do you think it is right

do you think it is right

drug testing for a job

do you think it is right, or is it an invasion of privacy

employers should be allowed to test, especially if your job is a skilled one, where having your judgement impaired puts other people at risk from your actions.

i reckon a lot of it depends on the job.
operating heavy machinery, pilots, police force etc maybe

but desk jobs, stuff like that maybe not. though if they suspect you of taking them i guess they have a right

It is possible that it contravenes the Data Protection Act. If you are really interested, there is an article in the Independent from November 2000, available at http://news.independent.co.uk/digital/features/story.jsp?story=42743, but as it is an old article you will have to pay for it.

true
if it doesnt affect you at work, why should it be an issue?

i think its right in a way so the company know the arnt employing sum smack head who will never be there, but its also an invasion of privacy as well in my opinion

i don't care, there may be remnants of the drug in your system that are still affecting your judgement. it is the employers right to know if you are fit for the job. you don't refuse a medical check-up to check for health problems that may have an adverse affect upon you.

imo it is much of a muchness and not really to do with drugs but more as to ascertain if your are capable of performing your work without putting others around you at risk.

What he said.

as people have said it depends on situation/occupation.. we cant have pilots horsing around can we!
its a difficult one..

The problem is that a lot of drugs will be detectable in your system long after they have stopped affecting your ability to do anything. If I was to have a spliff one Saturday night, and have a drugs test on the Monday, it would probably show up. However, it would not have affected my ability to do my job. That, and pretty much that reason alone, is why it is unfair. It would affect what I could do in my private life that wouldn't otherwise affect my working life.

Not that I would condone the use of drugs in the first place.

agree with you 100%

what i do away from work doesnt affect me when im at work, so i shouldnt be punished for it

Nail on the head.

i agree its unfair to those who may use responsibly, but i'd still rather see people drug tested and then its down to the company to work it out with the individual on a job by job basis.

eu law states that it is entirely legal for an employer to ask you to participate in random drug testing. there has been talk that it may contravene certain privacy issues but as of yet there is no real case for them being made illegal. even if you contested it in this country and won, it would not prevent a company from being able to ask you to test until eu regulations have been overturned. (highly unlikely imo)

i include alchohol, in the substance abuse category and you are extremely right it shouldn't be tolerated. many companies when they test for drugs also test for alchohol. it is in no way any different.

it is also sicentifically possible to quantify blood alchohol levels, and much research had been performed into what affect is has on reaction times, co-ordination etc.. therefore there it is entirely reasonable to test for alchohol.

there is a lack of research for this area in terms of drugs, which leaves a grey area. if/until research is published then it is just tough luck.

then you're missing out!!!

i agree with the fact that they should only be allowed to drug test if it will seriously affect your ability to do your job, e.g. if you're a pilot or train driver etc. and it could peoples lives at risk if ya on a mass comedown or off ya face on ket or summink. :spangled:

If employers are going to tell people what they can and can't do in their private lives, then should a work-place be able to stop people doing dangerous sports for example? I could go out paragliding at the weekend, break my back and spend god knows how long in hospital. I would still be getting paid by the company, and my workload would have to be dumped on someone else. This would affect my employer far more than if I had a spliff on a Saturday night.

Also, what about prescription drugs? Certain anti-depressants, for example, have a huge effect on you and would affect how you work, certainly in the beginning as your body gets used to them. However, depending on your job, you would still be expected to work.

My point is, where do you draw the line?