In companies that engage in particularly invasive types of surveilance, such as keystroke monitoring, employees have far greater reported stress levels, and are more veunerable to other disorders, such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Also, employees have privacy protections based upon their reasonable expectations of privacy. For example, there is no question that it would be inappropriate for an employer to place video cameras in the employee changing area, as a reasonable person would find this type of monitoring highly offensive. Employers are increasingly using drug tests to screen potential employees and to monitor current ones. There are good reasons for this.
Employers fear loss of productivity, drug related illegal activity, and potential liability.
In order to help prevent these possibilities, some employers require drug tests. Consistent, comprehensive and random drug tests can greatly reduce incidents of drug use at work, and save employers money, time, and fear of litigation. Even with those concerns in mind, some privacy advocates question workplace drug testing. Drug testing, as it is currently used, cannot determine when the drugs were taken, and is sometimes inaccurate, confusing legal substances like poppyseeds and antihistamines with real drugs like heroin and speed. Also, drug tests can serve as a partial remedy to employee drug use, as employers rely on tests instead of attentive management and employee education programs.