Workplace Drug Screening
Testing for drugs has developed into a significant security concern in places of work for management. The purpose of screening is to diminish the effects that illegal substance abuse has on the places of business, comprising lateness, non-attendance, turnover, mind-set troubles, theft, reduced output, misdeeds and hostility. "The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that drug use in the workplace costs employers $75 to $100 billion dollars annually in lost time, accidents, health care and workers compensation costs. Sixty-five percent of all accidents on the job are related to drug or alcohol, and substance abusers utilize 16 times as many health care benefits and are six times more likely to file workers compensation claims then non-abusers" (Intro to Drug Screening, n.d.).
Employers often implement drug testing programs because of federal rules and they have to or they do it because of business or legal necessities. Testing for drugs can also be done on a voluntary basis by way of a drug free plan put into place in order to decrease incidents of substance abuse among company workers. There are situations in which employers need to carry out drug testing on workers or potential workers in precise kinds of circumstances. Some instances of these screening and the circumstances in which they are utilized include:
Tests that are done prior to employment -- employers carry out screenings on job prospects and make offers of employment based on the results
Tests are done after an accident occurs -- employers screen workers who are involved in accidents that happen on the job in order to see if drug use contributed to what happened
Testing is done on a random basis - employers test workers on a random basis to catch drug usage
Tests are given when there is reasonable suspicion -- employers test workers after seeing examples of behavior that might be the result of drug use, indications of being intoxicated, or following an arrest or conviction for substance abuse
Tests are given following treatment...
Drug Testing in the Workplace Most employers in the United States are not required to do drug testing on either current or potential employees, although the majority have the right to do so (United States Department of Labor, 2010). Drug testing is not required under the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988. The Act can be confusing and challenging for employers, however, since it essentially states that any organization receiving federal grants
What further makes interpretation of results difficult to precisely define quantify is that the amount of drug stores depends on the nature of the drug itself, the duration of the ingestion of the drug, and the composition of the tissue holding the drug and the frequency of use. The greater the incidence of drug use the more permanent the level of toxins and chemicals in tissues throughout the body,
As a result, unions today are completing a variety of drug screens on construction workers who are members to ensure compliance to the federal law (Fournier, 2006). Unions have also acknowledged publicly that drug abuse in the construction industry is particularly acute and that there needs to be a continual focus on improving the screening methods to ensure compliance (Fournier, 2006). Like the U.S., Canada has aggressively pursued this
In most cases, recreational drug use is seen as a victimless crime and a harmless activity. This attitude changes in the workplace if the drug use impairs performance to the detriment of other workers or if the work involves public safety, in which case tolerance for drug use drops significantly. Another reason why tolerance for some drug use is so high is because the attitude is a reaction to the
Deontologically, people might take a stand for personal physical privacy as an innate moral good; yet, precisely what each deontologist might define privacy to be may vary. Consequently, some deontologists might think that workplace surveillance and drug tests are morally acceptable, while genetic tests are not. Others might organize their beliefs differently -- all measures may be seen as morally unacceptable, for instance. Essentially, attesting to be either a
How to Hire the Right Worker Abstract This paper discusses the processes used for screening, interviewing and retaining candidates in the Noble Network of Charter schools in the Chicago area. The processes examined include those used for certified and non-certified candidates as well as evidence-based practices recommended by academic researchers. The paper concludes with a reflection of how the Noble Network could better facilitate the screening, interviewing and retaining process. Keywords: candidate screening,
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