A discussion of the ethical implications of random drug testing in the workplace

Christie, Timothy

doi:10.1177/0840470415581251

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…In other words, compulsory psychoactive substance testing undermines the rights, freedoms and personal guarantees enshrined in the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic, namely, the right to personal integrity (Article 25) and the right to privacy reserve (Article 26). This means that there will be no justification for drug testing in all (or random) workers in an organization, but only for those whose job requires high skills or involves considerable risk to themselves or other workers and in all who show manifested and serious signs of being influenced by psychoactive substances [79]. Moreover, it should be mentioned that the existence of an internal regulation that considers a program for workplace drug testing cannot be in itself a just cause for dismissal because it is not provided by law and violates the principle of job security and the fundamental right of workers accordingly the Article 53 of the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic.…”

Section: Workplace Drug Testingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The most common procedure is to perform drug testing in those workers randomly nominated by the computer, as well as those appointed by the occupational physician, or to those who request according to the rules of procedure. As mentioned above, random drug testing has been prone to controversy because employers must ensure that every aspect of their policies is rooted in scientific evidence, linked rationally to the goal of workplace safety, and are ethically justifiable [79]. Some organizations also advocate testing following an accident of specific consequences (e.g., fatalities, injuries that require anyone to be removed from the scene for medical care, damage to vehicles or property above a specified monetary amount) in order to determine whether the abuse of psychoactive substances were a factor.…”

Section: The Labor Code (Law No 7/2009 Of 12 February)mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Abuse of Licit and Illicit Psychoactive Substances in the Workplace: Medical, Toxicological, and Forensic Aspects

Dinis-Oliveira

Magalhães

2020

JCM

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About one-third of adult life is spent in the workplace. The use of psychoactive substances is a major preventable cause of morbidity and mortality. The consumption of psychoactive substances during or outside working hours greatly increases the frequency and severity of labor accidents, as well as the workers’ poor general state of health and productivity, implying higher costs for enterprises. It is the responsibility of organizations to ensure the safety and health of their workers. These cannot be limited to traditional routine clinical exams, as other aspects also have an impact on health. Thus, prevention and intervention in the consumption of psychoactive substances (e.g., ethanol, opioids, central nervous system stimulants or depressants, hallucinogens, Cannabis derivatives, dissociative substances, and inhalants) in labor activity should be considered as an investment of organizations and not as a cost, in view of the professional, personal, and family advantages for workers and employers, with a potential impact on productivity, security, health, and quality of life at work. Despite the extensive literature on the subject, each article generally focuses on one or another aspect of a very specific nature, not tackling the problem in a holistic way by confronting clinical, safety, and legal issues. This article presents a reflection on the legal, laboratorial, clinical, ethical, forensic, and safety concerns related to the consumption of psychoactive substances in the workplace, and can be a cross-cutting contribution to occupational medicine, forensic medicine, and insurance medicine, as well as for entrepreneurs, lawyers, judges, workers, and technicians from the public and private sectors that develop projects in this area. This discussion is based on general principles established internationally and highlights the role of the occupational healthcare system and other decision-making actors in the prevention and supervision of workplace psychoactive consumption.

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Section: Workplace Drug Testingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Labor Code (Law No 7/2009 Of 12 February)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Abuse of Licit and Illicit Psychoactive Substances in the Workplace: Medical, Toxicological, and Forensic Aspects

Dinis-Oliveira

Magalhães

2020

JCM

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“…It aims to prevent accidents, injuries, and illnesses while performing job tasks. Importantly, for practical significance and considerations, ensuring workplace safety is a moral responsibility and a legal requirement for employers (Awais-E-Yazdan et al, 2022; Christie, 2015). Workplace accidents and injuries can have severe consequences for employees (Roslan et al, 2023), including physical harm, mental trauma, loss of income, and long-term disabilities (Applebaum et al, 2019;Koo and Ki, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Revealing the unseen: a bibliometric analysis of workplace safety

