Invasive Procedures

A friend of mine has been in his job for years but recently the company was bought by an American firm. Now it's introduced random drug and alcohol testing. This appears to be legal in the U.S. but here there's controversy because it probably contradicts the 1998 Human Rights Act. (Europeans have rights, you know. Rights feel good.)

This really is about a friend of mine and not me, by the way. Though I think I'm more outraged by it than he is. It's obviously not a good idea to show up to work drunk or hungover but, beyond that, if your private life isn't affecting your output, it shouldn't be any of your employer's business. Your performance reviews have always been tip-top and your supervisor is totally happy with you but they won't call you loyal until they can take something out your body to prove it? I don't want to live in a world where this is considered normal. For our children's sake, resist!

Of course, in certain judgmental circles, objecting to being tested on moral grounds is an admission of being a filthy drug-using scumbag yourself and you'll be branded before anyone else gets their results back from the lab. There are safer ways to "fight the pee-sniffers".

My local hypermarket sells divorce paperwork packs now, near the A/V section. They should do Request To Test forms next - though don't buy one in Bristol or the first question is likely to be, What's the big deal stealing my tetrahydracannabinol (T.H.C.) when I paid for it? Rasklaat.