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Shaun Bailey wants London firms to test staff for drugs

104 replies

ProfessorSlocombe · 24/08/2020 11:17

I was particularly impressed that he insisted we start at Westminster and the Houses of Parliament first. Clearly this man wants to win ...

www.itv.com/news/london/2020-08-23/shaun-bailey-wants-london-firms-to-test-staff-for-drugs

Firms should conduct random drug tests on their employees, the Conservative London mayoral candidate has said.

Shaun Bailey called for every business in the capital with more than 250 employees to sign up to a drug-testing charter - routinely checking workers for illegal substance use - with the results being made public.

Mr Bailey said this would help to identify middle class cocaine users, who are fuelling the "explosion" of crime among poorer communities by purchasing drugs from criminals.

In an open letter addressed to London's business leaders, he wrote: "This is a huge problem. Drug use is not only a crime in itself; drug use is a direct cause of crime, from county lines gangs to stabbings on our streets.

"When people buy drugs, they are funding the criminals who traffic vulnerable kids and unleash mayhem on our streets.

"So as mayor, I'll call for every business in London with over 250 employees to sign up to a drug testing charter."

Mr Bailey, 49, who grew up in a council house in Ladbroke Grove, west London, was a youth worker with gang members for 20 years.

"The purpose of this charter is not to get employees fired or shamed. Individual results will be anonymous," he said.

"The purpose is to change our culture. City Hall will publish an annual league table showing which companies have the highest and lowest rates of drug use.

"Because... the way to start tackling a problem is to shine a light on it."

OP posts:
nosswaith · 25/08/2020 18:57

Employers have enough to do as police such as for immigration status.

I'd start with driving licences, as any innocent medication that affects driving has to be reported in any case. Passports seem an idea as targeting the middle classes that Shaun Bailey is aiming at.

rainkeepsfallingdown · 25/08/2020 19:04

I don't have anything to hide, given I don't take drugs.

However, the idea of regularly pissing in a pot and presenting that to my employer is not pleasant. I wouldn't mind a hair or saliva test, as that doesn't feel as intrusive, but I think urine tests are more common.

heronsinflight · 25/08/2020 21:59

Great! So if I'm a middle-class drug user who likes to do a line of coke every so often, I'll have a league table telling me where I should work.

NiceGerbil · 25/08/2020 22:47

Hello! Massive international bank here.

We have to announce that we have dismissed half the board, 3/4 of the middle management, all but 1 of our traders, and 30% of our entire Central workforce.

Obviously we are no longer viable as a business and so will collapse immediately, losing 20000 jobs and requiring ££££ govt bail out.

Oh and they're all on the file now which govt will need to pay for...

Yay?

😁

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