cannabisnews.com: Vail Drops Employee Drug Tests Vail Drops Employee Drug Tests Posted by FoM on October 01, 2000 at 07:35:40 PT By The Associated Press Source: San Jose Mercury News Faced with a tight labor market, Vail Resorts is loosening up a little. The company that owns the Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone ski areas already had lifted bans on ponytails, facial hair and earrings for male workers.This year, it is scrapping its seven-year-old employee drug testing program. ``We really found that initial hurdle of passing a drug test wasn't providing the deterrent we were looking for,'' said Les Marsh, director of human resources for Vail Resorts. ``We're focusing on day-to-day preparedness for work rather than on whether a guy smoked pot six weeks ago.'' It's the latest in a series of moves Vail has made that reflect a trend throughout the industry.Perks that were once unheard of -- such as bonuses, vacation pay and health insurance -- are becoming standard.Vail, which expects to spend $10 million to $15 million more on labor costs this season than last, raised its entry-level pay to between $8.50 and $9 an hour for first-time employees. Returning seasonal employees will make up to $9.75 an hour. It has some 15,000 employees.Money is not the only lure, says Jim Laing, vice president of human resources for the Aspen Skiing Co.``We got a little too corporate and a little too serious,'' he said. ``Now, the employees have taken charge. We have them doing karaoke in the lift lines and we have theme days where they can dress as their favorite rock star.''Despite the changes, plenty of jobs are still available. Aspen, Winter Park, Vail Resorts, Copper Mountain and Telluride have more than 6,000 positions to fill for this season, ranging from ski instructors to retail clerks.On the Net:Vail Employment: http://www.skijob1.com/index2.aspAspen: http://www.aspensnowmass.comVail, Colo. (AP) Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA)Published: Saturday, September 30, 2000 Copyright: 2000 San Jose Mercury NewsContact: letters sjmercury.comAddress: 750 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, CA 95190Fax: (408) 271-3792Website: http://www.sjmercury.com/CannabisNews Drug Testing Archives:http://cannabisnews.com/news/list/drug_testing.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #2 posted by KARMA - 2 on October 31, 2000 at 21:40:30 PT Vail Drops Employee Drug Tests I wonder why they decided to stop drug-testing? Could it be that they would only have three employees working if they denied MJ smokers? As a Colorado resident I know. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by kaptinemo on October 01, 2000 at 07:59:51 PT: The truth is dawning over the Rockies They are finally starting to think:This year, it is scrapping its seven-year-old employee drug testing program. ``We really found that initial hurdle of passing a drug test wasn't providing the deterrent we were looking for,'' said Les Marsh, director of human resources for Vail Resorts. ``We're focusing on day-to-day preparedness for work rather than on whether a guy smoked pot six weeks ago.'' And that was the crux, all along: present impairment, not past history. The IT industries were catching on a bit sooner, but for exactly the same reasons; the job market is getting tight. Employers are feeling the squeeze. Testing for employment was causing a kind of *reverse* pressure. Good people who used cannabis on the weekends were seeking those enlightened companies which realized their value was much greater than the chimeric, bogus 'security blanket' that the drug testing industry was offering. By telling people who want to litmus test your piss after they have read your stellar resume that you will go elsewhere...and *why*... gets the point across pretty quick. And if enough people do it, more companies will do what others have already done; namely, allow testing to die the quiet and ignominious death it has always deserved.Cannabis using workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your specimen bottles! [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: