Should Wefare Recipients Be Drug tested
Should Welfare Recipients Be Drug Tested
BCOM/275
Should Welfare Recipients Be Drug Tested
Pre-employment drug testing and post hiring random testing has become common place in today’s business world. In order to ensure that their employees can function safely for the good of themselves, fellow employees and the company property, companies have adopted the practice of drug testing employees.
In order meet eligibility requirements, potential employees must submit to the testing and declare that they will maintain a drug free status by joining the random pool that can be tested at any time during employment. Since this is becoming the norm when seeking employment, should those individuals who have not found employment but seek government assistance be subject to the same types of drug testing?
There is an ongoing debate on whether drug testing of welfare recipients is legal in mant of the local state governments. This paper hopes to expand on some of those topics in a por vs. con setting:
The Pros and Cons of Drug Testing Welfare Recipients
Pros - Most jobs require drug testing before and during employment
Testing poor and working people for drugs is not a new idea. It’s a trend that picked up significant steam during the war on drugs when in 1986, President Ronald Reagan issued an executive order requiring all federal job applicants to pee in a cup. The order was quickly followed by the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988, which required employers with federal grants to keep their businesses drug-free. The act led to widespread drug testing in the private industry and, in a decade, the rate of drug testing applicants among large employers increased almost four fold, from 21 percent in 1987 to 81 percent in 1996 (Wessler, 2012).
Large to small size companies use drug testing as a condition of employment. After initial testing, employees are added to a random testing program that allows for unannounced random testing at any time. Since it is not known
BCOM/275
Should Welfare Recipients Be Drug Tested
Pre-employment drug testing and post hiring random testing has become common place in today’s business world. In order to ensure that their employees can function safely for the good of themselves, fellow employees and the company property, companies have adopted the practice of drug testing employees.
In order meet eligibility requirements, potential employees must submit to the testing and declare that they will maintain a drug free status by joining the random pool that can be tested at any time during employment. Since this is becoming the norm when seeking employment, should those individuals who have not found employment but seek government assistance be subject to the same types of drug testing?
There is an ongoing debate on whether drug testing of welfare recipients is legal in mant of the local state governments. This paper hopes to expand on some of those topics in a por vs. con setting:
The Pros and Cons of Drug Testing Welfare Recipients
Pros - Most jobs require drug testing before and during employment
Testing poor and working people for drugs is not a new idea. It’s a trend that picked up significant steam during the war on drugs when in 1986, President Ronald Reagan issued an executive order requiring all federal job applicants to pee in a cup. The order was quickly followed by the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988, which required employers with federal grants to keep their businesses drug-free. The act led to widespread drug testing in the private industry and, in a decade, the rate of drug testing applicants among large employers increased almost four fold, from 21 percent in 1987 to 81 percent in 1996 (Wessler, 2012).
Large to small size companies use drug testing as a condition of employment. After initial testing, employees are added to a random testing program that allows for unannounced random testing at any time. Since it is not known
References: Wessler, S. F., (March 2013). Color Lines - Proposed Welfare Drug Testing Bill Tells Poor to Sign Away Rights. Retrieved from http://colorlines.com/archives/2013/03/congressman_introduces_welfare_drug_test_bill_asks_applicants_to_sign_away_constitutional_rights.html Wessler, S. F., (May, 2012). Color Lines - Why Tea Party Lawmakers Are Trying to Conflate Poverty and Drug Addiction. Retrieved from http://colorlines.com/archives/2012/05/drug_testing.html Michaelshouse.com. (July, 2011). Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients: Pros and Cons. Retrieved from http://www.michaelshouse.com/blog/drug-testing-for-welfare-recipients-pros-and-cons/ Alvarez, L., (April 2012). The New York Times - No Savings Are Found From Welfare Drug Tests. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/18/us/no-savings-found-in-florida-welfare-drug-tests.html Peltier, M., (May, 2011). Reuters – Florida to test all welfare recipients for drugs. Retrieved from http://www-florida-welfare-drugs-idUSTRE74U6W320110531 Delaney, A. (March 2013). The Huffington Post - Welfare Drug Testing Bill Introduced In Congress. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/04/welfare-drug-testing-bill-congress_n_2806450.html Whittenburg, C., (August 2011). The Tampa Tribune - Welfare drug-testing yields 2% positive results. Retrieved from http://www-drug-testing-yields-2-percent-positive-res-ar-252458/ Bohn, D., (March 2013). WSBT.com - Michigan lawmakers consider new welfare drug testing law. Retrieved from - http://articles.wsbt.com/2013-03-13/new-welfare-drug_37690992 USNews.com. Should Welfare Recipients Be Tested for Drugs. Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/should-welfare-recipients-be-tested-for-drugs