Finnish employers, especially in the public transit field, wonder why it's relatively easy to give employees breathalyzer tests, but very difficult to administer drug tests.
Jussi Mertanen, director of human resources for Helsingin Bussiliikenne, one of the largest bus companies in the Finnish capital, supports carrying out random drug testing. "We regularly carry out random breathalyzer tests and we could do drug testing in the same way," says Mertanen.
However, while current legislation allows for random checks on alcohol use, drug testing is protected by privacy laws. Employees can't be tested without a valid reason.
Many businesses find the current legislation illogical and difficult. Drugs often can't be detected on one's breath the way that alcohol can, which makes it more difficult to come up with a reason for testing.
According to Jan Schugk, a senior physician with the Confederation of Finnish Industries, one of the reasons to support drug testing is traffic safety. It's important to ensure that drivers are not working under the influence of any substance, he says. "Another reason is international business demands - a client company may require its Finnish counterpart use measures that ensure a drug-free staff by means of random testing," says Schugk.
The main blue-collar labour federation, the SAK, opposes the expansion of tests for the use of illicit or intoxicating substances. Its lawyer Anu-Tuija Lehto argues that, "blood and saliva tests are much more invasive than breathalyzer tests and there must be some foundation for drug testing."