M5 Original Assignment Topic
Is drug testing an unwarranted invasion of employee privacy? Which is more important getting drugs out of the workplace or protecting the privacy of the employee?
No, I don’t think that drug testing is an invasion of the employee’s privacy. The Employer informs the potential employees if a drug test is required before hiring them, and also if they can do it at any time during their employment period. The applicant has the option not to take the job if they feel their privacy is being invaded. An employer needs to know that they have responsible employees working for them since they are the ones doing the job. When someone is on drugs even if it’s not during work hours it can affect their production, or them being on time and many other reasons. The employee is trying to protect themselves, and if it’s illegal they shouldn’t be doing it anyways. I think that getting the drugs out of the workplace is more important than protecting the privacy of the employee from drug testing. The employee is informed about the drug tests and they have the option to deny it as well. It is more important to have a safe working environment with responsible people who will perform their jobs on a daily basis.
What about other health-threatening activities, i.e. smoking outside of working hours, unprotected sex, etc. Should employers be able to question or test employees or potential employees about these activities?
I don’t think that if the employee smokes or has unprotected sex that it is any of the employers business. The employee isn’t doing anything illegal. Smoking may cause the employee to have some serious issues at some point, and although it may affect the cost of insurance as long as it’s legal I don’t think the employer needs to know.
Should employers be allowed to use polygraph tests to "screen" out potentially costly employees who may engage in illegal drug use or any of these activities?
I don’t think that employers should be allowed to use a polygraph test to screen for drug use or any other information. I think this is a complete invasion of privacy. The drug test will let them know what they need. As long as the employee shows up to work on time and is responsible and not doing any illegal drugs to interrupt with their performance then the employers don’t need to know anything more.
Should employers be allowed to require that applicants or employees give the employer access to digital information, such as Facebook or Twitter?
Employers should not be allowed to require an applicant or and employee to give their employer access to digital information. Facebook and Twitter or any other social media you use is outside of work and doesn’t pertain to a person’s job at all. I don’t think you can go onto someone’s page either and determine the type of person they are. People usually act different outside of work. When you go to work your more conservative and act more appropriate then you would if you were with friends or family.