Drug tests/Employment

[Griffin (OP)]

I have an interview with walmart tomorrow and they are drug testing me after the interview. They said having misdemeanors are fine which is good because what I read online said otherwise. I really hope I can get a job here. I was just denied a manager position because of my 3 misdemeanors at a fast food place that I have been working at for a year. I hate the job and am having trouble finding anything at all even minimum wage jobs. I am getting more depressed each day.

I was denied the manager position when I first started because I was still on probation. They just did another back ground check and decided sense I got new charges they deemed me ineligible for a shift manager position. The manager there loves me because I work hard and said she will go above the HR people but it is unlikely that she can do anything for me. She is giving me a small raise and making me a certified trainer so I will be making slightly above minimum wage. I can't get 40 hours a week and I can't stand working there. It is getting worse everyday I can't listen to music anymore so I have to just sweat it out to the sound of the oven.


My questions are does methadone show up on regular employment drug screens? What does it show up as? Will showing I have a prescription through the clinic be seen as I am an addict? Should I tell them before the drug test that I am prescribed to it? Do you think it will negatively impact my chances at getting the job? They pay $2/hr more than minimum wage and guarantee 40 hours and if I can't get a job at walmart that is going to fuck my confidence up badly. I know it is only walmart but I need something different before I lose my mind. I lost the job I love when I got arrested for the methadone DUI.

I am having a hard time with being denied everywhere because of my record. I know everyone says their charges are bullshit but I feel I got railroaded on mine. I have a DUI for being on methadone, misdemeanor possession for having my prescribed anxiety meds in my blood pressure bottle while I was driving to another state for a trip to see my family. I packed at 5 am and didn't think about it. I also have a misdemeanor DV harassment charge from 2013 for calling my girlfriend with no purpose or intent of actual conversation while me and her were breaking up.

I am having trouble making ends meet and am just struggling with everything right now. I lost everything when I got arrested for the methadone dui and possession. I lost my apartment, job, license, financial aid for school, and I am making half of what I was before plus no financial aid from school. I am slowly getting everything back but it is a struggle. My landlord just sold the house I am living in now so I have to find something else in my price range which is very difficult and stressful. Everyone does background checks and they don't want to rent to a "druggie".

 I feel I have applied for 1000+ jobs and have found nothing and I am still trying to appeal my financial aid suspension to see if I can get back in school. Getting back in school is the most important thing to me right now. I have been so depressed I am having trouble getting the appeal finished and turned in to see if I will be approved or denied. I think I'm scared that if I get denied I will lose it. Sorry for the rant I am just kind of breaking right now. I always get depressed when it starts getting cold but I am clean and I will just have to push through whatever happens.

Any info on the questions I had would be great. I just want to be as prepared as possible so I have a better chance at getting a job. I am just going to pray I get the job and that my financial aid gets approved so I will be where I want to be. If neither happens I will just have to continue trying until they both happen. I don't know what else to do. I just want everything to work out and want to have a game plan as far as what I should do about the drug test and if I need to inform the people on interviews about it. It is hard enough explaining my record I don't want to explain why I am on methadone. I feel like I am losing this war so if you got any ideas or recommendations I am all ears.


Thanks for listening, any advice is much appreciated sorry for the whiny rant.


Griffin

[Faded]

You're all good man. Don't say anything about your methadone. It is fully synthetic and will not show up on a standard NIDA-5 test.

I worked in a walmart warehouse a couple years ago and being on stable on methadone allowed me to quickly move up the ladder a bit due to the fact that it gave me great endurance and energy longevity when working long shifts.

I think you're referring to the store itself, but either way, good luck with the job. Your piss test will be fine if that's all you've been taking is methadone.

[Z]

Yeah, methadone doesn't show as opiates on a dip test.  It will show as methadone (strangely enough), but usually is only on custom made dip tests.

You can get these dip tests custom made with your choice of tests, but most places just use standard tests.  Check this out for example:  http://www.drugcheck.com/dc_dip.html

[razor girl]

I was drug tested once a while ago when I went from temp to perm at a certain unnamed biotech firm (named Celera Genomics) (huge pay cut, no OT) while on 80 mgs of methadone (legal/klinik) so I got a letter from the klinik saying it was legit, put it in my pocket and heard nothing about it either way for a week or two.  I was in HR at some point and saw someone who I knew, she'd been in the game or knew it and was really cool so I asked, "I'm on done, am I going to hear about this later or am I OK?" and she goes "oh, we don't even test for that stuff, we're looking for drugs like marijuana".  I must admit I was speechless, so I didn't say anything -this was of course good news but WTF? 

