So I get to work today and the women I work with is already there, as usual, waiting for me to get her started on her duties. Since my bosses house flooded he has me come in early to get everybody started in the morning and he comes in late. I’ve been doing it for a few months now. He gave me the keys to his office and the janitor closet where are janitors cart is and our equipment.
The women has been with the company for twenty years.And has been a janitor for ten of those years. She’s in her mid-to-late fifties. I am 90% sure she has paranoid schizophrenia; I know she hears voices. I’ve been working with her for five years. So we are both just about to punch in, expecting a typical day.(if such a thing exists). Well my boss walks in early and surprises us. Oh, yeah, our company has just merged with a new company. My boss tells her, “Don’t punch in”. “Get your stuff and go home”. She goes, “What”? He says," Didn’t Susan (the owner of the company) tell you"?“You failed the drug test” “You don’t work here any more”. The new company had tested all of us two weeks ago. She was stunned. I was in shock. Turns out she smokes marijuana and tested positive. I stood off to the side listening in disbelief. I have to say that I don’t like her very much. Well they talked and she got her jacket and left.
Not the end of story. (and it is not as bad as it sounds). But my other co-worker comes in late. The old biker dude. He failed too. My boss has him leave too. Now I’m doubly shocked. But I can’t let it affect me too much. I didn’t fail and now there’s only three of us left and I have to take over their duties. Serious business.
OK. Footnote.
My boss walks up to me an hour later and tells me that the company will let the old biker dude test again in a couple weeks and he has a chance to be re-hired. The girl can re-test in a couple months.