Techniques Employers Use To Combat Substance Abuse: Advantages and Disadvantages (From Combating Substance Abuse in the Workplace, William F Banta, Forest Tennant, 1989, P 55-79)

• NCJ Number: 162188
• Author(s): W F Banta; F Tennant
• Date Published: 1989
• Length: 25 pages
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: DCC

Annotation

This chapter reviews the legal and practical advantages and disadvantages of techniques for detecting job applicants and employees who are abusing, distributing, or selling drugs, including alcohol.

Abstract

Detection techniques, which are not necessarily mutually exclusive, include: (1) surveillance of employees suspected of violating company policy; (2) searches of employees and their personal property by human beings and by dogs; (3) various lie-detection devices such as polygraphs and psychological stress evaluations; (4) fitness-for-duty examinations; and (5) laboratory testing of blood and urine. The review focuses on court cases defining the rights of employers to engage in the particular activity and on actual experiences of various employers. In considering the legal issues, the article notes the different rules for public and private employers. There is a chart summarizing the advantages and disadvantages of using one or more of the techniques, with suggestions to make the use of techniques effective. Note, references