Drug Testing in the Workplace

"Drug testing is one action an employer can take to determine if employees or job applicants are using drugs. It can identify evidence of recent use of alcohol, prescription drugs and illicit drugs." (Stanley, 2007)

According to Cone, who is the head of National Institute on Drug Abuse, Drug testing is a method which define if a worker is using legal or illegal drugs and it can define which kind of drugs is he/she using and the quantity of drug in his/her blood. Drug testing is used to determine available unintentional or intentional overdose, to check compliance with a dope rehabilitation plan, and to define the existence or deficiency of drugs for medicinal and or authorized reasons.

No particular preparations are required for dope testing. Drug testing does not need special preparations. Mostly, it is done as an emergency test, or sometimes it can be planned (for instance, to meet current employment necessities). As a condition of test workers had to tell if they are using medicines and they had to take their medicine bottle as document. (Holmes, L)

If a worker refuses to do the drug testing, it would be lawful to lead him/her off. However, the worker should not be led off before notified him/her, especially in a writing or observed by others, that discharge can reject the warning.

Nearly all businesses inform their workers that if they result positive in drug testing, they will be led off. However, some businesses give workers a possibility for treatment and keep them to work in test situation. If a worker, after a positive test result, is allowed to go back to work, it is a "last chance" for him/her, and he would be tasted monthly casual tests, a year's probation, and direct termination for any consequent positive test answer.

According to Zimmer a professor of sociology at Queens College, drug testing give numeral good reasons about using drug testing in the workplace. First, drug testing might progress workplace security by knowing workers, and lead off the workers who have drug or alcohol troubles, or might give assistance to these workers. Specially, workers who use alcohol, or legal drugs improperly, or illegal drugs, are consumed as superior security danger more than other workers. In the New South Wales Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1983, owners have a universal responsibility to guarantee the healthiness, security and prosperity at work of their workers. This responsibility can be utilized to defend the introduction of workplace drug testing plans.

A further reason that support the drug testing in the workplace is that it can develop the productivity and efficiency of the workplace by allowing the recognition of cheat candidates why utilize dopes or via preventing dope use by actual workers. The manufacture prices which may be cut by not renting on jab candidates who are positive and by preventing dope utilize by presented workers contain those starting from mistakes, absence and worker income, hearth heed and employees' reward.

Third, drug testing helps to know which workers are depending on drug abuse or workers which have healthiness troubles linked with drug use and might give assist to them. Occasionally, it is planned that drug testing might give a post of worker assistance plans. Workers assistance plans are directed to give assistance to workers who have troubles, not only by drug using, but also economic or home troubles.

Finally, in case of banned dopes, drug testing can be utilized to appreciate the individual integrity, honesty or law-abidingness of workers or possible workers. Owners might judge people who use drugs less truthful and less wanted as their workers. For instance, owners might think that if a person breaks the rules by using banned drugs, he/she is ready to steal from the company.

According to Neumann, a Legislative Analyst in Minnesota House, People are against drug testing because they want to protect their private life. It is not fair to obligate workers who do not use drugs to prove that they do not use drugs. "Americans have traditionally believed that general search of innocent people are unfair." It is unfair to obligate them to prove their innocence from an unsecure test that might not give the right answer. Drug testing is not so secure. At 10 percent of cases they result false positive. In a search of the National Institute of Drug Abuse, they discover that 20 percent of workers testing for drug had illegal drugs in their urine test.

Another reason why people are against drug testing is because it gives a lot of information about the private life of workers. It gives many details. It gives details about the different diseases, such as diabetes, heart diseases. It can give information is a worker is pregnant

According to Holmes, A member in the Research Department of Minnesota House of Representatives, The law states that the results of analyzes as well as other results collected through the test are private and confidential. A laboratory that has performed an analysis on drug testing might inform the manager in case of positive result. It is not acceptable to give extra information discovered from the test. For instance, to give information about sicknesses or pregnant. The information should not be given to anyone accepted the manager. There is not acceptable also to give the test results to other workers or additional managers.

1. Cone, E. (July, 1998). Workplace drug testing. Retrieved on July 15, 2010 from http://www.hhs.gov/asl/testify/t980723e.html

According to Cone, who is the head of National Institute on Drug Abuse.

2. Holmes, L. (October 2000.) Workplace drug and alcohol testing. Retrieved on July 15, 2010 from http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hrd/pubs/dgaltest.pdf

According to Holmes, A member in the Research Department of Minnesota House of Representatives

3. Anita Neumann. (June, 2009). Workplace substance abuse: a grave problem. Retrieved on July 15, 2010 from http://www.allbusiness.com/medicine-health/diseases-disorders-mental/12626912-1.html