Abdullah,

Firdaus Roslan,

Ishak

et al. 2023

Kontakt

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Ensuring workplace safety is paramount for organisations operating in the health or industrial sectors, as it mitigates the risk of accidents, injuries, and illnesses that may arise during job-related activities. This study employs bibliometric methods to analyse and evaluate published literature on workplace safety, identifying major themes, authors, and publications in the field and assessing the impact and influence of research in this area. The investigation obtains datasets from Scopus and Web of Science (WoS). The ScientoPy and VOSviewer software were utilised to analyse the datasets. The findings indicate a steady rise in the literature on workplace safety since the 1970s. In 2019, a notable quantity of publications amounting to 537 across both databases was documented. The subject of "Public, Environmental & Occupational Health" has achieved the highest ranking with 1,669 publications. The top five author keywords associated with this subject are "occupational health and safety", "health and safety", "safety", "occupational safety", and "occupational health". The term "COVID-19" has garnered significant attention recently, particularly in 2021 and 2022. The bibliometric analysis indicates that workplace safety research has been a consistent and growing topic of scholarly interest. The findings can guide future research undertakings, decision-making processes in policy formulation, and practical measures aimed at augmenting occupational safety and preserving workers' well-being and general welfare.

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“…A key ethical debate concerns the extent to which the health of an employee is a private matter over which the individual has full autonomy, or whether there are overriding principles – such as an employer’s legal or ethical duty of care to the entire body of employees, clients, and wider society [ 32 – 34 , 36 ]. These debates have, for example, been prominent in relation to programmes that test employees for substances that might impair performance in safety–critical industries [ 37 – 39 ], or programmes that involve testing or vaccination for specific infectious diseases, e.g. influenza [ 40 ] and hepatitis C [ 41 , 42 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Guiding organisational decision-making about COVID-19 asymptomatic testing in workplaces: mixed-method study to inform an ethical framework

et al. 2022

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Background Workplace programmes to test staff for asymptomatic COVID-19 infection have become common, but raise a number of ethical challenges. In this article, we report the findings of a consultation that informed the development of an ethical framework for organisational decision-making about such programmes. Methods We conducted a mixed-method consultation – a survey and semi-structured interviews during November–December 2020 in a UK case study organisation that had introduced asymptomatic testing for all staff working on-site in its buildings. Analysis of closed-ended survey data was conducted descriptively. An analysis approach based on the Framework Method was used for the open-ended survey responses and interview data. The analyses were then integrated to facilitate systematic analysis across themes. Inferences were based on the integrated findings and combined with other inputs (literature review, ethical analysis, legal and public health guidance, expert discussions) to develop an ethical framework. Results The consultation involved 61 staff members from the case study organisation (50 survey respondents and 11 interview participants). There was strong support for the asymptomatic testing programme: 90% of the survey respondents viewed it as helpful or very helpful. Open-ended survey responses and interviews gave insight into participants’ concerns, including those relating to goal drift, risk of false negatives, and potential negative impacts for household members and people whose roles lacked contractual and financial stability. Integration of the consultation findings and the other inputs identified the importance of a whole-system approach with appropriate support for the key control measure of isolation following positive tests. The need to build trust in the testing programme, for example through effective communication from leaders, was also emphasised. Conclusions The consultation, together with other inputs, informed an ethical framework intended to support employers. The framework may support organisational decision-making in areas ranging from design and operation of the programme through to choices about participation. The framework is likely to benefit from further consultation and refinement in new settings. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-13993-1.

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A discussion of the ethical implications of random drug testing in the workplace

Cited by 5 publications

References 6 publications

Abuse of Licit and Illicit Psychoactive Substances in the Workplace: Medical, Toxicological, and Forensic Aspects

Abuse of Licit and Illicit Psychoactive Substances in the Workplace: Medical, Toxicological, and Forensic Aspects

Revealing the unseen: a bibliometric analysis of workplace safety

Guiding organisational decision-making about COVID-19 asymptomatic testing in workplaces: mixed-method study to inform an ethical framework

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