Genetic Testing in the Workplace

MODULE 3 - CASE ASSIGNMENT - 2

Few employment practices have stirred as much controversy as employment testing. From psychological questionnaires to urine samples, civil rights groups and courts alike have challenged the devices used by employers to screen and choose workers. But, none is likely to spark more debate than genetic tests. The one thing that concerns me about genetic testing is that it can detect the presence of genetic abnormalities in healthy individuals and result in discrimination within the workplace. Within many companies, such tests can be used to screen job applicants and employees who, because of their genetic makeup, may be more likely to develop diseases if exposed to certain worksite substances, such as chemicals or radiation. But, as a critic of this emerging technology I uphold that screening violates workers rights and increases racial and ethnic discrimination in the workplace

Currently, few companies report using genetic tests to screen employees. The tests now can identify only a small number of relatively rare diseases, are costly to perform and difficult to administer. But, advances in genetic research and technology, aims to decode the genetic makeup of humans and are likely to soon make available simplified, less costly tests.1 The tests will be able to detect a wide range of common genetic disorders, including those not necessarily associated with worksite exposure, such as predisposition to heart disease, cancer, and manic depression. As such tests become available, it is anticipated that interest in testing will grow. Genetic screening is often advocated as a means of significantly reducing the incidence of occupational disease. Employers can use information obtained from genetic testing to ensure that prospective or current employees are not placed in environments that might cause them harm if the tests are used properly. In some instances, the test could be used against the current or potential employee. Testing an...