[Griffin (OP)]

Awesome thanks for the input everyone that definitely makes me feel a lot better. I did not want to explain that on top of my misdemeanors so that is good news. I hope I get the job I am over qualified so it would definitely come down to them accepting my criminal record. I hope benzos don't show I have a prescription for them but haven't taken them sense last Monday so almost 2 weeks. I just don't want to bring any prescription verifications in.

 I didn't think methadone would come up on a standard drug test. Probation didn't ask me about it when I got back on MMT. I told them after I had already taken 5-6 drug tests when I had my next appointment after restarting because I didn't want to get a hot UA and a warrant sent out. Probation actually does test for it I don't know why they didn't ask me. I got switched to be supervised by a private company and they only make me take my monthly test at the clinic which is covered by medicaid. I was doing anywhere from 2-5 a month when I was being supervised by the state. That saves me $20-$50 a month just on drug tests plus a bunch of time and headaches because I no longer have to call every day.

 I am not going to take benzos anymore or at least try to last as long as I can without them. I usually only get enough to last me a few days each month but I got a bunch for free and an extra prescription of valium when I ran out. I wasn't paying attention to how many days in a row I had taken them it was a little more than 3 weeks and I ended up in withdrawal. I am going to try to cut them out for good. They only cause drama and my sleep patterns get back to normal after a few weeks of not taking them but the week after I take them and run out I can't sleep.

They do their background checks through an outside company like most places so hopefully I find out soon whether or not I am eligible for employment there. I like having a new job and training I can't fuck up because I don't know what I am doing so I like that part about it. Learning something new and being in a different environment usually makes the time go by faster as well at least for the first few weeks. Wish me luck hopefully I can start it in time to get some days off to visit my family for christmas.

[theSWPK]

Why not just substitute with clean or synthetic urine?

[dizzle]

I'd be more worried about the benzo's than the done.


why not just substitute?

[Z]

Why risk getting caught substituting if you don't need to though?

[Jega]

Why risk getting caught substituting if you don't need to though?

Addiction.  It's a bitch isn't it.

[Griffin (OP)]

I just took the test I am not worried about the done. I do not think they will spend the money to test for it sense they test everyone they interview. Interview went good they offered me the job as long as my background check and ua check out. Can failing for benzos even if I have a prescription for it rule me out? Is there not a law about this kind of stuff no discrimination of medical necessities or something.

[Narkotikon]

Even if you were to test pos for benzos, you'd be okay b/c you have a script for them.  You'd just have to show them the script bottle. 

I worked for Wal-Mart as a 3rd shift stocker for a month and a half in 2008.  I hated every fucking minute of that job.  There are several reasons.  I ended up not going back.  I saw some fucked up shit while I was there.  And half of the other stockers were ignorant bigots. 

I needed the money at the time to pay for my first Sub doctor and the Sub script.  I had saved some, and ended up having him give me a taper script.  After they ran out, I just went back to using PST whenever I could. 

I wish you good luck, but I fucking hate Wal-Mart.  Hopefully you'll like it more than I do. 

I also agree with being fucked by having a record.  It used to be that felonies prevented you from being hired.  Now it's any little thing, especially if you don't admit it.  A lot of times even if you do.  I interviewed at Starbucks in 2008 too.  I have a BA and had two other jobs prior to that.  They wouldn't hire me b/c of my record.  A fucking college grad with honors isn't even good enough to make coffee.      

[Chip]

fuck that's rough Nark.

a BA not good enough to make coffee ?

What's the world coming to ?

good luck Griffin.

[Griffin (OP)]

Man that is crazy nark! I can't believe I can't be a shift manager making 10 an hour at a fast food pizza place because of a misdemeanor it is ridiculous. After being denied that and a bunch of other jobs my self confidence is pretty low. It is so hard to get by on minimum wage, I couldn't imagine having a felony and how hard it is. Even getting housing for me is really hard, I have a huge respect for felons who have gotten off paper and are successful because they had to put a lot of effort in every little thing they did.

 I can't stress enough how important it is to not take the first plea deal when you get arrested that is what started this whole mess for me. Everyone was telling me not to but I was so sick that as long as it got me out of jail I would sign whatever. They gave me 18 months probation and it cost me about $3000. Every lawyer I spoke to after I took the deal said that they could of gotten me off and that the charge is BS that goes against the first amendment and they throw that out there when they have nothing on you. The statute said what I did so I didn't think I would get off when I was in jail. It says you can't make a call without purpose or intent of actual conversation and they had my phone with the text messages of us bitching at each other. No threats were made that is why I didn't get a higher charge. You can get the same charge for calling someone to much or calling them to late or early in the day.

