Should drug testing be legal for the workplace?

[Heartless Angel]

What's missing from this equation? Oh, yeah, private interests. One's employer is not the State. They do not decide what is illegal or otherwise. They must uphold the law -- in other words, ensuring that illegal activity is not taking place on their premises - drug taking, dealing, and in many cases, the operation of machinery while under the influence of drugs. That is the end of their responsibility. If one is breaking the law at work, fine - fire them.

And it has been shown that the presence of mind altering substances in one's body, even after the immediate effects are no logner evident, can impair a person. So by your own words, that is grounds for dismissal.

If drugs impair one's performance at work, it should be obvious. And if they do not - which is mostly the case - then on what grounds can they be dismissed, if they have been doing drugs in their own time? Thus, if impairment is clear, one shouldn't even need to be tested for drugs. To do so is invasive beyond an employer's rights. An employee's body is just that. Likewise with an employee's free time. To compare this to murder/letter box smashing/whatever-the-hell-you're-going-to-bring-up-next is stupid, because you're proceeding purely on principle, when you need to step back and think more rationally and apply it to this specific case

Thinking rationally, in the case of a stoner who is obviously high at work, if we did things that way, said stoner would argue that an employer has no evidence of the presence of the drug, correct? So how do we get around this? Oh! Here's an idea! BY TESTING THEM.

I know it is illegal, and I know I'm taking a risk, but I do it in private, and as long as I do not negatively impact other people, I can't see why I should have to stop.

Need I even remark? I mean, really? If you commit the crime, you'd best be prepared for the consequences, all that needs be said. If you want to take that rsik, fine, that's your choice, don't whine about it when somebody decides to punish you for that choice.

I don't turn up to work high, nor do I study high. I'm high when I get high. If I'm not doing anything illegal at work, there is no reasonable grounds for my dismissal. An employer CANNOT tell me what to do in my free time; my employment contract starts and stops at the door. The State can attempt to dictate what I can do in my free time, but I take that risk on my own mandate.

However, you can't argue that that employer does NOT have the right to dictate what chemicals may be influencing you while on the job. He tells you you can't come to work with THC in your bloodstream, that's his call. You chose to smoke a bowl last night knowing the next day you would in fact be violating this regulation. You made your choice, you accept its consequences.

And stop arguing that it's OK if you have signed a contract to do so -- the argument is that that in itself should not be allowed. Just as one cannot make an employee work on public holidays, eat breakfast, brush their teeth, or any other random and illogical expression of employer power

Alright, I'll agree to stop using law that supports my side because you don't like it if you and everyone else on your side also agrees to stop bringing up any legal evidence that supports your side instead of mine. Because that totally makes for a fair debate. Try again. You're right, an employer can't FORCE you into it just because he's your employer. But if you sign a contract agreeing to it, you'd better believe you can be held to it. You don't like the terms, you don't sign it. I'll drop my points as soon as you drop all of yours.