NAME: Ang Khai Sian

EXTERNAL ID: 772528

DATE SUBMITTED: 9th December 2010
SUBJECT: OL 326, Social Environment of Business ( Case Study 2)
LECTURER: Ms Brigitte Miner

1. Should urine testing, or other types of testing, be permitted among public and
private employees to prevent drug and alcohol abuse? Why or why not?

In my point of view I think that Urine testing, or other types of testing should be
permitted among public and private employees to prevent drug and alcohol abuse. The
passage stated that Bill of Rights in U.S Constitution protect public employees from drug
testing, whereas private employees are mandatory to conduct drug testing. This show the
unfairness between public sector and private sector, public employees are also employees
they need to go for the testing so that it won’t create any unfairness. This show that the
public interest safety is more important than the privacy rights of employees was in
debate. Besides that the safety of the workplace is much more important than the privacy
rights of employees. Privacy rights will not guarantee that drug and alcohol problems will
not exist in the workplace.
Hence, drug and alcohol abuse can be identified by several methods, urine tests are the
most common testing method about 90 percent of all tests. Urine testing should be
implemented on public and private employees. Based on the passage it mentioned that
cost of drug abuse will lead to change of behavior patterns such as frequent tardiness and
absences from work and so on. When the workplace is free from drug and alcohol, it will
lead to the companies to be more efficient, productivity and provide a good image to the
companies. By conducting drug testing, companies can easily achieve the goal to provide
a healthy, safe and productive working environment will make the companies achieve
their vision and mission as well.
2. If you believed that urine testing in some form might be acceptable, write down
the outlines of a sound testing program. Who should be tested? Employees? Job
applicants? Should there be random testing? Should people in all job categories be
tested?

I think that all the people who involved in workplace which including employees
and job applicants should go for urine testing. Urine testing is inexpensive and accurate,
it can easily detect whether an individual consume drug or alcohol. If the drug testing is
not implement on employees and job applicants, they can lie to the companies that they
do not take any drug or alcohol, as we know that cheating is very unethical. By
conducting drug testing on employees and job applicants have no chance to lie to the
company it is also one of the way to detect whether they lie to the company or not.

On the other hand, urine testing should also be conducted on the current
employees who have poor performance such as high absenteeism, poor concentration,
forgetfulness and done frequent mistakes. All these problems exist would be the
symptom of taking drug and alcohol, it also will lead to inefficient of work. Taking drug
and alcohol excessively could cause an individual lost control and cause accident in
workplace. Urine testing should be implementing before recruit an employee, so that it
will not create any trouble to the companies and workplace.

3. As a manager with responsibility for conducting a testing program, what would

be your response to the following situations?

a. An employee who tests positive for marijuana on a Monday morning but has a
spotless 10-year work record.

I will suggest this employee to go for treatment, because he had contributed so much to
the company, if he really go for treatment he can stay in the company and continue to
give contribution, If he does not want to go for treatment I will fire him.

b. An airline pilot who refuses a random test.

I will no longer hire this pilot, because he did not want to go for random test that mean he
had hidden something behind, perhaps he is taking drug so he afraid to let the company
know. An employee should not refuse to follow the company’s order. National security is
an important issue in every country as Transportation Company has the responsibility to
ensure its passengers in a safety condition.

c. A job applicant who tests positive for cocaine use.

I will not hire this job applicant because he or she is taking cocaine. Company, will not
hire someone who is taking to drug and alcohol. When an employee is taking drug it will
bring some problem to the company such as poor concentration, frequent mistakes ad so
on, this will affect the company’s performance.

d. An employee who tests positive for cocaine use.

I will suggest this employee go for treatment and ask him not to take drug anymore,
besides that I will give him a warning letter, if he refuse to listen what I suggest, I have
no choice I must fire him.

e. An employee who comes to your office the night before announced urinalysis and
admits that he regularly use a hallucinogenic drug off the job.
In this case, because of his honestly I will give him another chance, but I will make sure
that he goes for urine testing regularly and the report of checking must be submit to me
after the urine test. If he repeat it the same mistake again, I will fire him.

f. A productive worker who gives no outward sign of drug use but who is named as
a drug abuser at work in an anonymous tip.

I will investigate before I fire this employee, because we cannot simply believe in
rumors. Without investigates and fire the employee it is very unfair for him if he really
did not take drug. It’s not too late to fire him when I have enough evidence to prove that
he is taking drug.

g. An employee involved in a serious work accident who refuses to take an

immunoassay test based on her belief in the right to privacy.

I will not longer hire this employee. The safety of workplace must be the priority. Belief
is important for an employee but life is more important than everything. Once we lost our
live everything is over. Besides that it’s a duty for an employer to provide a safety and
healthy working condition for the employees.

h. The recommendation of the union that management be given the same tests as
workers.

I will follow the law that recommended by the union because that is nation laws. All
workers will be treated equally and no discrimination. Urine testing should be conducted
to everyone in the companies, in order to make it fair.