I had a customer tell me that where he works they have a designated smoking area. One day the safety inspector saw him using his E-Cig amongst all the smokers and approached him about it. The next day he had to provide the documentation that came with his E-Cig. In the next two weeks to follow he was called in three times to submit to a drug test. After finding nothing in the drug tests he was required to provide a bottle of e-liquid to the safety inspector so they could send it out for testing "to make sure there are no illegal chemicals" in it. Do any of you know anyone else that has had to go through this in the workplace?
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Nope, and it sounds like harassment to me. Why is the company spending so much money trying to find out if he is doing something illegal? Is there another motive perhaps?
According to him it is just that the safety inspector is not familiar at all with the E-Cig and has doubts that it is not harmful or illegal. I said to him, "What the hell, when you had to take the drug tests you should have come up with a lot less chemicals in your system then the smokers." Then again, they are probably only testing for certain things and maybe they think there is a drug in this that they don't test for?
I have not had anything like this happen. Quite to the contrary, my vaping has been completely accepted at work, at my desk even.
What I would have when I was asked for the e-cig documentation, I would provided it, along with Michael Seigels report and some other documentation from the CASAA website and a small bottle of juice (one that had appropriate labeling). I would have sat with the safety officer and thoroughly explained to him what it is, how it works until he was simply bored to death dying to get me out of his office.
Companies are taking safety very seriously lately, mostly due to worker negligence and disregard for safety protocols. I do not work in safety, however I can fully see the challenges they face trying to keep employees compliant. I can imagine that seeing someone "smoking" something as alien as an e-cig would prompt further questioning, they are just doing their job. Think about it, we now have people snorting bath salts for crying out loud!! Who knows what else is going on? Seeing a PV for the first time definitely raises eyebrows, especially if it some sort of modded unit, and we are talking about someone whose sole job is to watch for safety issues. Him being a little proactive in providing all of the info when first asked might, and I say MIGHT, have circumvented being asked for drug tests.
What I would have when I was asked for the e-cig documentation, I would provided it, along with Michael Seigels report and some other documentation from the CASAA website and a small bottle of juice (one that had appropriate labeling). I would have sat with the safety officer and thoroughly explained to him what it is, how it works until he was simply bored to death dying to get me out of his office.
Companies are taking safety very seriously lately, mostly due to worker negligence and disregard for safety protocols. I do not work in safety, however I can fully see the challenges they face trying to keep employees compliant. I can imagine that seeing someone "smoking" something as alien as an e-cig would prompt further questioning, they are just doing their job. Think about it, we now have people snorting bath salts for crying out loud!! Who knows what else is going on? Seeing a PV for the first time definitely raises eyebrows, especially if it some sort of modded unit, and we are talking about someone whose sole job is to watch for safety issues. Him being a little proactive in providing all of the info when first asked might, and I say MIGHT, have circumvented being asked for drug tests.
My employer, as well as my industry in general, is notorious for random drug testing as well as trying to eliminate employees, sometimes with reckless abandon. I have smoked my PV on numerous occasions at the workplace, and I have been met with nothing but positivity as well as praise in a lot of instances. It's a shame that companies feel the need to suspect that an employee trying to better his quality of life (not to mention probably lower his insurance premiums to both himself and his company) would be scrutinized in this way. My company, Caesars Ent., fully supports and okay's the use of PV devices, even in designated non-smoking areas both on the casino floor as well as in back of the house areas.
I wonder what he was using? A Provari with a Clearomizer on it would look rather ominous. It just doesn't look very legal. That is why I use my white 510 at work. No one even notices it. Of course, my Ego is always waiting for me in the car.
Sure, I'll bring in a bottle, when you provide a check to pay for it and a court order. Sounds like he's gone above and beyond the requirements the company would normally require, do they make people bring in samples of their coffee to prove it's just coffee?
I could see maybe one urine sample since it was something the safety inspector was not familiar with at all. But then again, he is the safety inspector. As his job he should have done the research on his own. I think 3 tests and then providing a bottle of liquid was a bit above and beyond what should have been required.
Good idea Ruben. Too late though. He gave an 18mg tobacco blend. They still aren't going to find anything wrong with that in testing.
I think it's normal to maybe feel a bit persecuted, but really, this dude was doing his job. It would seem to me he was more than a bit suspicious about what exactly was in it, and there may have been cause for this. Having dealt with quite a few safety officers, they dont normally single out like that unless there is good reason.
