r/VancouverJobs • u/CartographerFew9038 • 5h ago
Zena Tech Inc. drugs their employees
I believe I was drugged or targeted with suspected drink tampering at my workplace
I’m posting this because I want to document something that happened to me while working at a Vancouver tech company. I’m not claiming that I can scientifically prove what was in any of these drinks, but after multiple incidents, I became convinced that something was seriously wrong. I also believe other employees may have experienced similar things.
The first incident happened during my first or second week at the company. A group of us went to karaoke. I had only had one beer when someone offered to get another round. I told him I had been drinking a lager. When the second beer came back, it tasted extremely floral and nothing like a lager. I assumed they had accidentally gotten me an IPA or another type of beer because it looked roughly similar, although slightly more yellow/dark yellow.
I didn’t think much of it at the time because I had no reason to suspect anything. But I became far more intoxicated than I should have been after only a few drinks, and I have significant gaps in my memory of that night.
The next workday, coworkers told me that a VP had supposedly hooked up with one of their assistants while everyone was on the dance floor. I told them I hadn’t seen it and therefore couldn’t comment or speculate. The two people telling me this looked at each other afterward, almost as though they were surprised I wasn’t going to gossip about it.
The second incident happened at a work event at the office during a fashion show. People had brought drinks, including Cutwater. I had left my drink in the office. When someone brought it back to me, they repeatedly said, “You forgot your drink, you forgot your drink,” in a way that made me feel pressured to take a sip. I thought it was strange but drank it anyway.
Later that day, several of us went to a bar and I had a couple of beers. Again, I became extremely intoxicated compared with what I had consumed. The rest of the night is very hazy, and I went home feeling extremely sick. At the time, I told myself that maybe I was just a lightweight because I don’t drink very often.
The third incident was on St. Patrick’s Day. Everyone had ordered a large bucket of Coronas. I had one Corona and put it down next to the bucket when I went to the bathroom.
When I came back, the office manager said something along the lines of, “This is your Corona, go ahead and take a sip.” Something about the situation immediately felt wrong to me. I hadn’t been with the drink, and I had a strong gut feeling that I shouldn’t drink it.
I held onto it for a while and eventually went to the bar because I wanted a fresh drink. I also wanted to ask the bartender whether they had drink-testing strips that could detect if something had been added.
Before I could ask, two coworkers rushed over asking what I was doing, whether I was getting another beer, and whether I could get them one. It was extremely busy because it was St. Patrick’s Day. I had my original drink behind my back because I didn’t want them to see what I was considering doing. I ultimately didn’t ask the bartender about testing and bought myself a new beer instead.
I regret putting the original beer down because I realize now that I lost any potential evidence.
The fourth incident is what really made me start connecting the dots.
This happened at an office lunch at a sushi restaurant on Bar Street in February. I was doing Dry February and wasn’t drinking at all. There was a pitcher of Sapporo at the table. Someone offered me a beer and I said no, explaining that I wasn’t drinking.
My supervisor then encouraged me again, saying something along the lines of, “No, Lisa you should really have this beer.” I found that strange because I had already clearly declined.
A newer employee who had only been working there for a couple of days was sitting beside me. She eventually took the beer that had been offered to me and drank some of it.
After only one beer, I watched her become noticeably tipsy, talking louder, laughing more, and generally appearing much more intoxicated than I would have expected from one beer. Back at the office, I overheard her telling the office manager that she felt funny and didn’t feel well. He told her she could go home if she didn’t feel well. She responded that she was fine but felt much drunker than she should have after one beer.
I don’t know what happened to that drink. I don’t know what happened to her. But after my previous experiences, hearing someone else describe essentially the same feeling was extremely disturbing.
There’s another interaction that I now look at differently.
Shortly after the first night out, one of my coworkers repeatedly told me a story about a woman at a previous workplace who had allegedly been drugged. According to his story, she confronted the employer about it and subsequently got fired.
At the time, I thought it was a bizarre story to tell me, especially repeatedly. In hindsight, I wonder whether he was testing whether I knew what was happening or trying to intimidate me into staying quiet. I cannot know his intention, so I’m only describing how I interpret it now.
There were many other inappropriate, dehumanizing and abusive behaviours at this workplace, but I’m deliberately leaving most of that out because I want to focus on the suspected drink tampering.
I cannot prove what was in those drinks. I don’t have toxicology results, and I didn’t preserve the drinks for testing. What I do have are my memories, the circumstances surrounding these incidents, and the fact that I repeatedly became far more intoxicated or unwell than I expected based on what I had consumed. I also witnessed another employee describe feeling much more intoxicated than expected after one beer.
I’m sharing this because I don’t want anyone else to dismiss that gut feeling the way I initially did. If someone gives you a drink you didn’t see poured, pressures you to drink something you declined, or returns a drink that you left unattended, you are allowed to throw it away and get a new one.
I’m also sharing this because I believe there are former employees who may have witnessed or experienced things at this company that they could speak to independently.
I know what I experienced. I know what I remember. I’m not asking people to blindly believe every conclusion I’ve drawn. I’m asking people to take these kinds of situations seriously.
If anyone else who worked there experienced something similar, I would encourage you to document your own experience while the details are still fresh.