Most UK Employers Are Open-Minded About Drug And Alcohol Testing At Work

Half of UK employers say they do not believe that testing sends the wrong messages to staff, and only a third (32%) see any conflict with employees' human rights.

Only four per cent of companies conduct tests -- and only nine per cent are planning to introduce testing within the next year. However many employers say they would consider testing if they believed the use of alcohol and drugs affected staff productivity (78%), health and safety (89%), or if they believed that drug or alcohol abuse was prevalent within their workforce (72%). Half (51%) believe that drug and alcohol testing should not be restricted to health and safety critical industries.

Technical details

Fieldwork was conducted at the end of April 2003. Results are based on responses from 204 UK businesses. Data have been weighted by size and sector and are representative of industry sectors within the UK. Overall findings are subject to sampling tolerances of +8.5 percent.