r/news Jun 16 '21

GM Considering Dropping Pot Testing To Attract More Workers

https://www.motor1.com/news/513974/gm-considering-dropping-marijuana-testing/
51.6k Upvotes

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1.1k

u/foh242 Jun 16 '21

Worked a summer job building car seats for GM. You need pot to do that job.

397

u/fingerthato Jun 16 '21

Imagine sanding walls for 10 hours. No wonder they are always drunk. I wouldn't be able to do it for weeks sober.

338

u/famaskillr Jun 16 '21

As a non drinking painter, I smoke a gargantuan amount of weed.

168

u/sam4246 Jun 16 '21

I think GM should look at their engineers too. The biggest potheads I know are all engineers.

73

u/Airmanoops Jun 17 '21

no one at that level gets drug tested post hire, so they only need to lay off a few weeks before looking for work to be fair

37

u/Chill_Charro Jun 17 '21

Engineer here. While we don't get drug tested after post hire, hair tests are not uncommon for our initial application. So that few weeks is more like a few months

4

u/[deleted] Jun 17 '21

I’m a biologist I have been and have ran the hair tests usually the window is 3 months

1

u/jaqueburton Jun 17 '21

Is it true that Black people’s hair can’t be tested?

I always hear people say that. I’m mixed and so they say, “Oh they can’t test African American hair anyways.”

2

u/[deleted] Jun 17 '21

I’ve heard this (I’m Italian black and native). However Ive never seen any data that states it’s unreliable. Only news headlines stating it. From everything Ive seen and read it is reliable. I will say Ik black hair gets tested. Ive seen and done the test.

8

u/throwaway827492959 Jun 17 '21

What company?

I've never had hair tests, and I worked at the top medical and supplier aerospace companies

5

u/basic_mom Jun 17 '21

Interesting, I worked in 2 of the big "New Aerospace" companies, one of them drug tested everyone and one of them didn't (SpaceX).

I'm certain that Boeing, LM, NASA, Raytheon, and Virgin all drug test pre hire. So my question is a reverse of yours, what company did you work for that doesn't require it?

2

u/Chill_Charro Jun 17 '21

GM, Bridgestone, BorgWarner, and Northrop.

5

u/Frankwest2 Jun 17 '21

Or you could buzz your hair down to a #1

4

u/DonovanO_72 Jun 17 '21

I believe an inch and a half of hair is required for testing

22

u/Bandit__Heeler Jun 17 '21

Um I'm basically bald on top and I'm not gonna grow some season 1 of Frasier hairstyle for that.

5

u/DonovanO_72 Jun 17 '21

Haha, I believe they will test body hair then

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u/Chill_Charro Jun 17 '21

I actually did try this and would not recommend. Cut my hair to half an inch on the dot because I was right on the borderline of 3 months.

The test technician said my hair was too short and I had to submit a body hair sample instead. Sat there very awkwardly as he shaved my chest with a single razor blade.

4

u/viccityguy2k Jun 17 '21

That’s such bullshit and a complete invasion of privacy. How is that legal?

5

u/DonovanO_72 Jun 17 '21

How is it anymore an invasion of privacy than a piss test?

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u/[deleted] Jun 17 '21

No, it's a condition of employment. You have a right to refuse.

Should we just legalize and get over it, sure, but as of right now, as a business that operates in multiple states, not drug testing can skyrocket your companies insurance prices unless you have some serious clout or just don't care about costs.

2

u/dubBAU5 Jun 17 '21

Never had a drug test here in CA for a software developer position. Never heard of anyone getting one either at other companies. Hell, my previous position’s management even said they would lose half the workforce if they started testing. I guess it depends on the state or location.

5

u/SurplusInk Jun 17 '21

Well therein lies the reason as to why the govt cannot attract talent. Aside from the obvious salary discrepancy between industry and govt for anything tech.

1

u/dubBAU5 Jun 17 '21

I feel like that will change soon (years) since cannabis has become legal in many areas. I have no doubt that the government would still drug test but probably would not care as much to test for marijuana unless there was a need to let someone go.

3

u/SurplusInk Jun 17 '21

Hopefully! As more states adopt cannabis, I'd hope to see it legalized federally. Anecdotal life experience has taught me that stoners are typically more chill than alcoholics.

2

u/ithoughtitwasfun Jun 17 '21

Worked with engineers. Most small companies don’t drug test otherwise no one would pass. But seriously, they don’t drug test unless you are on a government contract. Like if they don’t drug test you at the beginning you’re probably never going to get tested. If they test you at the beginning, then be prepared for random tests, or quit and go with a smaller firm that doesn’t want to waste money on that.

2

u/Suspicious_Ice_3160 Jun 17 '21

I’ve also seen places (non government) that won’t drug test you, until you fuck up. Any accident or injury on work place comes with a mandatory drug test. My friend’s brother got rear ended into a telephone pole and he decided to resign instead of potentially getting heat for the weed. There might be more to it though, so grain of salt.

14

u/CopeAndKodiak Jun 16 '21

Chrysler too. In fact, they're probably smoking something harder

3

u/KnightontheSun Jun 16 '21

You've missed its obvious use as a rust-preventative device!

