Drug testing in the workplace is an issue because of the fact that drug abuse by American workers endangers their coworkers, reduces productivity, costs the company and eventually the consumer money, and contributes to health problems which are then paid for either by the company or the public in some fashion. Many employers have introduced some form of drug testing program in order to reduce costs and offer help to drug abusing employees. There are concerns that such testing violates privacy rights and could lead to employees being disciplined or even fired, and employers are concerned about lawsuits over errors, privacy issues, violation of rights, or unauthorized disclosure of test results. There are also concerns that the testing is not adequate or accurate and that innocent employees will suffer as a consequence. The courts have been called in to adjudicate these and related matters.
Fuqua and McHaney (1995) note that controlling drugs in the workplace is one of the most difficult problems facing employers today:
The use of alcohol and drugs during working hours is most often a covert activity that is identifiable only by circumstantial evidence. The frequency of substance abuse has, however, required that employers institute policies and procedures to control and contain a problem that can otherwise affect safe operations, company morale, productivity, and profitability (Fuqua & McHaney, 1995).
However, employers also have little choice given that federal law mandates that some employers maintain drug free workplaces and test employees for drug use while business realities pressure other employers to do the same. The Drug Free Workplace Act became effective in March 1989 and applies to federal contractors with individual procurement contracts of $25,000 or more and to direct recipients of federal grants of any amount (it does not apply to subcontractors or subrecipients, however). The act requires that the emp...