Amazon Stops Marijuana Screenings for Its Drivers
- 1. Job applicants on the rise
- 2. Previous cannabis support by amazon
Are you a stoner and you love riding bikes? AND are you also searching for a job? Well then this is good news for you, fellow! Pull out your laptop and pimp up your CV, it's time to fill out a job application for the giant Amazon. The mega multinational American conglomerate, Amazon, renowned for its huge e-commerce and delivery services empire has been struggling lately with a potential shortage of delivery drivers, and guess what's the solution the firm has come to: stoners.
As you may or may not have heard, Amazon has already expressed its support for the cannabis industry, publicly announcing on social media their promotion for federal marijuana legalization, joining social-justice organizations, and more. And now, to assess this delivery drivers shortage, the company is advising its force of delivery partners not to screen their applicants for marijuana use anymore.
Job Applicants on the Rise
This new command signifies a huge change in the amount job applicants that the company will receive, even as much as 400% more, stated the company. On the contrary, screening for cannabis use, it stated, reduced the prospective workers' pool up to 30%.
Now, there are opposing thoughts yet among Amazon's delivery partners. For those supporting them, those who indeed stopped cannabis screening for applicants, they agreed that marijuana was the prevailing reason why prospect workers failed drug tests. By testing for other drugs now, such as opioids and amphetamines, there are less drivers to fail the test.
But on the other hand, those firms who aren't completely happy about Amazon's decision claim that they are the ones who'll have to be responsible for any accidents if a driver is found to have been stoned by that time. However, here's what Amazon has to say on this.
“If a delivery associate is impaired at work and tests positive post-accident or due to reasonable suspicion, that person would no longer be permitted to perform services for Amazon,”
So, of course, the company isn't allowing its employees to work while being stoned, but they simply don't need to pass any weed screenings in order to work for them.
Previous Cannabis Support by Amazon
Previously this year, the mega-company had also announced that they would no longer disqualify employees for marijuana use, not just delivery drivers.
“In the past, like many employers, we’ve disqualified people from working at Amazon if they tested positive for marijuana use. However, given where state laws are moving across the U.S., we’ve changed course. We will no longer include marijuana in our comprehensive drug screening program"
It makes sense for companies to start adapting their old-school regulations when the world around them actually is. If marijuana is legal in more than several states in the U.S. then how come workers aren't admitted to certain positions because of marijuana use? We're not saying that you should burn a big blunt on the way to work, but surely on the way back home, wink, wink.
EXTERNAL REFERENCES
1. Amazon’s Answer to Delivery Driver Shortage: Recruit Pot Smokers
