drug testing

A detailed Summary of drug testing

The ethics of drug testing has become an increased concern for many companies in the recent years. More companies are beginning to use it and more people are starting more to have problems with it. The tests are now more than ever seen as a way to stop the problems of drug abuse in the workplace.

This brings up a very large question. Is drug testing an ethical way to decide employee drug use? It is also very hard to decide if the test is an invasion of employee privacy. "The ethical status of workplace drug testing can be expressed as a question of competing interests, between the employer's right to use testing to reduce drug related harms and maximize profits, over against the employee's right to privacy, particularly with regard to drug use which occurs outside the workplace." (Cranford 2)

The rights of the employee have to be considered. The Supreme Court case, Griswold vs. Connecticut outlines the idea that every person is entitled to a privacy zone. However this definition covers privacy and protection from government. To work productively especially when the work may be physical it is nearly impossible to keep one's privacy.

The relationship between employer and employee is based on a contract. The employee pro

Some parties argue "placing employees in a position where they must choose between maintaining their privacy or losing their jobs is fundamentally coercive."(Cranford 6) This decision is easy to make for most employees and they take the test. Those people who already are in employment and refuse become suspect. People who are applying for jobs and refuse are not considered at all or seen on an extremely negative scale.

While some could argue that a certain employee's performance on drugs would be below the level of another employee's performance that is not on drugs but is just a poor performer. This leads into the most important point of the entire essay that employees have the right to a workplace that is free from the many problems of drugs.

There should be an outline for giving the tests. The tests should be given only when the behavior is unusual and bizarre. The tests should be given without prior notice to reduce the chance that employees could foil the test. The employees that fail the test should be allowed to keep their jobs while receiving their treatment. Termination should only come after treatment has been refused or failed.

An employee may not want to give a urine or blood sample. The employee may not want to include all of their references but this is besides the fact that an employer is entitled to them. More and more employers are starting to feel this way. "A 1996 survey by the American Management Association found 81 percent of major U.S. companies had drug-testing programs at that time compared with 78 percent in 1995 and just 22 percent in 1987." (May 2)

vides work for the employer and in return he is paid. If the employee cannot provide services because of problems such as drug abuse, the

Some common words found in the essay are:
Executives Association, Court Griswold, , Management Association, drug testing, drug abuse, Supreme Court, association found, employee's performance drugs, employer employee, performance drugs, found cause, urine blood, supreme court, employee's performance,

Approximate Word count = 1171
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Politics