 It led to my second arrest I only had a month and half left of my original probation when I got arrested. Since I was on probation there are no search and seizure laws so even though they had to reason to search me they did. They found my methadone and that I had my anxiety meds in my blood pressure meds bottle. Even though I had a prescription for everything I couldn't prove it in jail. Them seeing the methadone made me get the DUI as well.

I was charged with felony possession, and felony intent to distribute along with 2 misdemeanors one for dui and one for probation violation. When I got out and got the prescriptions they lowered it to misdemeanor possession. My public defender told me it was dropped and I was only getting charged with the DUI. I didn't know about it until 30 minutes until I had to plead guilty for it in court. It was a 7 hour round trip that I couldn't afford and I didn't have ac I had already been there 3 times. I took it because they weren't going to drop it because it is still a misdemeanor for having it in the wrong bottle. The charge states that there was no factual basis for the charge which is ridiculous that I can be charged for something that has no factual basis but it is what it is.


I will know by next Friday if my background check passes. I figured walmart would suck I will be starting out doing maintenance but it is better than what I am doing now. I will be getting more money and more hours and the work is easier. I already work with a bunch of idiots so that won't be new. I can switch to a different position after 90 days and I figure that being in a huge place will make the time go by faster especially sense the job is so broad. Being in a tiny pizza place next to an over makes time drag on it is not worth the money. I really hope I get the job and then if I get back in school it wont be an issue because I will be part time. Thanks for all the advice I will post if I get the job so if anyone else is wondering about working there with misdemeanors they will know. My charges aren't violent or for theft so hopefully that makes me eligible.


Griffin

[Narkotikon]

When I got hired at Wal-Mart I had 2 DUI's, 2 reckless driving charges, 1 obstruction of justice charge, and 1 assault charge.  I'm not going into details as to why.  Thankfully I've not had any charges in 8 years. Hell, I don't leave the house enough to get charged with anything. 

Wal-Mart sucked for the following reasons: 

One assistant manager was horrible.  He told me to put some returned items back on the shelves.  Some were okay, some were not.  For instance, there was a can of Betty Crocker frosting that had been cracked and partially open.  It was visibly leaking icing and was completely sticky.  I asked him if I should put it back on the shelf, and he said I was to put everything on.  I did it, but felt bad for doing it.  I mean, why in the hell would anyone want to buy that?  And why would you wanna put something that is gonna draw bugs on your shelves?  It was just gross and insane. 

One of my male co-stockers was in his early-60's.  He was a complete busy body, and bossy.  He always tried to get me to work in his aisle.  Sometimes he'd ask the assistant managers to ask me to work in his aisle.  Each aisle had two stockers.  One worked one side, the other the other.  This co-stocker tried to tell me how to open boxes.  The way he did it.  I said I'd rather do it my way.  He also worked slowly, and therefore tried to pawn his work onto me.  One night I eventually left and went to another aisle.  He kept coming to my new aisle being all passive-aggressive and pissy.  Saying things like he needed me in HIS aisle.  How I was supposed to be in HIS aisle.  How he was going to tell the assistant managers that I wasn't in HIS aisle.  I just kept stocking and ignoring him.  He must have come to my aisle at least five times.  Lazy fucker. 

A female co-stocker had the nerve to ask me how much money I made.  She was telling me she had worked at Wal-Mart since she was 18, didn't have a college degree, and that she made 11.25 per hour.  I said I made 11.25 an hour too, which was true.  She got pissed.  She said it wasn't fair that a new hire made the same as her.  Well, there a good reason for that bitch!  I graduated with honors from a good college and had my BA.  I also had two professional jobs prior to that.  I was also on 3rd shift which gets a higher pay rate than 1st or 2nd.  All of those bumped me up to a higher pay grade.  I guess she never heard of not asking someone what they make.      

The last straw was when that frosting assistant manager threw a damned box of cookies at me.  I guess he thought I wasn't moving fast enough.  That was it.  I'm not going to tolerate being abused, either directly or indirectly, at my job.  When I left that night, I never went back. 

I hated that fucking place.  Like I said, I worked there for a month and a half.  It just wasn't worth it IMO.  I came home every single morning bitching about that place.  I hated it. 

I'm sure you'll get hired.  If I did you will.  If they question the benzos, just show them your script bottle. 

[theSWPK]

If anybody in a management position threw something at me, I would have raised hell and made a huge deal about it to the upper echelon. If you can file a lawsuit against a manager/super screaming at you for verbal abuse, Im positive you could do the same for assault.