It's just another way to get rid of workers without giving them redundancy and clearing themselves of tribunals.

Well done Thomas Armstrong group. Posts have question the effects of alcohol and that this is not tested as the drug use is. The fact is that the company set up a no tolerance drugs policy, tested, warned, retested then sacked employees who couldn't/wouldn't comply. End of. The alcohol question may be debated fully in time - those complaining here may lead this to being compulsory (stabbing themselves in the back?) - but these guys sacked themselves.

Cannabis recreational - YES
Cannabis illegal - YES
Breaking the speed limit illegal? YES

Raise your right arm if you can honestly swear you have never broken the speed limit.

If you don't have your arm raised, please retract your statement about the illegality of drugs.

Good on Thomas Armstrong, most employers insist on employees signing a contract stating no illegal drugs, if the lads in question were tested positive in November and didn't smoke it again then they wouldn't have tested positive in February and kept their jobs.
As one person wrongly said "they could have just been in a room with others who were smoking" you would have to be in an airtight phonebox sized room with about 100 people smoking for days for it to show up in your system. The drugs test will also show up the difference between illegal drugs and prescribed medication.

I think the sacked employees were lucky to be given the second chance that they were. Companies make rules for a reason, if you do not wish to adhere to them, you don't deserve the job!

@ The Doctor - you have said ''The Sativex spray from GW Pharmaceuticals would show up positive in tests for Cannabis but is a licensed medicine''.
Yes, it is a LICENSED MEDICINE, not and ILLEGAL DRUG. it isnt just cannabis in it though is it? it has plenty of other ingredients. The 'stoned' effect is not replciated and this company are not stupid. If it was prescribed medication, they wouldn't have sacked for that. They have sacked staff that were BREAKING THE LAW, not taking medication!
I cannot believe people that are defending these people. They cannot follow rules of society and their employers, so they do not deserve to have that job.

In responce to simon G to enlighten you why it is wrong to take drugs even outside working hours,it can bring the company name into disrepute,if rumours spread that workers were on drugs no-one would want their business,secondly you say drugs don't affect family life where's the proof on that and your referal to "recreational use" since when was the use of illegal and banned substances deemed a recreational event this term undermines the meaning of the word,with reference to Bretts comments rergarding driving it is a bad example to state road deaths as an excuse to justify the use of drugs,you can drive under the influence of drugs and cause accidents to yourself or others surrounding you but at work your actions can cause multiple deaths and millions of pounds of damage plus compensation payouts etc,ect look at the big picture not just the "clubbers" version of why it is ok to take drugs.

Most major companies have drug test as standard...its quite simple, you take the risk of loosing your job if you take drugs....

whot you do at HOME stays at HOME...what you do at work stays at work!!! it stinks when you carnt have a social evening chill"n out on marrajoanna and clear minded in the morning NOT like av,n a stinking head with DRINK been sick and not haven your wits about you,get them who go to work and get payed to lie on the floor in locker rooms while still HUNGOVER.Hows that!! marrajoanna does,nt make you like that.....

Why stop here?
Why can they not test the subbies on their construction site.

Simon G, these employees had been offered help if you read the article it states this was the second time they've been tested after receiving help frm the company. If its a company policy not to attend work having used illegal drugs then they know what's going to happen to them and deserve the sack. Calling them recreational drugs is misleading, they are illegal. Just because people have read one few Internet forums that these drugs are safe does not make them so, they're illegal for a reason.
I agree, all companies should introduce random screening, and involve the police when they see positive results.