How many of you are unemployed?

[robertwnielsen]

The place I work doesn't require drug testing. Someone said it was because it's a state agency. I don't know if that's true, but I found it odd when I hired in. I'm not an advocate of such practices, but it does make me wonder. I've seen evidence of drug abuse, especially by those operating a motor vehicle and motorized equipment. Someone once said that if they ever did a random drug test they'd lose half the staff.

If it's a state agency, I would think drug testing would be MANDATORY. NONE of the state agencies where I live (Iowa) will hire anyone WITHOUT a drug test. Just saying.

 

[robertwnielsen]

Perhaps it's a weirder practice as such over here... I've heard about a few US companies that have a location here that have that stuff going on. But I don't know... with drugs being somewhat legal here, I don't know if it would make a lot of sense.

Or I'm just badly informed about the reason for this testing. Anyone from the US care to elaborate why this even is?

Well, King, drugs (like marijuana, cocaine, etc.) are ILLEGAL in the States, so that's probably why there's drug testing.

 

[King_Oni]

Well, King, drugs (like marijuana, cocaine, etc.) are ILLEGAL in the States, so that's probably why there's drug testing.

Yeah, that much I figured... well, the only thing we have legal over here is marijuana. Cocaine is still illegal as are other drugs. Perhaps it's that our country is trying to be optimistic and think that common sense applies to people who look for jobs in that they assume you understand that even if drugs are illegal, you should only enjoy them at home and not at your job. So far it worked pretty ok I guess.

 

[robertwnielsen]

I agree, but this is Alabama, so there's no telling.

True enough, I guess. I don't know what Alabama's laws and regulations are like in that regard.

 

[robertwnielsen]

Yeah, that much I figured... well, the only thing we have legal over here is marijuana. Cocaine is still illegal as are other drugs. Perhaps it's that our country is trying to be optimistic and think that common sense applies to people who look for jobs in that they assume you understand that even if drugs are illegal, you should only enjoy them at home and not at your job. So far it worked pretty ok I guess.

Good that it's worked okay for you--not so much here in the States, I'm afraid. I agree that even if drugs are illegal, they should be enjoyed away from work. Unfortunately, at least in the United States, "common sense" seems to be dead.

 

[robertwnielsen]

Common sense died when political correctness was born.

No argument from me! You are absolutely right.

 

[horselightning]

Drug tests are waste of time. The people who do drugs know how to get buy them.

 

[B8kNSoGrl]

I wish to know this, because I've talked to a lot of people in real life about work, and most of them say they have hard or bad days but asides from this, they are perfectly able to work. However, it seems, and I'm not making a general assumption, but a lot of people on the spectrum or with autistic traits seem to have difficulty maintaining employment. What reasons are behind this interest me, is it actually gaining the job, problem with the interview? Finding the motivation to work? Being able to cope with other people for hours a day or are there other reasons? Perhaps you have anxiety about working or being stuck in one place, difficulty understanding what others seem to grasp easily or an associated problem somehow related to being on the spectrum.

I am new to the forum. I have lost many jobs over the last 15 years and not worked in 5. I have Obsessive and Anxiety and Attention problems. I have been fired because " I wasn't a good fit, got too nervous with phone calls and customer service/ people traffic and made mistakes. I got overwhelmed and had trouble concentrating and "shut down". It is very frustrating when you try to find work and have to "fill in gaps " and explain/ or not the reason that you left a job. I am here because I want to connect and read and share.

 

[paloftoon]

I'm happily unemployed. I'd rather be thrown off a cliff than get a job!

That just sounds utterly lazy if you're on your own and not a child. I think in reality, most people in a way would rather sloth at least to a degree and just work when they want to rather than try their hand at job(s). You should consider community service where maybe you make someone else's life happy, such as helping to serve food or maybe volunteering such as helping to sort books in a library.

 

[ammiddleton12]

I have lost jobs because I could not keep up with the pace of communication. I still to this day cannot figure out why certain things I said offended certain people at my past workplaces, and that frustrates the heck out of me because I don't know how to avoid those same errors in the future. I cannot make it past the personality test stages of interviews now because I am so scared to be myself.

 

[AsheSkyler]

Last two jobs I held I got fired for the same reason. Sex. First job, refused service to a pervert who kept saying he wanted to "take me home and spank me". Second job, wouldn't let the boss's son pull my hair, slap me for not letting him pull my hair, and I was tired of him telling me sex tips.

And the other jobs I quit because they were small businesses and were going under and I didn't want to be jobless with no other job lined up. I am the grim reaper. If work for you, you will either die or go out of business. Or both. The place I worked at for a year had the guy creamed by a semi. I fear I must secretly hate my grandparents and something horrible is coming to them because I've been working for them for about six years. Maybe me inheriting the business is the only evil coming their way?
If it wasn't for them though, I wouldn't have a job. I could get a job back when everybody did the sensible thing and had paper applications. I can't get a job through these stupid online applications. I'm not applying to CVS or Walgreens again, one of them has this ridiculous "online cashier application" where you have to count stuff as part of the application. It's slow, clunky, and lags to no end. Seriously? Who thought this up? Were they stoned or something?

