Suspicion Drug Test

I work for a large company that put me ‘out of service for suspicion of drug use’ I was out of work for a week until my drug test cleared. I had popped for a random which was a hair follicle test then I was told to report to the operating center where they interrogated me. They then proceeded to give me a urine test and put me out of service for a week until the results came back. My question is: is there anything compensation related that I can do? I wasn’t put out of work for the whole week all because of a ‘suspicion’. Btw I passed both test.

Meant I was put out of work. Sorry typo

Did you ask if they’d pay you? Did you ask what the basis for their suspicion was?

We’re not lawyers and don’t even know where you are, so we probably can’t answer your question.

You could ask a lawyer and that shouldn’t cost you any money.

Good luck.

Did you ask if they’d pay you? Did you ask what the basis for their suspicion was?

We’re not lawyers and don’t even know where you are, so we probably can’t answer your question.

You could ask a lawyer and that shouldn’t cost you any money.

Good luck.

They told me they got an ‘anonymous’ phone call. And no I haven’t ask them yet because I don’t know if I have any grounds to stand on. That’s why I’m asking for advice.

Like it or not, there are false positives, and always will be. Chalk it up as an experience and move on. Yes you can ask your company for some kind of compensation, but don't count on it.

They have an absolute obligation to exercise extreme caution when it comes to their drivers possibly taking drugs. Unfortunately you were caught up in that caution.

Look at the bright side, you passed a random and a more thorough follow-up test. You're looking good in their eyes. I wouldn't tarnish that by trying to fight them over this. It sucks, but move on.

You don't have any grounds to stand on as far as I know, but your company may sympathize based on your status with them. If you've been putting in a ton of great work for quite a while, you're a highly valued driver, and you speak to them about it professionally they might agree to throw some money your way. But I don't think they're under any obligation to.

If they received an anonymous call then it sounds like you've made an enemy somewhere in your personal life. That isn't the company's fault, so you can't expect that they owe you anything for this. If anything, it could be the other way around.

You have to understand that they've lost a lot of money because of this also. They need every driver they can get and they need to utilize those trucks efficiently. When drivers are sitting on the sidelines for a week it throws a wrench in their operations. If they're losing money because of some petty squabbles you may have going on it's not going to endear you to them, that's for sure. If you then decide to demand they pay you or make threats, your value to them is spiraling downward quickly.

So at best they might sympathize and throw a few bucks your way, but I very much doubt it and I'm not even sure it's wise to ask considering the circumstances. I think you should chalk it up to a learning experience, be glad things aren't much worse, and just get back to work.

It sucks, but I'd tread carefully. If you want to stick with this employer, I'd say just ask nicely and if they say no, forget about it and move on. Or maybe get a free consult from a lawyer, but if you did file a lawsuit, you could probably kiss that company good bye. You know with the "right to work" laws, you can be terminated at any time for any reason or even no reason at all. So, how much do you like this company overall?

Thanks for the advice everyone much appreciated.

If it’s a reputable company (and you did say it’s large) I would find out the company policy first. AND I’d ask for some pay. But I have a rock solid performance record.

1. If they’re large and reputable, I gotta believe they have better things to do than chase down anonymous phone calls, or 2. Might they have been given more specific information and there may be other reasons they were willing to believe the tip?

If this were me (but it’s not) I would just explain that, while I appreciate the commitment to safety as am I, my bills still need to be paid and the family counts on my income. To have it interrupted just because of a false claim puts my family in a bind. If they’re short on drivers. Some type of compensation for one week has got to be less expensive than recruiting a new driver.

I’m not saying sue them. I wouldn’t. But I might be updating my resume.

My first trainer told me he and another chain smoker were teaming and the truck windows smoked up in the winter. a tipster called the company saying they were smoking weed. he says they were too lazy in the winter to smoke outside. they were both tested immediately.

Its not a punishment. if you have a good relationship with your FM/DM try asking like "out of curiosity...is there anyway i can get some financial help here please? it set me back a bit".

Im sure you're not the first person this has happened to.