Assessing Fitness-for-Duty: An Alternative to Problems Associated with Drug Testing in the Workplace

Abstract

A projected 20-33% of U.S. companies are involved in some type of drug screening. usually, the larger companies implement these programs with over 50% of the Fortune 500 companies reporting testing (Walsh, 1988). In federally regulated industry the percentage of drug screening varies as a function of public safety. For example, 91% of the utilities have a program, as do 81% of the transportation industry, 45% of manufacturing, 34.5% of the communications industry. Industry, both public and private, is becoming increasingly aware of the price paid by the organization and the individual when alcohol/drug misuse is present in the workplace. Some of these testing programs use a least intrusive approach and screen only after an accident, fight, or other “probable cause” event (Walsh, 1988). However, many organizations administer programs on a regular basis through random testing (NIDA, 1988). These organizations include the Department of Transportation, Coast Guard, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, Navy, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Treasury, Customs, Secret Service, Central Intelligence Agency, U.S. Postal Service, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and many public utilities.