The only business immune to my power is H&R Block. Dang it. I don't know what possessed me to work with them, I've never liked them. Over priced, bad attitude, horrendous treatment of employees.

 

[Warwick C]

I have been unemployed for most of my working life. I have/had not been able to handle interviews or create the opportunity. I only recently found out I have aspergers, which makes it had for me to get into a job.

 

[paloftoon]

If you haven't been able to get a job for awhile, best thing to do is try to do some volunteering experience to do something or to try to go back to school for something. That way if you're asked, at least you can say you were doing this or that. If they then pry as in why not do more, you can say something like if you give me the opportunity, I can do that much more! Keep it as positive as possible.

 

[Grumpy Cat]

Last two jobs I held I got fired for the same reason. Sex. First job, refused service to a pervert who kept saying he wanted to "take me home and spank me". Second job, wouldn't let the boss's son pull my hair, slap me for not letting him pull my hair, and I was tired of him telling me sex tips.

Wth?!

 

[guitarguy]

Although I like to say I'm self-employed as a writer, I'm unemployed.

ah ha! me too, well I used to write. Got myself a book written which took way to long to write. I hardly work and collect social security, I have mood swings, social anxiety, I can't stay motivated to work.

 

[Digger]

The longest I had a job was about 18 months (some part time, some full time). I puked all the time and lost a lot of weight because of the stress. I just couldn't handle being employed. I tried volunteer work too but I really struggle being answerable to someone else so I stopped that too. If I do try any kind of employment again it will be self-employment, but even that fills me with dread. If that makes me lazy, then fine. I've been called that my whole life so I'm used to it.

 

[Warwick C]

Although I like to say I'm self-employed as a writer, I'm unemployed.

I would like to add that you are now a full time mum to Josephine as well as writing.

 

[AsheSkyler]

Wth?!

Yup. I was denied unemployment because "refusing service" is perfectly sound grounds to fire somebody, even though firing a waitress for not putting up with sexual harassment is not. And at the time, I'd just gotten married, moved, and found out we were going to have a baby, so I didn't have the time to fight one more set of wrong paperwork on top of the hell I was already being put through by the DMV and everybody else. The second one I did file a police report, but it would have gotten thrown out the window by the judge if I pressed charges because I let slip to those idiots I'd had trouble with men before. Even though we talked it over extensively with the lawyer, the judge would have agreed with my former boss that I was being "too sensitive". I suppose if I wanted I could see to it he's brought up on tax evasion charges since I was his accountant for a month and I got to see just how very wrong he was doing his records on purpose, but legally I have no obligation to do so since I was not his recordskeeper at the time and the records I kept were as accurate to IRS standards as I know how. Since he did ignore me and return to my office, I did make sure to run as much interference as possible so he wouldn't trick my grandmother into letting him take deductions he had no right to take. I don't think he'll be back.
I won't say I hate men. But I will say that there has only been one Vietnam vet who wasn't an absolutely disgusting, filthy waste of space that needed to keep their pants up and hands to themselves. I don't know what that generation or war did to those people, but it'd better not happen again.

 

[Grumpy Cat]

I won't say I hate men. But I will say that there has only been one Vietnam vet who wasn't an absolutely disgusting, filthy waste of space that needed to keep their pants up and hands to themselves.

I must say that I have found most Aspie men on this site are very respectable when it comes to sex stuff and women. I really like that. I'm getting some problems at my new job with the guy orienting me. He said a couple things that I think I posted about in "How do you feel today" thread and again Sunday I was on the computer to give this patient insulin and he was helping me chart what spot to choose on the patient and he said "I think this one." The site was "penis". The patient was sitting right there. I just wanted to say "Dude, grow up already." I had a hard time covering up my facial expression and the patient was wondering what we were talking about. I mean if you want to show me the "funny" just do it later - not in a patients room! If I was just right out of nursing school and ignorant, I'd be very uncomfortable with the situation. So, what I'm trying to say is that I much prefer how Aspie men act.

 

[Kari Suttle]

I'm not unemployed - quite the contrary, i've had a minimum wage job and a babysitting job for two years now - but prior to that i hadn't ever been able to get a job. Ever since the summer after i turned sixteen i'd been trying to get a summer job but i never could get one. I was about as unemployable as your average teenager needing their first job, so i can safely say it was purely my aspie social awkwardness that resulted in my perpetual unemployment. Even after i graduated highschool and started college i couldn't get a summer job.

But i eventually got two jobs when i most needed it; the babysitting job through my mom because her friend, who'd just had her baby, would be needing a full time sitter when she went back to work wen he turned two months old. The other job is as a cashier, minimum wage, at the easiest place in town to get hired. I'm grateful for it, though; the supervisors are usually nice and some of them are actually great supervisors (attentive, professional and friendly, appear to know how to work with different types of people, etc.). It might not be the most glamorous job ever, and i might not be the best cashier ever since i'm rather prone to shutdowns, but its been an invaluable experience for me nonetheless. Its certainly not what i wanted at this stage in my life, but its been invaluable nonetheless.