don't fire the pot-smoking manager!

[PepperElf]

however in this case... if the manager was only smoking at home, how would the boss know about it?

that's why im thinking his smoking wasn't as discrete as what the LW claimed it to be

[DrFaroohk]

Depends on the community. If it's a small area, and people gossip, everyone's gonna know what everyone is doing, no matter how discreet you think you are. Hell, someone could have just made that up because they didn't like the way he handled something - maybe he banned an unruly guest from the grounds - so some disgruntled tenant just started flinging poo and some of it happened to stick.

It should come down to this: Is there a direct link between the manager's smoking pot and his work? Are there records and documentation of his having fouled up some piece of machinery or done a shitty paint job on something, due to his being high all day?

One of the comments on the original link said "how do we know he wasn't smoking at work"? Which is just wrong. The burden of proof is not on him to prove he wasn't, it's on the accuser to prove he was. Innocent until proven guilty. I realize that's a constitutional law, and not for private work place, but it's still a good idea and generally acceptable way of handling things.

[BlaqueKatt]

yeah it's legal in some states like california where you can get it for "medicinal" purposes, usually for pain.

not really-federal law trumps state law-the feds have "raided" the medical marijuana "dispensaries" and charged the workers with trafficking....

[Shangri-laschild]

If the guy does his job then he shouldn't be fired for smoking weed. All drugs should be legal anyways. If I want to do something to myself I should be able to do it no matter what prudes think about it.

What should be legal is different than what is at times. Even if something shouldn't be illegal, it doesn't change that he was doing something illegal at work. This gives his boss every right to fire him. And yes, if he was doing that on the job, it is completely their business. Him doing it at his house on his own time is different than doing it on the job or out in public.

[elsporko]

You shouldn't do it at work if it effects your job no. However doing drugs could actually increase a person's productibility. Racism was a part of cocaine becoming illegal, it was common for black longshoremen to use it to allow them to get more work done and whitey didn't like this.

[Shangri-laschild]

You shouldn't do it at work if it effects your job no. However doing drugs could actually increase a person's productibility. Racism was a part of cocaine becoming illegal, it was common for black longshoremen to use it to allow them to get more work done and whitey didn't like this.

If it's against policy or illegal, then they have every right to fire him even if it improved his productivity. And even with improved productivity, there are reasons why I can understand them firing him. Lets say something happened and it came out that they knew he was under the influence at work. Could that make any law suits worse? That's just one example, but if he knew the rules and broke them, then he should have been ready to accept any consequenses of that.

[Nyoibo]

Um, quick question, but when did it come to light that he was under the influence while working?

Or is this just being inferred?

[DrFaroohk]

I think some people are under the impression that those of us who choose to partake in the maryjane must do so all day. Because its impossible that we only do it at home before bed, or right after dinner or whatever.

And if it medicinal, well you can pretty much do it whenever - shit people can take vicodin in the middle of the day at work as long as the doctor says its ok.

[Shangri-laschild]

I think some people are under the impression that those of us who choose to partake in the maryjane must do so all day. Because its impossible that we only do it at home before bed, or right after dinner or whatever.

And if it medicinal, well you can pretty much do it whenever - shit people can take vicodin in the middle of the day at work as long as the doctor says its ok.

Granted I'm assuming that they caught him smoking at work, but usually if you get caught doing something, you get suspended and then actually fired once you've been convicted. I could be wrong but getting fired for something you haven't been convicted of could leave the employer wide open for trouble (correct me if I'm wrong on that one and granted at will states maybe not as much) not to mention they're more likely to catch him doing it at work than at home. Again still possible, just not as much. I was more trying to direct my argument towards the aspect of him smoking at work at worded it as more of a given than an if.

Some people can function just fine on certain medications. When I was in a car accident and given vicodin and muscle relaxers, so long as I didn't take them together, I could function just fine. But since my job has a policy against taking that stuff while on the job, they would have every right to fire me if I came into work after taking them.

[Greenday]

And if it medicinal, well you can pretty much do it whenever - shit people can take vicodin in the middle of the day at work as long as the doctor says its ok.

Except it's still against the law to drive a vehicle while taking drugs...

I think people are ignoring the facts. He was fired for smoking weed. Meaning he didn't hide it well. Meaning he had to be doing it at work or else management wouldn't have had evidence to fire him. Logic, it's a bitch.

[DrFaroohk]

But that's not a fact. We don't know he was at work. We don't know anything. We know he got fired for smoking pot. That's it.

How do you know his employers didn't break into his house and search it, discovering the pot? How do you know that a disgruntled tenant he evicted was just slinging bullshit and some of it happened to stick? We don't know, and I prefer to give people the benefit of the doubt. Naive maybe, but as the saying goes, I'd rather let a bunch of guilty people walk than I would see an innocent man get screwed. Yeah this guy wasn't innocent, but I tend to sympathize with the pot smokers anyway, because as someone who actually has experience with the plant I can testify to the fact that it doesn't do NEARLY as much bad shit to people as the anti-druggies pretend it does.

[Greenday]

How do you know his employers didn't break into his house and search it, discovering the pot? How do you know that a disgruntled tenant he evicted was just slinging bullshit and some of it happened to stick?

Because they'd be in jail and that kind of thing tends to get publicized.

Because if it was a lie, the guy wouldn't have gotten fired for it. Upper-management people aren't stupid. People don't get fired just because of one accusation. They probably demanded a piss test and he probably failed, because he DOES do drugs.

[Nyoibo]

People don't get fired just because of one accusation.

Bwahahahahaha.........hahahahahaha, where is this magical happy land you live in and what are the living expenses like?