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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Would You Drug Test Your Assistant?
Unregistered 12:26 PM 11-06-2013
I don't want to get too far into it, but I am on specific medications and I have been weaning myself off of them pretty well over the past few weeks. Today I had to take one and I realized my bottles are containing far fewer meds than they should be. I don't know for sure that the assistant took them, and I don't want to assume, but I know it wasn't anyone in my house and the only family members that know I'm on these particular medications are my parents who live in another state. I feel saddened and betrayed. I have really come to love my assistant and I don't want to believe she has a problem-- or even would sell them-- but who else could it be? I'm rambling because I don't even know what to do. I don't even know how to approach it... 
Blackcat31 12:30 PM 11-06-2013
Shouldn't any prescription medications be kept in a locked cabinet so they unavailable to ANYONE in the child care?
I think that you would be better off just removing the ability to access your medications verses drug testing your assistant.
What if she didn't take anything? That trust will be forever tainted.
I'd just remove them from being available to ANYONE other than yourself and move on.
I think that you would be better off just removing the ability to access your medications verses drug testing your assistant.
What if she didn't take anything? That trust will be forever tainted.
I'd just remove them from being available to ANYONE other than yourself and move on.
craftymissbeth 12:33 PM 11-06-2013
Is it a drug that is typically even tested for?
Personally, I would not drug test my assistant in this situation. I would simply lock my medications up (ideally they should be anyway) and move on. I'm not saying she didn't do it, but i wonder how you would even approach the subject without being offensive.... yes, it would be very wrong if she stole your meds, but what would happen to your business relationship if it turns out she didn't do it?
This has to be a tough spot to be in!
Personally, I would not drug test my assistant in this situation. I would simply lock my medications up (ideally they should be anyway) and move on. I'm not saying she didn't do it, but i wonder how you would even approach the subject without being offensive.... yes, it would be very wrong if she stole your meds, but what would happen to your business relationship if it turns out she didn't do it?
This has to be a tough spot to be in!
Sugar Magnolia 01:17 PM 11-06-2013
Yep. Lock up your.drugs. Easy fix.
daycare 01:32 PM 11-06-2013
BTW are you certain that there is no one else in your home that would take them? Do you have school agers? Prescription meds are now the number one street drug these days, because they are so easy to get a hold of.
Like others said, move them. They should not be in your DC area and if they are locked as they should be or inaccessible to the DC areas then this would not be an issue.
If you are doubting your assistant, then maybe you need to ask yourself if this is the right person for your DC. I would trust all of my asst with my whole life. IN fact, they take care of my home and pets when I am gone./ All of them have a key to my house...
If someone all of a sudden asked me to take a drug test, I would be pretty offended
Like others said, move them. They should not be in your DC area and if they are locked as they should be or inaccessible to the DC areas then this would not be an issue.
If you are doubting your assistant, then maybe you need to ask yourself if this is the right person for your DC. I would trust all of my asst with my whole life. IN fact, they take care of my home and pets when I am gone./ All of them have a key to my house...
If someone all of a sudden asked me to take a drug test, I would be pretty offended
TwinKristi 01:37 PM 11-06-2013
If you're talking about opiates, than yes, I would do a random drug test for opiates, if it's another type of medication it could be hard to test. If she declines than fire her, it's sort of an admission of guilt right there. But as the other said, your medications should be locked up and inaccessible to anyone, your assistant or your daycare kids.
craftymissbeth 02:16 PM 11-06-2013
Originally Posted by TwinKristi:
If you're talking about opiates, than yes, I would do a random drug test for opiates, if it's another type of medication it could be hard to test. If she declines than fire her, it's sort of an admission of guilt right there. But as the other said, your medications should be locked up and inaccessible to anyone, your assistant or your daycare kids.
That's not necessarily an admission of guilt. If I were the assistant in this instance I would be offended if I were randomly asked to be drug tested... even if my boss didn't tell me they think I'm stealing their medications. I would feel like she doesn't trust my character and believes that I'm off doing drugs in my spare time. If you're talking about opiates, than yes, I would do a random drug test for opiates, if it's another type of medication it could be hard to test. If she declines than fire her, it's sort of an admission of guilt right there. But as the other said, your medications should be locked up and inaccessible to anyone, your assistant or your daycare kids.
IMO op needs to reconsider whether this is someone she trusts to work for her.
ETA: I forgot to say that if I were the assistant I would decline the drug test no matter what... especially if this is a random request and it was not part of the initial job requirements.
Blackcat31 02:16 PM 11-06-2013
Originally Posted by TwinKristi:
If you're talking about opiates, than yes, I would do a random drug test for opiates, if it's another type of medication it could be hard to test. If she declines than fire her, it's sort of an admission of guilt right there. But as the other said, your medications should be locked up and inaccessible to anyone, your assistant or your daycare kids.
I disagree with this. Declining a request for a drug test that wasn't/isn't mandatory to the job would not immediately mean guilt. If you're talking about opiates, than yes, I would do a random drug test for opiates, if it's another type of medication it could be hard to test. If she declines than fire her, it's sort of an admission of guilt right there. But as the other said, your medications should be locked up and inaccessible to anyone, your assistant or your daycare kids.
I would decline. I've never taken a drug in my life. Other than an antibiotic and/or an occasional Tylenol.
As a matter of fact, I would quit on the spot if an employer asked me AFTER being on the job for awhile to take a drug test. Unless random (and/or planned) drug testing is part of the job description there is NO way anyone has a right to ask anyone else to take a drug test IMHO.
Plus, what if the assistant is currently taking prescription medication too? Legally prescribed by her own doctor....how would OP be able to differentiate between what was hers and what belonged to the assistant already?