Human Resource Management

Human Resource Management

[Name of Instructor]

Table of Contents

Executive Summary1

Introduction2

Reasons behind the Changing Role of the Human Resource Department2

Role of Human Resource Department2

Challenges to Human Resource Department4

Reasons for Changing Roles of HRD in Drug Testing Issues4

Legal Issues for the Dismissed Personnel5

Situation of Dismissed Personnel5

Legal Concerns6

Legal and Ethical Issues for the Company7

Ethical Issues7

Legal Issues8

Advice to Ms. Davison9

Impairment Tests11

Addiction to Drugs11

Drugs and Alcohol Policy11

Conclusions12

Recommendations14

Human Resource Management

Executive Summary

The purpose of the paper is to provide a detailed analysis of the case study: 'Implications of testing for drugs', by analysing the reasons behind the role undertaken by the HR department on drug testing issues. The paper also analyses the legal concerns that the dismissed employees can effectively utilize against the company, the legal and ethical issues that the entire company might be concerned with, in undertaking drug testing of employees. Finally, the findings and recommendations are thoroughly reviewed in order to give an advice to Ms. Davison for her meeting with the Chair of the regional branch of the relevant trade union.

The paper concludes that drug testing, at workplaces, involves heavy costs, assaults privacy of employees and blows out authoritarianism, and therefore, is highly controversial. Also, there are several legal and ethical issues involved with the testing of drugs at workplace. Likewise, drug testing of employees has failed to address the real issue of an employee's ability to work safely. Consequently, there are no such drug tests that can prove the use of drugs during working hours of an employee. Therefore, if the employers failed to provide any evidence for the use of drugs at workplace, after the positive drug testing of an employee, the dismissal may be considered as unfair by the tribunal. Drug testing cannot be considered as an effective means of reducing injuries at work. The employers have no right to intervene in the private life of their employees, by using drug testing, to know the spare time activities and interests of their employees. However, the government may need to intervene to create rules and regulations of the drug testing practice at workplaces, as the laws regarding drug testing are very unclear in the United Kingdom. The organizations must ensure to follow the ACAS Code of Practice introduced in April 2009, in order to protect the HRD from unfair dismissal of the employees.

Introduction

The purpose of this report is to provide the suggestions to Ms. Davison, the key speaker at the CIPD study group, regarding the role and purposes of the human resource department. For this purpose, a case study: Implications of testing for drugs at work have been analysed. The aim of this paper is to provide a detail analysis of the reasons behind the role undertaken by the HR department on drug testing issues. Further, the paper tends to analyse the legal issues that the dismissed employees may take against the company. The paper also strives to explain the legal/ethical issues that the entire company might be concerned with, in undertaking drug testing of employees. ...