Edit: the reason may have been as simple as him doing a google search only to find that in California, where medical ......... is legal, they use PV's to vaporize that liquid, which would indeed be illegal here.
Edit: the reason may have been as simple as him doing a google search only to find that in California, where medical ......... is legal, they use PV's to vaporize that liquid, which would indeed be illegal here.
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It just appears to be lack of knowledge on the safety inspectors part. He asked for documentation. It was provided. He required three drug tests. The guy had no issue with that. Then he wanted a bottle of liquid. It just seems to be a bit overboard. The inspector should have done some research on his own. You could say that as a safety precaution he needs to know what is in the liquid but if that is the case, he should also be testing the cigarette of every person smoking. Many make their own cigarettes. There could be anything in them.
See, that attitude inlies the persecution. If they do it to me, then they should do it to everyone. They only did it to him because he was smoking from an unknown object, with unknown substances. It may be just that simple. He was doing his job. Now they have tested everything they can test, if they continue to bother him, then I would agree it's harrassment at which point I would go to HR and make a formal complaint.
If its not in there book then you must be guilty until proven innocent. And usualy you don't get a chance to prove ypur innocence. Guesse they gotta justify their job in the first place. Makes them feel special.
Then perhaps he should also be checking those cigarette smokers. How's to say they don't have illegal substance packed in too?
It's ridiculous unless he does it to everyone. They refer to actions such as this discrimination.
However, with employers as ruthless and as uncaring about their employess as they appear today, if you "buck" the system, you could find yourself unemployed quickly. There are NO decent standards today and there is certainly no loyalty from most employers. Sad commentary on our world today.
It's ridiculous unless he does it to everyone. They refer to actions such as this discrimination.
However, with employers as ruthless and as uncaring about their employess as they appear today, if you "buck" the system, you could find yourself unemployed quickly. There are NO decent standards today and there is certainly no loyalty from most employers. Sad commentary on our world today.
Hmm, documentation, liquid -- if he asks for a battery and charger next, he may be trying to get his wife to kick the habit 
I understand that your friend is doing the right thing as far as wanting to keep his job, but what his company is doing is borderline harassment. They have no right to ask for a sample of anything, especially when 15 minutes of online research would validate the process. Drug screenings mandated by contract or company policy is one thing, but they have no right to make your friend produce samples of anything.
As far as I'm concerned, this would be like accusing a diabetic of intravenous drug use because he or she was seen giving themselves an insulin. Provide documentation? Sure. Hand over personal property for "testing?" Take a hike.
Oh, and they damned well better be paying him if he's taking time off the job for those 3 drug tests.
As far as I'm concerned, this would be like accusing a diabetic of intravenous drug use because he or she was seen giving themselves an insulin. Provide documentation? Sure. Hand over personal property for "testing?" Take a hike.
Oh, and they damned well better be paying him if he's taking time off the job for those 3 drug tests.
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Wooot! I'd have SO MUCH fun taking that ....... to court! Not familiar with it? He'd better familiarize REAL QUICK if it was me! lol
Sounds like HARRASSMENT. There is NO REASON he should have to go through all of that. RIDICULOUS. Hearing about this just plain pisses me off for the poor guy. Tell him to threaten harassment.
I have to be honest, I sort of worried that someone would think I had an illegal substance in this thing when I started vaping. I mean, for someone who has no clue what an e-cig is, you have to admit it looks sort of fishy. Clouds of smoke/vapor coming out of a metal tube?
On the other hand, it's sort of funny. But I guess I'm still in the newbie "totally excited and can't wait to tell my story" phase. I would love to share my story with my employers and I'd hand over anything they wanted (temporarily of course). Of course, I work for a hospital and we have to go down to the basement "atrium" to smoke. It's very cold, scary, and dark.....
On the other hand, it's sort of funny. But I guess I'm still in the newbie "totally excited and can't wait to tell my story" phase. I would love to share my story with my employers and I'd hand over anything they wanted (temporarily of course). Of course, I work for a hospital and we have to go down to the basement "atrium" to smoke. It's very cold, scary, and dark.....
Personally I agree, but it's probably not worth it. It's unfortunate because they have the guy by the throat. If you exercise your personal right and tell them it's none of there business, they can just come back and say your being suspicious. They'll probably go into company policy and ban there use on the grounds, and make the guys work environment miserable.
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