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drug test at the workplace debate
drug test at the workplace debate
effects of drug testing in the workplace
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How far is it permitted for the companies to keep an eye on the workers against drug usage? This could be the very first thing to pop up in the heads of anybody but recently according to surveys, there are 80% of constructing and manufacturing companies that emphasis on this issue often. Employees in most states can sue for excessive intrusion into their private affairs. Employers be it credit unions, must balance employees' privacy rights with continuous efforts to establish a safe, productive, and efficient workplace.
While providing member services it is the foremost duty of every employer to respect employee privacy as well and for this laws generally permit private employers, including credit unions, to monitor or record employees' business calls, evaluate job performance and member service, order employee drug testing, search desks and offices for legitimate business reasons, and release personnel file information on a "need to know" basis to fellow managers or employees, or - with the employee's consent - to third parties.
Reasons could vary according to the company and the atmosphere that could be affecting the workplace badly. According to the same research the employers of the company have better reasons for the drug testing, but they may not always be what you think. For example, employees themselves favor drug testing. This could be surprising but the employers think that these constant checks help their workplace to be a safer place and it reduces the workload that drug abusers shift onto peers and subordinates.
Some of the obvious reasons for drug –testing could be the staggering cost of on-the- job accidents, theft, errors, reduced productivity and increased medical and workers' compensation claims to employers. There are different ways to conduct the drug-testing programs and this could also vary, for example; should you hire a professional to implement your program? Should you do testing yourself, or contract with a local lab? Such relevant questionnaires are answered after depending on the situations on the spot.
An increasing number of construction companies are battling the problem through drug-free workplace policies, employee education, drug testing, employee assistance programs and even undercover drug busts for a better world. Federal laws however prohibit using polygraph tests, voice stress analyzers, and other physiological tests in employment situations.
Situations where such drug tests are allowed are after programs like 1) Planning, 2) Needs Assessment, 3) Policy Development, 4) Employee Education, 5) Supervisor Training and 6) Employee Assistance Program Development.
As much as 95% of employers favor urine testing as a method for drug testing, and this one piece of statistic may have positively affected the trend and demand for synthetic urine over the years.
Prescription and pharmaceutical drug abuse is beginning to expand as a social issue within the United States because of the variety of drugs, their growing availability, and the social acceptance and peer pressure to uses them. Many in the workforce are suffering and failing at getting better due to the desperation driving their addiction.
The chapter, Selling in Minnesota, had some disturbing information about the low wage life. As I read, I learned that every place the author went to apply, such as a Wal-Mart and a Home Depot type place called Menards, required the applicant to pass a drug test. The author went out and had to buy detox for $30, but can be up to $60. Also, I learn that 81% of employers do drug test their future employees. I don’t like this statistic, in part because I tried getting a job at Marshall Field’s restaurant and they required me to pass a drug test. Luckily, another employer called me before my scheduled drug screening (which I had planned on passing by being really sneaky and using the urine of a friend of mine), so I took that job offer and everything worked out well. The reason I don’t agree with the drug testing required to access most entry-level jobs, is because the only drugs they actually test for is Marijuana. Cocaine and heroine leave the body within three days, and other drugs aren’t even tested for. So that leaves the most commonly used illicit drug, and one that has the least affect on the user, to be tested for.
If we don't have an academic degree our privacy gets raped, but if we are able to get a degree America doesn't set up boundaries for us. Although drug testing is an excellent tool to maintain a healthy and safe workplace, it is unfair and unjust to the low wage working class because it targets them. For instance; doctors, surgeons, and even teachers are not required to be drug tested as often as low wage workers.
Drugs are used everyday by people in many different ways for many different reasons. Drug testing has become a standard in pre-employment testing, because of the wide variety of drug use in today's society. Drugs tested for by a possible employer include Cocaine (crack), Amphetamines (crystal), Opiates (codeine, morphine, heroin), PCP (phencyclidine), and Marijuana. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry is used to test hair and urine samples of possible drug abusers or job applicants, and it is the best method for the testing of drug use. Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry are two different methods for identifying chemical substances, and the two instruments have be coupled together to perform a highly complementary analytical function. The gas chromatograph and the mass spectrometer have theories behind how their techniques work, and specific forensic applications for their instrumentation.
