Drugs testing at work to assist redundancies are 'worrying'

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Home » News » Drugs » Drugs testing at work to assist redundancies are 'worrying'

by Change | 20 May 2009

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Bogus drugs testing claims concern TUC.

Claims of bogus drug testing at work are worrying, according to the Trades Union Congress (TUC).

The comments come as a leading drug centre reported that the number of calls to its drugs helpline concerning drug testing at work increased by almost five times in the first three months of 2009.

The information from Release, the national centre of expertise on drugs and drugs law, has fuelled speculation that employers are looking to dismiss workers during the recession by claiming they suffer from drug addictions.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "Policies on drug use should be equally clear to staff. Any drug testing should be limited in use, proportionate - for example being needed on health and safety grounds - and accompanied by access to counseling and welfare programmes."

Release also announced that they had seen a significant drop in the number of calls from employers looking for advice on how to support staff members who they suspected were having problems with drugs.

The centre noted that many callers mentioned cannabis as the drug that they were concerned about being found by drug testing at their place of work. This is because it can show up in a drugs test weeks after use.

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