Case 6: Pre-Employment Screenings: What’s Appropriate?  At a public library in Oregon in 2004, Janet Lanier applied for work as a library page. The job duties included such tasks as reshelving books and occasionally working a youth service desk. The library offered Lanier the job, on the condition that she first submit to drug and alcohol testing—a pre-employment requirement recently adopted by the library’s municipality.   After Lanier refused to take the test, claiming it was an invasion of her privacy, the library withdrew its offer. Lanier then sued the library, alleging that a pre-employment drug and alcohol test constituted unreasonable search and seizure—a practice barred by the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution as well as the Oregon state constitution.   A district court found the testing policy unconstitutional. That ruling was later reversed on appeal. However, the appellate court said jobs that keep the public safe—for example, the role of police officer—could constitutionally require pre-employment drug and alcohol testing. At the same time, the court ruled that “suspicionless” screening—that is, testing candidates where no suspicion of substance abuse exists—is not justified.    Employers should keep state and federal law in mind if they contemplate imposing pre-employment drug testing on job candidates.    Question As an employer, how would you handle the matter of pre-employment screening in your industry?   Write at least a couple of paragraphs giving your reasoning on how you would handle the question above.

Practical Management Science
6th Edition
ISBN:9781337406659
Author:WINSTON, Wayne L.
Publisher:WINSTON, Wayne L.
Chapter2: Introduction To Spreadsheet Modeling
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 20P: Julie James is opening a lemonade stand. She believes the fixed cost per week of running the stand...
icon
Related questions
icon
Concept explainers
Question

Case 6: Pre-Employment Screenings: What’s Appropriate? 

At a public library in Oregon in 2004, Janet Lanier applied for work as a library page. The job duties included such tasks as reshelving books and occasionally working a youth service desk. The library offered Lanier the job, on the condition that she first submit to drug and alcohol testing—a pre-employment requirement recently adopted by the library’s municipality.

 

After Lanier refused to take the test, claiming it was an invasion of her privacy, the library withdrew its offer. Lanier then sued the library, alleging that a pre-employment drug and alcohol test constituted unreasonable search and seizure—a practice barred by the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution as well as the Oregon state constitution.

 

A district court found the testing policy unconstitutional. That ruling was later reversed on appeal. However, the appellate court said jobs that keep the public safe—for example, the role of police officer—could constitutionally require pre-employment drug and alcohol testing. At the same time, the court ruled that “suspicionless” screening—that is, testing candidates where no suspicion of substance abuse exists—is not justified. 

 

Employers should keep state and federal law in mind if they contemplate imposing pre-employment drug testing on job candidates. 

 

Question

As an employer, how would you handle the matter of pre-employment screening in your industry?

 

Write at least a couple of paragraphs giving your reasoning on how you would handle the question above. 

 

Expert Solution
trending now

Trending now

This is a popular solution!

steps

Step by step

Solved in 3 steps

Blurred answer
Knowledge Booster
Agency relations
Learn more about
Need a deep-dive on the concept behind this application? Look no further. Learn more about this topic, operations-management and related others by exploring similar questions and additional content below.
Similar questions
Recommended textbooks for you
Practical Management Science
Practical Management Science
Operations Management
ISBN:
9781337406659
Author:
WINSTON, Wayne L.
Publisher:
Cengage,
Operations Management
Operations Management
Operations Management
ISBN:
9781259667473
Author:
William J Stevenson
Publisher:
McGraw-Hill Education
Operations and Supply Chain Management (Mcgraw-hi…
Operations and Supply Chain Management (Mcgraw-hi…
Operations Management
ISBN:
9781259666100
Author:
F. Robert Jacobs, Richard B Chase
Publisher:
McGraw-Hill Education
Business in Action
Business in Action
Operations Management
ISBN:
9780135198100
Author:
BOVEE
Publisher:
PEARSON CO
Purchasing and Supply Chain Management
Purchasing and Supply Chain Management
Operations Management
ISBN:
9781285869681
Author:
Robert M. Monczka, Robert B. Handfield, Larry C. Giunipero, James L. Patterson
Publisher:
Cengage Learning
Production and Operations Analysis, Seventh Editi…
Production and Operations Analysis, Seventh Editi…
Operations Management
ISBN:
9781478623069
Author:
Steven Nahmias, Tava Lennon Olsen
Publisher:
Waveland Press, Inc.