Drug Screening

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses the widespread perception that reducing drug and alcohol use by employees reduces rates of injury in the workplace. The paper then looks at the criticism and resistance by labor and consumer groups and reveals the side effects of the use of workplace drug testing that may not be foreseen by managers. The paper notes the concerns about employee privacy and why many are reluctant to confront illegal drug use. The paper also explains how to establish a drug-free workplace policy and relates that the company must also provide the means for current employees to get help with their problem so they can overcome their drug use.

From the Paper:

"Drug screening is used more and more as a way of making decisions about human resource issues and to protect companies from problems that might be caused by employees using drugs, up to and including potential litigation. At the same time, employee groups often oppose drug screening without some reason for suspicion of employees. Some types of employment have used drug screening with greater impunity, notably for jobs that entail some public safety issue, such as drivers, engineers, and pilots. In other cases, the link between drug use and the problems companies might have is more economic and so not given the same priority. Screening methods have been made more reliable and less invasive over the years, which also reduces some of the rationale offered by unions and employee groups for not allowing such screening on a broad basis."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Dickinson, Casey J. "New Vision Gets Results Before Employers Hire." The Central New York Businesss Journal (10 Dec 2004), 5.
• Finkel, Kevin W. "Water Intoxication Presenting as a Suspected Contaminated Urine Sample for Drug Testing." Southern Medical Journal, Volume 97, Number 6 (June 2004), 611-613.
• Fitzpatrick, Jr., John J. "State Labor Legislation Enacted in 2006: Minimum Wages, Workplace Security, Prevailing Wages, Equal Employment Opportunity, Wages Paid, Time off, Drug and Alcohol Testing, Child Labor, Human Trafficking, and Immigrant Protections Were among the Most Active Areas in Which Legislation Was Enacted or Revised during the Year." Monthly Labor Review, Volume 130, Issue 1 (2007). March 16, 2008. http://www.questia.com/read/5020677401?title=State%20Labor%20Legislation%20Enacted%20in%202006%3a%20Minimum%20Wages%2c%20Workplace%20Security%2c%20Prevailing%20Wages%2c%20Equal%20Employment%20Opportunity%2c%20Wages%20Paid%2c%20Time%20off%2c%20Drug%20and%20Alcohol%20Testing%2c%20Child%20Labor%2c%20Human%20Trafficking%2c%20and%20Immigrant%20Protections%20Were%20among%20the%20Most%20Active%20Areas%20in%20Which%20Legislation%20Was%20Enacted%20or%20Revised%20during%20the%20Year.
• French, Michael T., M. Christopher Roebuck, and Pierre Kebreau Alexandre. "To Test or Not to Test: Do Workplace Drug Testing Programs Discourage Employee Drug Use?" Social Science Research (March 2004), 45-63.
• George, S. "A Snapshot of Workplace Drug Testing in the UK." Occupational Medicine 55(1)(2005), 69-71.

More papers on Drug Screening:

• Research Paper # 68913 : "Drug Screening "
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• Argumentative Essay # 110938 : "Drug Testing in School"

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