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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: The inside track: Drug testing
Bill Saunders The Guardian
Monday 12 Jul 2004 Although not yet too prevalent in the UK, as our lead article points out, research conducted by on-line recruiter reed.co.uk suggests that drug testing in the workplace might be more welcomed by employees than previously suspected. The survey found that, given the choice of working for an employer that tested its workforce for drugs and one that did not, three-quarters of people would choose the former. Why? Perhaps it is the feeling that drug-taking in the office is becoming more common than many would like. The survey found that a third of respondents had a colleague who worked under the influence of drugs or actually took them at work. A fifth of respondents believe that such drug-taking has become more acceptable over the past five years. The media sector is believed to be the most drug-ridden, banking the least. Cannabis is the most popular drug, then cocaine, and amphetamines third. We should remember these answers are, to some extent, based on suspicions. It is difficult to credit the 2% who believe that their colleagues regularly drop acid at work. In the US, some 40% of firms test their employees for drug use. It is difficult to know what percentage do in this country, because neither employers or drug-testing laboratories will divulge much information, for reasons of personal privacy. But it is known that very little is done, other than for health and safety reasons, or as part of a medical examination before joining a firm. And a drug test is no proof that an employee has been taking drugs at work, just that drugs have been taken at some time during the past few weeks. In the States, some companies have no hesitation in stipulating how employees conduct their private lives, and will include clauses in employment contracts forbidding them even to smoke cigarettes at home. There is no such tradition here. Drug-taking at work, or even at home, leaves employers in an awkward position. It is illegal to permit employees to take drugs on company premises. But being caught taking drugs at work is not necessarily a sackable offence, unless there have been clear general warnings on the matter. No wonder many employers prefer not to know.
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