Fired from work for drug use.... heLLP

T

triky_azn

Bluelighter
Joined
Apr 17, 2003
Messages
102
Um ya I just got fired from work for smoking pot. Apparently one (or two) of my two "trusting" co-workers gossiped about it and it eventually spread around to every employee until one of them told the owner. First of all, I'd like to know if these type of things go into some type of 'record', or anything like that. I just need to know about anything that follows these types of things. Second, I am in a desperate situation. Im 17, I live with my parents right now, and I need a really good (serious) excuse for being fired that will stop them from calling up my manager or something to see what happened. Yeah sad, but I need help plain an simple. So help a pot smoker out :)
 
lol. well my main questions are do these things go on a record, so that if i fill out another application, i would know to tell the truth or not. And this is the first time ive ever been actually caught on drugs, so no Im not a moron. Didn't you just say you've had to bs your way out many times? Yeah I do that alot too, but I've never been fired from a job, so sorry for not being up to your level or something lol. Anyway, any more help is appreciated .
 
no i meant it more constructively.......sorry sick as hell so i'm in a shitty mood. Well just you can't give that employer as a source for your next job or they'll know, otherwise if it's a low-level job then they usually don't check that kinda stuff. I don't know about the big guys
 
If it didn't get turned over to the police then there won't be a record of it, but that's not to say that you're next prospective employer wouldn't hear about it from your old boss if they contact your last employer (if you give them permission).
 
I think you would get a better response in the legal q & a forum.
 
I can't say anything for certain but...I don't know that its very fair for you to have gotten fired based on gossip from co-workers. That just doesn't seem right to me. They have no proof you were doing anything illegal. Anybody could make up whatever lies they wanted to about you at work and tell your boss but your boss can't just fire you based on gossip (I would think). To me it would have made sense if, BASED on what your co-workers were saying, they asked you to take a drug test. If you declined, they could have justifiable reason (maybe) to fire you. And if you did take it and failed, then obviously they are justified in firing you.

Also, do not list this job as a "reference" on any new job applications. References would be people that the prospective employer would call to get details on you. If you worked at that place for a pretty considerable amount of time though, you can still list them as a past employer. Again, I can't verify this 100% but, I have been told that the only things prospective employers can ask about past employers is just to verify the dates that you worked there.

In fact, my friend's mother owns a company, she fired one of her employees. The girl she fired then applied for another job and the prospective employer called her to verify that she did in fact work for her company previously and verified the dates. My friend then told me that her mom said "I really wish I could have told them what a shitty job she did, but I can't" because thats just how it is (I believe). But thats just if you list it as "past employment". Some job applications will ask you why you left your last job. I've embellished a bit on that in the past and nobody ever questioned me. Sometimes they don't call past employers. I would think especially that you are young, they may not even call. Depending on what kind of job you are applying for.

If you are truly concerned then don't list them as a past employer.

You're 17 years old and having a job is a sign of responsibility (though in general its not such a hot idea to talk about illegal activites at work or among co-workers. because people gossip at work and its just kinda stupid in generl....sorry to say but it is.....I mean you kinda set yourself up for this one. In the future you probably should keep your personal life personal :\). Your parents shouldn't be calling them anyway. You're almost an adult and they should treat you that way. Just tell them you quit or something.

If I were you I'd inquire more about if you were justifialby fired. I mean you got fired because people SAID you smoked weed. Nobody drug tested you, nobody found anything ON you...it just doesn't seem like a good enough reason to fire somebody.

Hope I've helped :)
 
as someone one who has done countless interviews and checked with many old emploers all you can ask or answer is the dates they were employed, postion held and whould you re-hire them. if you put someone down as a reference then they can ask more.
 
I have a question. In Alaska, employers are required to give you your last paycheck in 3 days or less after your fired or laid off. I would guess that this doesn't apply when you did an illegal drug. But what about any day that you didn't do anything illegal, do they still owe you money for that?
 
starlightgemini said:
I can't say anything for certain but...I don't know that its very fair for you to have gotten fired based on gossip from co-workers. That just doesn't seem right to me. They have no proof you were doing anything illegal. Anybody could make up whatever lies they wanted to about you at work and tell your boss but your boss can't just fire you based on gossip (I would think). To me it would have made sense if, BASED on what your co-workers were saying, they asked you to take a drug test. If you declined, they could have justifiable reason (maybe) to fire you. And if you did take it and failed, then obviously they are justified in firing you.

