Employee drink and drug testing worries licensees

Fresh fears that businesses could introduce drink and drugs testing among employees have worried licensees.

Research by the TUC claims that alcohol among workers is a growing problem with up to 15 million days lost each year because of drink.

Worse still, long-term sickness, unemployment and premature death due to alcohol abuse cost the UK economy an estimated £2.3bn a year.

As a result the TUC is asking firms which do not already have alcohol policies in place to draw them up, which could include testing for drugs and drink.

Licensees fear it will hit weekday and evening drinking as employees become worried about being caught "over the limit" the following day.

The British Beer & Pub Association slammed the research and said people were not drinking any more than they used to.

Spokesman Mark Hastings said: "If you look at the figures we were drinking 25 per cent less alcohol at the beginning of this century compared to the beginning of last century."

However he agreed that companies need to have "clear and unambiguous policies on alcohol in the workplace in place".

"Employers need to specify whether workers can drink at lunch time or not and make it perfectly clear that employees must not be drunk at work or while on company business," he added.

"However random test for drink would clearly pick up people drinking the night before. But if these tests were introduced it wouldn't result in people visiting the pub less."

Tony Payne, of the Federation of Licensed Victuallers' Associations, said: "If workplaces introduce drink testing then employees won't be able to have a drink the night before as it will pick this up even if they've been totally sensible. It's not necessary you can tell if someone has had too much to drink by smelling their breath and by their actions. Common sense is all you need.

"People are drinking much less than they used to. In the past people used to go out and drink 12 or 15 pints in the evening, it's certainly not the case anymore."

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "It's in everyone's interest that we tackle the UK's growing drink problem.

"The TUC would like to see the government, unions and employers all coming together to deal with the issue in a sensitive and understanding way."