Now, I've done some crazy stuff in my day, but apparently I'm pretty lame because something I cannot lay claim to doing is going to work high on drugs. However, plenty of Australians polled recently cannot say the same thing.
Yep, one in three Australian methamphetamine users (say that three times in a row!) admit to going to work high.
Before pointing out that this number is dramatically elevated – let's remember that the number reflects known meth users - on a national level, this equates to about four percent of the working population. Is that high? Pardon the pun, but I'm not sure it is.
That said, I can't really fathom the point of going to work high. Setting aside the issue of whether or not recreational drug use has any value, it's hard to appreciate how a state of narcotic intoxication is going to help you in the workplace.
Funny quips aside, could you imagine what would happen if someone got high and then operated heavy machinery? While the article points out that most "offenders" worked in the service industry, I'm not sure that's any better.
Ironically, meth users ranked lower on the "good employee" list compared to other "illicit drug users" and people who don't do drugs at all. So, see, even the guy who does a spliff before coming into work is outpacing you meth users.
Unfortunately, irresponsible actions such as this will ultimately result in more work-related accidents and illnesses. What happens if an employee comes in high on meth and goes berserk while at the office? Is this a work-related accident since it was on work grounds?
Either way, either this fool or the guy who was in the way of this psychopath is likely to cost the employer in some form or fashion. Somehow, I'm not certain that facts like this are what are on this four percent's minds.