Also, do not list this job as a "reference" on any new job applications. References would be people that the prospective employer would call to get details on you. If you worked at that place for a pretty considerable amount of time though, you can still list them as a past employer. Again, I can't verify this 100% but, I have been told that the only things prospective employers can ask about past employers is just to verify the dates that you worked there.

In fact, my friend's mother owns a company, she fired one of her employees. The girl she fired then applied for another job and the prospective employer called her to verify that she did in fact work for her company previously and verified the dates. My friend then told me that her mom said "I really wish I could have told them what a shitty job she did, but I can't" because thats just how it is (I believe). But thats just if you list it as "past employment". Some job applications will ask you why you left your last job. I've embellished a bit on that in the past and nobody ever questioned me. Sometimes they don't call past employers. I would think especially that you are young, they may not even call. Depending on what kind of job you are applying for.

If you are truly concerned then don't list them as a past employer.

You're 17 years old and having a job is a sign of responsibility (though in general its not such a hot idea to talk about illegal activites at work or among co-workers. because people gossip at work and its just kinda stupid in generl....sorry to say but it is.....I mean you kinda set yourself up for this one. In the future you probably should keep your personal life personal :\). Your parents shouldn't be calling them anyway. You're almost an adult and they should treat you that way. Just tell them you quit or something.

If I were you I'd inquire more about if you were justifialby fired. I mean you got fired because people SAID you smoked weed. Nobody drug tested you, nobody found anything ON you...it just doesn't seem like a good enough reason to fire somebody.

Hope I've helped :)
Click to expand...

That is some pretty good damn advice man. You will have to excuse us Northerners, we call everyone "man". Even beautiful ladies such as yourself.;)
 
On paper it does seem possible that you have a claim for wrongful termination, and the advice Starlight gave is sound. I don't know if it's really worth pursuing, though. Put your energy into finding a new job.

Did you sign an employment contract that had an "at-will" clause, i.e. you could leave for any reason (or no reason) at any time and in turn your employer could terminate you for at any reason (or no reason) at any time?

Your employer is required to compensate you for the time you expended on their behalf. I'd call and talk it out with the manager if I were you.

Please use discretion in what you discuss on the job and with whom. This is a really good lesson for you to have learned at just 17.

Lastly, this is my formal request to others in this thread not to call our original poster a "moron" for making a mistake on the job, and then placing enough confidence in our forum and in Bluelight to share their experience. NO PERSONAL ATTACKS.
 
Why were you fired actually? Because they thought you did drugs? Could he have just denyed everything? How can you be fired for hearsay about what you do outside of work?

-poste
 
>>How can you be fired for hearsay about what you do outside of work?

In many States of the Unites States, an employer does not have to give a reason for terminating employment, and in most cases because of litigation fear, they will not.

If the State is a "Right to Work" state (and I'm guessing it is), they can fire anyone so long as they are not a protected minority.

This is of course assuming this took place in the US and in a "Right to Work" state. (Yes the US department of Irony worked overtime coming up with that name)
 
did you sign a "no drug" policy when you applied or were hired. if so then they have the right to fire you, but are legally supposed to drug test you first. it is one of those situations where you could fight it if you wanted probably, but you already said you didn't want your rents to know you smoke pot. well being only 17 you can't hire a lawyer by yourself, and can't go through a legal battle without your parents there. sounds like a shitty situation, i'd just tell your mom and dad that you showed up late too many days or something, and leave it at that. it's amazing what parents actually know, so chances are they know you smoke pot and just haven't said anything about it because they don't feel it has become a problem. Parents have like a 6th sense where they know what is going on in their kids life, whether they are ever told or not. just find a new job and move on. go ahead and use the last job on your applications, just don't use your old boss or anyone there as a reference. places can ask many questions from references, but when they call old jobs they can ask dates of employment, pay, basically the things that you have to fill out on the application anywayz!
 
dude
they cant fire you unless they give you a drug test and you fail. you have been wrongfully fired
 
^^^
Not necessarily. Many company drug policies (mine included) allow for the termination of any employee who is merely even suspected of using drugs.
 
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