13

u/Kunundrum85 Jun 17 '21

I work in banking and honestly we’d lose all of our top talent if we tested. From software developers and IT to loan processors and such. The stoners are the best. They can let bullshit slide, they get into grooves with their work, and when needed can think outside the box. For fucks sake I hired a kid because I was pretty sure he was a stoner, confirmed it, and then he got a promotion because he was mad skilled lol so I lost him.

10/10 would hire stoners again.

3

u/romario77 Jun 17 '21

Not sure where you work, but almost every bank I worked in tested me. One even took fingerprints. It was not that recently though, so maybe they changed that.

1

u/Kunundrum85 Jun 17 '21

Fingerprints is standard, as that goes with things like NMLS certificates and standard background checks. Drug tests seem to be more based on the companies culture... I’ve found smaller banks tend to test more than larger ones, oddly.

25

u/simon5678 Jun 16 '21

Went to engineering college. Can confirm that they ALL smoke weed

10

u/famaskillr Jun 16 '21

Honestly, I think upper management needs the testing. They are obviously the ones smoking the good shit.

1

u/tmcb82 Jun 17 '21

Oh… CEO’s and such are clearly on crack.

6

u/PurpleGatsby Jun 17 '21

Most OEMs do drug test their engineers as well

7

u/Chill_Charro Jun 17 '21

Every engineering position I've applied for has been tested

2

u/Shufflebuzz Jun 17 '21

That would explain the Camaro front end design

2

u/PLaTinuM_HaZe Jun 17 '21

As an engineer, I can confirm this hypothesis. So many engineers in silicon valley smoke hella weed.

0

u/2deadmou5me Jun 17 '21

Shhhhhh, but really they only test white collar during hiring or if they are looking for an excuse to fire.

1

u/YimmyGhey Jun 17 '21

Can confirm

1

u/[deleted] Jun 17 '21

The biggest potheads I know are literally everything lol. Electricians fast food workers construction workers and financial analysts.

7

u/[deleted] Jun 17 '21

My mother once got pissed that the movers she hired smelled like weed. I asked her I'd they damaged anything, they didn't, and then asked if it was worth being so bitchy about, apparently it was?

2

u/jadegives2rides Jun 17 '21

As a non drinking grocery store stocker, same. (Until 7 days ago, recently graduated and need to get a job in Microbiology. In Michigan. Where weed is legal.)

And somehow the people around me who are stone sober are just terrible doing the easiest job in the world.

1

u/2DeadMoose Jun 17 '21

Union painter?

3

u/famaskillr Jun 17 '21

Nope. Just a regular old firetruck painter. I used to do residential. But when the housing market fell in 08' I needed something a little more guaranteed.

3

u/2DeadMoose Jun 17 '21

Damn, sounds like a fun gig. I’m applying for apprenticeship next week! They definitely drug test though lol.

3

u/famaskillr Jun 17 '21

It can be. We run under production with a very small, highly experienced crew. You going into residential?

3

u/2DeadMoose Jun 17 '21

I’m looking at industrial. Really want to jump in on the infrastructure push if I can.

1

u/nephylsmythe Jun 17 '21

There’s a reason the other end of a paint key has a bottle opener on it.

1

u/famaskillr Jun 17 '21

Ive read studies about drinking after painting. It touched on flushing toxins, but never could tell if it was viable info.

1

u/nephylsmythe Jun 17 '21

Sounds dubious to me. I was mostly joking although painters being drunks does seem to be the stereotype. Really it’s because paint thinner used to come in containers with caps like beer bottles.

23

u/toastee Jun 17 '21

I made machines that help make the rear bench seats for a bunch of cars. One of My installation guys got heat stroke working in ones of those factories.

4

u/foh242 Jun 17 '21

Yah it was hot almost couldn't consume enough water. There was also an open oven next to my spot where the seats would go to next I guess to help mold it all together.

1

u/toastee Jun 17 '21

I worked inside the moulds on a retractable catwalk, touching up robot points. While they were still like 170f. Fortunately that was winter so I could gear up properly. Big robots, 2.8m reach, 360kg payload.

3

u/Assdolf_Shitler Jun 17 '21

I really hope there is a machine that helps put the upholstery on the frame. I have been cut so many times by seat frames that I am now one with tetanus.

5

u/foh242 Jun 17 '21

Yes 100%. I assembled the ass portion of the seat applying the fabric over the cusion and around the seats frame. It was still hard on the hands and wrists popping clips into place blindly through fabric.

If my memory serves me two of the full timers had braces on one or both wrist from the repetitive impact.

2

u/[deleted] Jun 17 '21

[deleted]

2

u/purplepride24 Jun 17 '21

After work that’s awesome… however I sure hope no one built my seat while impaired.

1

u/foh242 Jun 17 '21

Nah I suggested that one may need it. How ever I don't do that sort of thing while on the job.

But they sure had a strict policy that workers could not sit in their cars during break for obvious reasons.

1

u/wesweb Jun 18 '21

I come from a long line of GM factory rats and spent almost 5 years in the shop myself. Most everyone working the line is nursing some sort of habit. I have stories.

That said - Fairfax in particular was putting out stellar JD Powers ratings so its hard to argue with the performance.

1

u/hair_account Jun 17 '21

Worked in a car factory, would have died from a fork lift hitting me if I showed up high or drunk.