Drug Testing in the Workplace: It Ain't What You Do It's the Way That You Do It

Alcohol and illicit substance abuse in the workplace is increasingly becoming a major human resource and employee relations issue. Whilst more sophisticated measures have been developed to test and monitor drug use in the workplace, and despite tacit union support on the grounds of occupational health and safety (OH&S), the implementation of drug testing procedures remains a contentious issue. This paper firstly examines the arguments for and against drug testing, and secondly, examines the issue through two case studies in the Australian mining industry where the introduction of the drug testing resulted in industrial disputation that was resolved in very different outcomes.