Ethics of Workplace Drug Testing (Essay Sample)

Ethics of Workplace Drug Testing Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Ethics of Workplace Drug Testing Michael Cranford in his article “Drug Testing and the Right to Privacy: Arguing the Ethics of Workplace Drug Testing” explains the developing issues of drug testing at the workplace. According to the author, he asserts that drug testing exercises are done in organisations to limit the economic impacts of substance abuse by the employees. The author implies that the effects of drug misuse in the workplace have been emphasised on the economic issues and how their drug effects may affect the normal working of the organisation (Cranford, 1998). Gaining information on drug testing is one of the ethical issues that have been discussed concerning the privacy and the rights of employees in an organisation. The author supports that drug testing among employees is not ethically justifiable since it reduces the workers as a means to an end in the organisational achievements. The arguments of the author support his claim against drug testing on employees. For instance, the author uses the economically justifiable factors in detailing the possible effects that the ethical issue has on employees. Moreover, the evidence from other research articles that illustrate on the moral elements involved in gaining information on some private issues among the employees. The article also illustrates the evidence for both employee and organisational perspectives and their relation to ethics. The evidence that supports the main argument includes the fact that drug testing is more of a privacy issue as compared to the organisational process issue. For example, the employees do not use the drugs within the workplace. Investigating their body against drugs would be an invasion of their privacy (Cranford, 1998). Furthermore, the article indicates that employee worth is a critical factor while engaging in performance contracts with the employing company. The information in the article may apply to my professional life. There are critical issues that I may look at while dealing with organisations. I think that the breach of privacy issues at the expense of an organisation's economic goals implies that as an employee I may be exploited to fulfil the desires of a company. One of the companies that I have observed keenly is Starbucks Corporation. The company has high standards of ethical values towards its employees. The article has a precise way of differentiating between the private life and the employees and the organisational goals. The company may apply this article in understanding the difference between intentions of the company and the worth of employees. For instance, it would help the company in balancing between the profitability goals and the position of employees as part of the company development. The leaders have significant roles in emulating the corporate culture within the organisations. The leaders have a role in instituting the beliefs and norms that a company uses in running the affairs of the company. Styles of leadership may be defined as the ...