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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Employers considering drug tests for staff
Startups.co.uk Monday 13 Oct 2003 Nearly half of all UK businesses have considered introducing random drugs tests for their staff, according to a new survey. The research, undertaken by business information firm Croner, found that 44 per cent of companies had contemplated introducing drug tests, while a further 18 per cent are pondering whether to introduce the test as a standard part of their employment contracts. Croner found that one in eight British firms now carry out regular drug tests on their employees, although the research revealed that 14 per cent of employers rejected tests for substance abuse after considering the idea. Croner said that the issue is controversialas although drug testing as increasing in popularity among businesses over the last few years, the process is surrounded by a range of legal and civil liberties concerns. As reported by Startups.co.uk, days lost to drug addiction totalled 14 million last year, costing the UK economy a massive £3.5 billion. A previous study in 2000 revealed that nearly one in three employees admitted to taking some sort of drug, from cannabis to heroin, during the working week. Richard Smith, employment law expert at Croner, said that firms considering introducing drug tests should carefully investigate all possible implications before taking any action. The general softening of society's attitude towards consumption of certain illegal drugs has raised subsequent wider concerns over the impact of drugs at work, and has left companies facing a major dilemma on how much influence they can have over an employee's private life. If an employee's substance abuse, whether legal or illegal, is visibly affecting their performance at work, then their employer would obviously have legitimate reason for concern but if it isn't, they would seem to have very little authority to act on it. If companies are considering implementing workplace drug tests, they need to establish explicit guidelines on what theyre doing, what is expected of their employees and what sanctions they risk if they fail any given test. Employees need to fully comprehend the yardsticks by which theyre being measured, and the implications of not measuring up failure to ensure that this is the case could lead to problems if tests are failed and the potential for disciplinary action arises,he said. 13/10/03
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