# You Know You're Going To Fail A Pre-Employment Drug Test

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-youre-going-to-fail-a-pre-employment-drug-test/792541>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [July 31, 2017, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-youre-going-to-fail-a-pre-employment-drug-test/792541 "2017-07-31T23:21:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 7

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**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2017, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-youre-going-to-fail-a-pre-employment-drug-test/792541/121 "2017-08-12T00:05:29Z")

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> [@puzzlegal](#):
>
> That, and the implication (that perhaps you are making?) that my employer DOES own me. I really resent that implication, and would just as soon work for a company that treats me as a person with my own volition, thanks.

No, I am definitely not making that implication. I feel a business can use whatever testing they want to determine who to hire (absent the protected classes of people, etc) and feel that if they decide “If someone has done something illegal, we are not going to hire them” then that’s fine for them.

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**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2017, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-youre-going-to-fail-a-pre-employment-drug-test/792541/122 "2017-08-12T00:54:07Z")

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> [@Slash1972](#):
>
> So, does this mean you don’t think your employer should fire you if you were convicted of drug possession? It’s none of their business, right?
> 
> Do you think an airline should fire a pilot if he/she was convicted of drunk driving? It’s none of their business, right?
> 
> I want to know your opinion, not to set up “gotchas” or anything.

I have no objection if they want to fire employees who are convicted of crimes. And if I were convicted of a financial crime (such as embezzling), I would expect to be fired, because that would suggest I might not be trust-worthy for my actual responsibilities. Similarly, I would expect an airline to fire a pilot convicted of drunk driving. I honestly don’t know how my employer would react if someone in my department were convicted of using pot. I wouldn’t have any qualms working with that employee, but I wouldn’t hold it against my employer if they choose to terminate the person.

There’s a huge difference between firing someone based on public information, such as a criminal conviction, and invading the privacy of your employees or prospective employees. Requiring drug tests for employees who do calculations and talk to other employees (that’d be me) is the latter.

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