Drug testing at work
Public sector professionals — especially teachers, intensive care nurses and transport staff — should be subjected to random drug tests, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe has said.
Stressing that the tests should also apply in the private sector, Hogan-Howe insisted that if anyone tested positive and did not accept help to get over their drug habit they should be sacked.
He reckoned this would be a major deterrent to those who thought taking drugs was not only acceptable but would also not impair their ability to do their jobs. Professionals with responsibility for other people — especially vulnerable people — should be actively discouraged from developing a drug habit.
Perhaps if Hogan-Howe wanted to be more of a good cop rather than a bad cop he should read the conciliation service Acas' advice on how to implement policies and procedures over drugs and alcohol.
It says: "Many employers deal with drugs and alcohol abuse in a similar way. For example, some organisations now treat drug and alcohol dependence as an illness and frame policies aimed at rehabilitation. This approach can encourage employees to seek treatment."
The advice also points to various existing pieces of legislation that could cover drugs and alcohol abuse. And it provides a checklist on how to deal with problem at work.
www.publicservice.co.uk/news_story.asp?id=22016
www.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/3/t/Health-work-and-wellbeing-accessible-version.pdf