Rookie mistake. Failed drug test

Don’t panic, I haven’t been on the meth!

So had an assessment this morning for a large company who do work for a large supermarket.

All going well, good money on offer and job the same as I currently do. Before we go out on the road, a quick D&A test.

No problem I said, got nothing to hide!

First up, breathalyser. Passed with flying colours. Then off I pop for a pee.

Waiting about 5 minutes for th results, again, fully confident this would be a foregone conclusion and… “Looks like you have failed”

A look of shock on my face, I ask how. And they say opiates. Well I am certainly no bag head, I’m even in a short sleeve polo fgs!

Then I remembered. Wednesday night while working a tooth that has given me bother for a fair few months flares up. Agony. So I finish my shift, go home and take a couple of 8mg cocodamol and blather my tooth in oragel. Go to sleep, wake up and take 2 more. By the time I start the night shift the pain has gone, at least enough that a couple nurofen do the job.

Think nothing of it because, why on earth would you? It’s an over the counter medication and is perfect for toothache.

However it just cost me a job where I would likely have taken home £35-40k on Class 2. Obviously I am gutted but it’s not the end of the world. Thousands of jobs out there and I of course have my current job.

The worst part is, it was a very faint line that showed indicating very low levels detected and the assessor said as much. Fully accepted my reasons stated above but was bound by the company policy. Had I waited until tomorrow, I would have passed without issue.

One of those things but for any newbies out there, just be careful what you take, even if it’s over the counter and full legal. Can you manage off a couple of paracetamol instead? Especially if a job is on the horizon.

Thing is, if I passed and was tested as an employee, I’d be able to request the sample was sent off for further testing and been shown to have just taken a couple of cocodamol.

Did you have the option of having the company send off the sample for analysis and you pay for it :question:

ROG:
Did you have the option of having the company send off the sample for analysis and you pay for it :question:

No. I did wonder when I got home if it was something I could have asked for.

It may not rule you out going back later, because they will know about things like poppy seeds which can trigger a fail. Probably unlikely to investigate for anyone but an existing full time employee wanting to appeal.

Good news. Going back next Friday to redo the assessment. Agency spoke with them and they have accepted it was just codeine.

Also, got a call of Royal Mail yesterday and starting the process for them. Not sure I will pass the security as my address history has been a bit all over the place since splitting with my ex a few years ago. Spent time of friends sofas and so on. Still, worth a try.

I haven’t worked for RM myself but I would have thought that your address history would be small potatoes compared to their insistence on a DBS check (not that I’m saying this applies to you) which TTBOMK is merely the basic DBS but I’m sure others here will have more direct evidence of their systems.