You work in Atlantic Canada for an international company that services equipment that is used on drilling rigs for the offshore oil and gas industry. You've recently been promoted to a supervisor position for 15 unionized workers and you're getting ready to attend the first meeting of the Atlantic Region management team by tele-conference. You're reading over the meeting agenda and see that "mandatory employee drug/alcohol testing" is an item of discussion. The HR manager says this new employee screening will help prevent the hiring of any new employees with existing drug or alcohol problems because of the threat they pose to workplace safety, but she also mentions the additional costs these employees represent in terms of health insurance premiums and missed work days. You've heard that one recent court decision in Alberta supported an oil firm's right to do pre-employment drug and alcohol testing. The judge agreed the oil firm made a strong case that the employee's position was "sensitive," and there was a "direct and significant" risk that the employee could "injure themselves, others or the environment." You're not sure the same workplace safety argument can be made about the work being done by your employees. You wonder how your current employees will react to news of drug and alcohol testing, not to mention prospective employees who are already difficult to hire given the specialized skills your company often requires. As a supervisor that believes in the importance of integrity, you want to be sure that you promote and ethical organizational culture and "walk your talk".

Question:

4. Identify two practical constraints that might have an influence on your decision, and discuss how serious they are in terms of limiting your decision making options.