Employers entrust their workers with a vast array of responsibilities in their businesses. Many employers feel it is necessary for prospective employees to submit to a pre-employment drug screening. This is especially true in industries that require the use of heavy machinery such as forklift drivers, assembly workers and even drivers.
In the United States, we are fortunate to have strict guidelines for workplace safety. Employers are bound by law to provide a safe working environment for their employees, to minimize the risks of accidents or injuries. This is one of the most common reasons for drug testing in the workplace. Employers understand that drug abuse may alter reasoning and logical abilities, thereby causing unnecessary and preventable workplace accidents.
Drug Testing in the Workplace
Drug testing in the workplace became very popular in the 1980s. In 1986, President Ronald Reagan signed an executive order to ban the use of drugs among Federal employees. The Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 made it mandatory that Federal employees abstain from drug use whether on or off duty. The signing of this order helped to create other similar legislation in nearly every state. Many of the nations largest corporations decided this was good practice for all employers and since that time, many employers have drug testing as a condition of employment.
Many opponents of workplace drug testing argue that this is not necessarily good practice. While most opponents recognize employer concerns regarding drug use among employees, they argue that it is a violation of their privacy to require drug testing. This is especially true among those who will not occupy positions that utilize dangerous equipment, such as office workers. Most likely, this is a debate that will not end in the near future. Employers take advantage of their rights to test employees for drugs, while opponents will continue to argue against possible privacy right violations.
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