Employee Drug Testing

Studies have shown that substance abusers are 33% less productive overall (Patrick Dixon). Patrick Dixon found research showing that “when the State of Ohio introduced random drug testing they found absenteeism dropped 91%, there were 88% less problems with supervisors and 97% decrease in on-the-job injuries”. Employers have a responsibility to ensure that their employees do not pose a safety risk to anyone while on the job. Unless employees’ belong to a union, they have little to no legal protection against being drug tested.

State and local legislature have limited the powers of employers by passing statutes regarding drug testing.  Because of this, many employers have put contractual agreements into place that effect what rights the employee has. However, even if an employer is able to obtain information that an employee is doing drugs, they are still limited as to how they are allowed to respond to their findings. It is believed that drug testing interferes with the EAW principle of guaranteed political right, more specifically, the right to privacy.

I believe that, because drug use can be such a liability to employers, drug testing should be allowed under any circumstances. The continued passage of acts that are limiting actions of employers shows that the majority of American’s would not agree with my statement.

Moral philosophies can be consistent with both arguments. An employee privacy is a right that should be guarded however not doing drugs may potentially affect your work performance is the ethical thing to do.  I think that this issue is present because we do not want people doing illegal drugs, however, when figuring out whether or not someone is doing illegal drugs divulges information about other legal drugs they are taking, privacy is violated. I don’t think that whether or not you are on depression medication or ADHD medication etcetera is any of an employer’s business.   

Dixon, Patrick. (Jan. 26, 2011). Drug Testing in the Workplace. Retrieved from http://www.globalchange.com/drugtest.htm on February 20, 2011.