Q I have heard on the grapevine that the office where I work is planning to introduce some form of compulsory drugs testing. This is a real concern because I am an occasional user of recreational drugs such as marijuana. Is there any way I can get out of these tests?

A Did you say occasional user? It sounds like you're having more than the odd joint if you seriously think that you would be able to duck out of any drug test at work. Your employer has every right to introduce drug testing, as many companies are doing in this country.

By even attempting to avoid such a test, can you not see that you would be immediately alerting your employer's suspicions about you in any case? Drugs testing at work is a well known and effective weapon against substance and other forms of drug abuse. It has been proven to cut accidents, reduce sick leave and improve attendance and productivity. More and more employers are introducing it now, especially larger ones.

So my answer to your question is simple. Your employer may well introduce drug testing and, if that proves to be the case, you had better shape up - or you could find that you have ample time on your hands to indulge in your dubious recreational activities.

Whether you would then be able to afford it is another matter.

Q I have been approached to sell my business by a larger company that offers the same service. It wants to incorporate my business into its own as a way of opening an outlet where I am based and, of course, tap into my customer base. Do I hand over not only the business, but all the hard work I have put in to make it a success?

A Firstly, I would take it as a compliment that a larger chain is interested in your business rather than setting up a rival outlet to yours. Seriously, you really have to decide if this is the right move for you. Are you still hungry enough to take the money from this business sale and invest in another venture - the sign of any good entrepreneur - or have you worked hard enough throughout your life to take this opportunity to enjoy the fruits of your labours?

Whatever decision you make, my biggest piece of advice to you would be to get yourself an excellent business advisor. If your relationship with your bank is not that good, try Business Link or the Chamber of Commerce, as they can put you in touch with an advisor who can help you through every step of a business sale. This could be a marvellous opportunity to try something new, as a slight play on the old saying goes, as one door closes, it is up to you to open the next one.

Q I am having real trouble recruiting people. I set up my own business and am very proud of what I do. Unfortunately, I am struggling to find people with the same enthusiasm for the business. Partly, I think it is my high standards, but more likely, I think, it is my lack of personal experience in hiring people. I tend to rely on a CV and a quick chat in my office because I am so busy. What can I do?

A First of all, make time - the recruitment process needs to be given your utmost attention, so in the long term, you will find better staff. To save some time, have a standard application form for people to ask for, then send in ahead of interview to give you a better idea about the person, apart from just what is on their CV.

What you need to be able to do is aim for a specific number of high-quality candidates so when you advertise, be as specific as possible about the kind of person you are after, without obviously turning people off the job. You will need to specify what you want applicants to have in terms of experience, inter-personal skills and image. At the interviews, you will have to do some preparation as well as the applicants. As well as having your questions ready, I would suggest a system of ranking people against your criteria and have a score sheet. Also, record gut reactions during the interview - they can also be very important.

If you are looking for people passionate about what you do, why not introduce a case study element to the interview to ask them how they would deal with a situation to see if it fits with your ideas. Finally, I would say sell your business to them. They need to see your enthusiasm for the business, so tell them your vision for the future and how they would fit into it and the opportunities it would bring them. There are lots of other ways to recruit people, but with these simple steps, hopefully you might be able to find some ideal people.

Q I am an office manager in an engineering company with a team of eight staff. They all appear to work diligently except for one, who is spending a large part of his day taking trivial phone calls from his wife and replying to texts. This is disrupting his work and is really irritating to other members of staff. What should I do?

A Your member of staff is behaving in an entirely unprofessional manner and the sooner you put an end to his teenage-style antics the better. The simple answer to this would be to have a blanket ban on all non-work-related mobile phones going off in the office, but this may be unfair to other members of staff who only take, say, the odd call or two during the working week.

With this in mind, take this member of staff to one side and explain to him that he is paid to work, not play childish games texting his wife. It is worth pointing out to him that, as well as being unacceptable conduct from a professional point of view, his behaviour is making him look like a hen-pecked fool to other members of staff and completely undermining his credibility. He will soon see the error of his ways.

Q I have always wanted to travel the world but my employer is refusing to allow me to take a couple of months off in autumn to go backpacking. I feel he is being unfair as I have put many years of hard effort into my current job, but now feel I deserve some me-time. Is my employer being unfair?

A It sounds like you are having what is now becoming known as a quarter-life-crisis. You can feel life passing you by and want to do all the things that being tied to a nine-to-five job have stopped you doing. Is your employer being unfair? Well, look at it from his point of view.

You have indicated that you have put in a lot of hard work at the company and are obviously an important and valued member of staff. Why would they want to wave goodbye to you for two months, possibly more if you get a taste for the nomadic lifestyle?

It is decision time. You have got to decide what you want most - the comfort and security of your present job, or the chance to shake your life up and try something completely different. You sound like you want it both ways and, while some employers are happy to accommodate such wishes, others, such as your employer, are not.

My advice? You only get one life and if you don't take the chance to go travelling now, you could regret it for the rest of your days. There are plenty more jobs out there, so why not give it a go and follow your heart

Published: ??/??/2004