"Drug use is information that is rightfully private and only in exceptional cases can an employer ....?

Question

"Drug use is information that is rightfully private and only in exceptional cases can an employer claim a right to know about such use." Defend or oppose this statement. How is your response to this assignment consistent with the moral philosophy you described in the Unit 1 discussion board assignment? Explain. If it is not consistent with that philosophy, explain why your philosophy has changed.

Review the web links in the resources section of the classroom materials and search the internet for more information on this topic.

In your own words, please post a response to the Discussion Board and comment on other postings. You will be graded on the quality of your postings.

Answer 1

Drug and alcohol abuse are leading cause of employees accidents, injuries, and  the lost  of massive productions in the company due to employees sick leave. Companies have workers go through drug tests screen in order to save money both from health insurance and life insurance.  

According to OSHA (operational Substance and Health Administration, there are 65% workplace are accidents because workers illicit drugs abuse and alcohol. 12.3 million who illicit drugs, 6.5%  on full time workers, 8.6% on part-time workers, 60% workers under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

Requiring for employee to be drug tested is very significant point of ethical issue, is to raise awareness for companies work safety environment  and work safety hazards environment meaning hiring workers that are safe to work in the company.  

It is important for a worker  to report to  the management of the use of drugs so that the management can offer a worker a medical assistant and counseling.  

For workers who failed to passed the drug test are fired. But for those workers who  report their problems to the management instead of hiding were able to improve  to keep their jobs as long as they want, able to seek help and guidance, able to rebuild their lives and most of all, able to be more productive workers in the company.

Reference

APA Citations:

Goree, K. (2005). Ethics and Human resources. In Ethics in the workplace (p. 172). thomson.

Answer 2

Drugs are bad.

Answer 3

The right to privacy regarding drug use does not outweigh the right of the employer to know if employees are at work with drugs in their systems.  The employer has the responsibility to provide a safe and pleasant work environment.

Drug use is one of the ethical areas where employee and employers views can differ.  Although the vast majority of workers’ personal philosophies would never allow them to report to work with alcohol or drugs in their system many are the same people that have that beer with their lunch.  Does that one or two beers at lunch make a difference at work?

Alcohol and drug use in the workplace is one of most critical problems for businesses today.  Some estimates have been made as to the impact on business.  $30 billion is lost annually in lost productivity due to drug use and $60 billion annually to alcohol use (Harris, 1992). Workers that reported drug use missed more than 2 days of work in the past month and were more likely to have had more than three employers in the last year (Drug-Free Workplace, n.d.). Another staggering statistic is that ,out of the 16.6 million drug users 12.4 million or 75 percent are employed and out of 51.1 million binge drinkers, 41 million or 80 percent were employed (Drug-Free Workplace, n.d.).

Another effect that employers must consider when creating a drug and alcohol policy is safety.  Depending on the nature of the job, a person under the influence of even a few beers can increase the probability of errors that can harm or even kill other employees.  Would you want to be working around a forklift operator that is under the influence of any substance?  I wouldn’t.  In this case, is it the employer’s responsibility or the responsibility of the individual?  

When reviewing the above information, the employer must create and enforce strict policies regarding drugs and alcohol in the workplace.  As shown above many people would not think twice about coming back from lunch with a little alcohol in them and statistics reveal that you are likely to be working with someone who has drugs or alcohol in their system.

Employers try to identify the chances of a potential employee showing up for work or using these substances during in their job interviews.  Unethical employees cost the company too much money to keep around or hire (Goree,K, n.d.).

This response is consistent with my response in Unit 1 because it follows the philosophy all companies must set high ethical standards to be profitable and stay in business.  Safeguarding employees is one of the highest responsibilities any company has.  

References:

Drug-Free Workplace. (n.d.). Drug-Free Workplace. Retrieved August 4, 2008, from Office of National Drug Control Policy Website: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/prev...

Goree,K. (n.d.). Ethics Violations by Employees. In Ethics in the workplace (2ed., p 188). United States of America: Cengage Learning.

Harris, M. (1992). Alcohol and drug use in the workplace: issues, controversies, and directions for future research. Retrieved August 4, 2008, from BNET Business Network Website: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4...

    

There are good reasons why more and more companies applies this ethical issue of drug screen testing programs. The company is promoting a drug free work place. The company is fighting the war against drugs. The American business will continue to maintain the productivity or increase in productivity. Another ethical issue is to protect both important group level of people: customers and workers of the public. The employers do not to jeopardize the drugs users to create a problem during work and during inside the premises. Another good reason  is the health care cost, are  paid by companies due to the cause problem created by drug users or alcohol users.  The best ethical issue would be 100% tolerance of drugs.  To have a moral ethics means: “drug free” meaning to say, : “Say No to Drugs.”   Which is likely that the drug users will go find another  work someplace else.   To have a drug screen testing means life saving to every workers and more productive in the company as well.

    

Answer 4

Plagiarism (noun): the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work.  

Answer 5

wha-?