When Is It Appropriate For A Business To Conduct Drug Tests On Its Employees
Each individual business will have its terms of employment and for those companies that have policies relating to drug use, there are likely to be references to when it is entitled to require its employees to undertake a drug test. For more enlightened employers, this might not necessarily be to catch an employee with a view to firing them for drug use, but instead show its willingness to help employees, for example by supporting them if they need to enter a drug rehab program.
There will be companies, which, given the nature of the type of business they are, the products and services they offer, and for some regulatory and legal reasons, have no option but to have a zero-tolerance policy on drugs use. Examples of the business sectors that this might apply to include childcare. the police, the armed forces, and medical care staff, although that does not preclude any other business type from having the right to have a ‘no drugs use’ policy in place.
This brings us to the subject of this article, which is drug testing, and when an employer has the right to drug test their staff, and the reasons why they might do so. On a positive note, testing could be part of the employer’s wish to ensure that all employee’s health, safety, and welfare are given the necessary focus. This can apply both to the person who might be using drugs and to their colleagues. Appropriate circumstances for drug testing employees include the following:
