes up, maybe if you paid better you would get better help.​

 

[treevet]

Friend of mine that has a landscaping company told his 20 employees after work they would be drug tested the next day. The parking lot was empty.

A guy I had as a gm told me he called a decent size company for a job before me and the boss asked him if he smoked pot. He said no and the guy tells him he won't fit in with his crew.

 

[treeslayer]

Not to mention the fact that I'm sure the first thing OSHA would do in the event of an accident is do a drug and alcohol test. I imagine someone would have a lot of splaining to do if they came up dirty and would probably loose everything they owned.

Every EM in the country is going to test for substances in the event of a work injury, its hospital policy.

So if the employee tests dirty, in the eyes of the law(yers), it's a drug/alcohol environment unless there are specific written policies on file and in place for the company whose employee just cut his leg off.
still have to prove the employee was clearly violating company policy, not just common sense, by being lit on the job.

Regardless, it becomes the employers fault at some point, if billy bob's drunk arse drops a tree on the house while the boss is offsite, or drops a tree on himself.

 

[banshee67]

just wondering how you prove someone is "under the influence" of marijuana ?
the kid could have smoked a joint 2 weeks ago and still fail a piss test, pot testing is a gray area.
and remember in 14 states pot is medication.. so maybe its not as bad as "they" say it is?
all in all if someone works, and works hard, does good, listens, and gets along well.. who cares if they smoked a half a joint before work? like someone else said, its the guys who dont drink or smoke anything that you have to worry about, they are ticking timebombs! lol
now drunks, thats another story, drunks are about as bad as junkies in some cases. they live their life in one big hangover, never coming out of it, living in a fog, its sad.. i dont know how anyone could work with alcohol in their system.. or even want to

 

[pdqdl]

I'll bet a saliva test strip would work pretty good for MaryJ. I don't look to see it happen in the near future. Most agencies are happy with a definitive test that covers the last two weeks. Test positive...See Ya!

If my stoners would just leave that crap at home, I wouldn't care. My experience tells me that IF you smoke pot at all, then following rules is not your strong point. So I should not expect a pot smoker to follow my rules any more than they follow society's. I have caught so many guys smoking on the job, during lunch break, and before work that I refuse to believe that any of them will be honorable about it. They ALL say they keep it at home, but I have never found one that truly did.

Some guys will leave it completely alone until the goofy stoner that I hired lights up next to them at lunch. Then they all have to share...By sharing, they compel the entire group to join ranks with them in breaking the rules, not finking each other out, and in general, undermine the order of the workplace.

 

[danieltree]

Whoever says smoking pot does not affect job performance is lying to themselves .​

 

[climber338]

Im in college for landscaping at the moment but will be moving onto arboriculture next year. I am one of the 3 kids in my class of 25 that dont smoke pot and you can tell that all the other kids just dont care what so ever about there problems. Our grades show it as well, my buddy is 1 im 2 and the other guy is 3rd grade wise in our class. I kinda laugh inside when they all go out to smoke. Im waiting till they are all 30 and cant do a full days work because they cant breath. Arborist are athletes IMO and you need to keep your body in shape. Good luck when you cant breath half way up the tree guys lol.

 

[banshee67]

Whoever says smoking pot does not affect job performance is lying to themselves .​

youre 100% right, it increases my production and efforts all while enjoying a beautiful day in the woods

 

[banshee67]

Im in college for landscaping at the moment but will be moving onto arboriculture next year. I am one of the 3 kids in my class of 25 that dont smoke pot and you can tell that all the other kids just dont care what so ever about there problems. Our grades show it as well, my buddy is 1 im 2 and the other guy is 3rd grade wise in our class. I kinda laugh inside when they all go out to smoke. Im waiting till they are all 30 and cant do a full days work because they cant breath. Arborist are athletes IMO and you need to keep your body in shape. Good luck when you cant breath half way up the tree guys lol.