For many years, there has been an ongoing fight between employers and employees pertaining to employee rights. The main thing that they have fought about is computer and email monitoring.
While employment screening in the healthcare sector is decidedly standard, the law does often not require drug and alcohol testing. Substance abuse is one of the leading causes of disciplinary action against a nursing license in the U.S. Random drug screenings are used to detect the use of unapproved or illegal drugs for the purpose of upholding patient safety (National Council of State Boards of Nursing, 2006). The American Nurses Association (ANA) estimates that six to eight percent of nurses use alcohol or drugs to a degree that would impair professional judgment (National Council of State Boards of Nursing, 2011). Approximately one-third of the one percent of actively licensed nurses are disciplined each year for their substance misconduct (Kenward, 2008). Protecting patients from unsafe practices and personnel is the primary responsibility of each supervisory board of nursing. However, the fear of punishment from the board or termination keeps many nurses unwilling to come forward (Maher-Brisen 2007). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the viability of mandating random drug testing for nurses and other health professionals. The objective of this would be to address the rooted issues of substance abuse and decrease the risk of harm to patients under the healthcare provider’s care.
...ng drugs will have a huge impact on them and the people that they are around. When a person does drugs once, they will keep using them and eventually become addicted. Drug testing student athletes is a necessity because taking drugs affects relationships that the athlete has, drugs cause consequence that can be detrimental, and lastly taking drugs hurt the body causing the athlete to have health issues. Hence, drug testing should be done in all high schools around the country.
One significant aspect is that the workers belonging to this industry are of various age group starting from 18 to 50 years of age (Cassidy, 2006). Among those various age groups, the use of drugs is positively correlated with the workplace death rate (Caplan and Goldberger, 2001). Consequently, varied working organizations in this industry have employed inventiveness to significantly investigate the exploit of drugs and their impact in the construction industry with the intention of coming across a scheme for emerging a course of action that could diminish the number of serious confrontations taking place mainly because of drug use on construction sites. 1.1 RATIONAL OF THE STUDY: Construction industries are classified largely as those which comprise skillful employees and general workers.
Terms and Laws have gradually change overtime dealing with different situations and economic troubles in the world in general. So then dealing with these issues the workplace has become more complex with little or no rights to privacy. Privacy briefly explained is a person’s right to choose whether or not to withhold information they feel is dear to them. If this something will not hurt the business, or its party members then it should be kept private. All employees always should have rights to privacy in the workplace. Five main points dealing with privacy in public/private structured businesses are background checks, respect of off duty activities/leisure, drug testing, workplace search, and monitoring of workplace activity. Coming to a conclusion on privacy, are there any limits to which employers have limitations to intrusion, dominance on the employee’s behavior, and properties.
Lee, M. and Walter, Andrew. “Mandatory Drug Testing: An Overview.” Points of View: Mandatory Drug Testing (2013):1-5.
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 provides work for the employer and in return he is paid. If the employee cannot provide services because of problems such as drug abuse, then he is violating the contract. Employers have the right to know many things about their employees.
completely banned to having lots of drug tests. Others might disagree and say having too many
Mandatory drug testing in public schools is a relatively recent practice that stems from rising concerns over the rate of drug addiction among young people. It involves analyzing student urine samples for the presence of various illegal substances, such as amphetamines and marijuana. Mandatory drug testing programs include both "suspicionless" random testing and "for cause" testing, and can be considered an outgrowth of the "drug war" currently taking place in the United States. Mandatory drug testing in schools is less common than comparable testing in the workplace.
I. Drug testing is meant to help clean our communities and the schools from drug related problems. Drug testing is an easy yet complicated test for many people. Statistics have shows a dramatic decrease of drug use and abuse in between the years of 2000-2006 (University Services, 2009). The U.K.’s country wide drug testing have helped show scientists all over the world the improvements that drugs testing at schools can make.