wait, are you talkin about smoking pot or smoking cigarettes? they all go outside of class to smoke pot?
smoking pot is totally different than smoking cigarettes, say the average cigarette you take 50+ puffs off of, and a pack (20) a day isnt even considered a lot... on the other hand,50 puffs of pot is probably all i take in a weeks time.. and it doesnt have nearly the amount of crap in it as cigarettes.
true ignorance is on display here .. it all depends on the person, many lawyers, doctors, teachers, etc, smoke pot at night.. you would never know, although you are in college so you probably know something the rest of us dont. i know, and im sure you know, MANY people who have gone to college, have great jobs, are responsible and carry on their lives the same as someone who doesnt smoke pot
im so sick of the ignorance.. anyone who has a few beers after work doesnt have to listen to this type of ignorance by people who dont know what they are saying... why do people who smoke a little pot have to?

 

[Garden Of Eden]

wait, are you talkin about smoking pot or smoking cigarettes? they all go outside of class to smoke pot?
smoking pot is totally different than smoking cigarettes, say the average cigarette you take 50+ puffs off of, and a pack (20) a day isnt even considered a lot... on the other hand,50 puffs of pot is probably all i take in a weeks time.. and it doesnt have nearly the amount of crap in it as cigarettes.
true ignorance is on display here .. it all depends on the person, many lawyers, doctors, teachers, etc, smoke pot at night.. you would never know, although you are in college so you probably know something the rest of us dont. i know, and im sure you know, MANY people who have gone to college, have great jobs, are responsible and carry on their lives the same as someone who doesnt smoke pot
im so sick of the ignorance.. anyone who has a few beers after work doesnt have to listen to this type of ignorance by people who dont know what they are saying... why do people who smoke a little pot have to?

I agree, ignorance is on display. People who smoke pot have to listen, because it's a mind and mood altering, illegal narcotic. I know certain states have 'legalized' it, however, if you look at the foreign countries that have, crime has risen sharply. I personally drug test all employees. I make sure they all know it's zero tolerance. This job is dangerous enough, we don't need delayed reaction times, and a lax mental attitude.

BTW, the argument that lawyers/Docs, and other people do it, so why can't I? Is a little ignorant. I know doctors that cut themselves for pleasure, so shouldn't we all? I know a Lawyer in my town, that just got brought up on Rape charges, C'mon mom, I wanna too! A small minority of a group should never be taken as a rule. Also, again, I stress, it's illegal.

So, that's why we strap you dope-heads down and make you listen with a gun to your head.

Jeff

FYI, I thought I should mention this so I don't get the typical, response, "you just never tried it..." I used to do all kinds of illegal narcotics, for all the same reasons, most people do. Then I grew up and stopped the childish behaviors. Been drug free over 3 and a half yrs now. God Bless

 

[pdqdl]

Excuses, excuses.

I know a fair number of folks that have quit smoking both pot and cigarettes. Not one of them has ever said they regretted the choice.

I know even more people that have tried to quit, but failed. They generally admit that they would still quit if they could.

I don't know anybody that started smoking anything late in life that declared "Gee ! I sure wish I had started sooner!"

I have seen LOTS of young men ruin their lives by spending that weekly check on another stash of weed while the kids go hungry, the wife wishes for better things, and my employee just wastes it all on brain dilution. It doesn't matter if it is weed, cigarettes, booze, or any of the harder stuff. It all ruins your health, distorts your perception of reality, and wastes your money.

Justifying one bad habit by comparing it to another one is foolish.

An economic note: if you burn a pack of cigarettes per day (@ $3.00/pack), starting at 18 years old, by the time you are 65, you will have burned up your retirement. If invested at 10%, calculated on a avg daily balance, that will come to $1,196,489.03. Add a quart of beer at $2.00 per day, and a trip to a fast food at $5.00 per day, that comes to $3,988,296.78 you blew during your working years.


Put that in your pipe and smoke it!