The future of workplace drug testing

This morning’s newspapers carried another story about workplace drug testing and the invasion of privacy some workers feel from it, this led to a whole lot of talk-back on Geoff Hutchinsons Breakfast program on ABC Local Perth radio, which led to a call to me to discuss the future of workplaces and drug testing.

Well that’s the history, but the future goes likes this.

We are on the precipice of wearable computers and internet of things, the first gives us super powers to monitor vital signs and health and well being in real time and in if programmed could also monitor or assess our drug and alcohol readings. The latter gives every inanimate object an IP address and makes it searchable.

When you put the two of these together you end up with a real time monitoring regime that uses leading indicators (future predictors) rather than lagging indicators (historical testing of past usage and ingestion)  and marries it up with a knowledge of the equipment about to be used, to provide a more accurate real time assessment of a person actual ability to undertake the task at hand.

We also chatted about the workplace of tomorrow, whether drug and alcohol testing will be relevant in a decades time and whether we will still want to go to work in the 2020’s.

Great conversation, so have a listen now and then let me know your thought on the workplace and drug and alcohol testing in the future


What is The future of workplace drug testing?

This morning’s newspapers carried another story about workplace drug testing and the invasion of privacy some workers feel from it, this led to a whole lot of talk-back on Geoff Hutchinsons Breakfast program on ABC Local Perth radio, which led to a call to me to discuss the futur.

How is The future of workplace drug testing reshaping the future of work and talent?

The shift around The future of workplace drug testing is not purely structural. It changes what capabilities organisations value, how people find meaning in their roles, and what conditions make good work possible. Leaders who understand this early retain the talent they need and build cultures that attract it.

What should business leaders understand about The future of workplace drug testing?

The most important question is not whether The future of workplace drug testing will matter, but how quickly it will matter in your specific context. Leaders benefit most from mapping the ripple effects early — not just the direct impact but the second and third-order consequences that arrive later and hit harder. That is the practical work of foresight.

About Morris Misel

Morris Misel is a foresight strategist and keynote speaker based in Melbourne, Australia, whose ideas reach more than a million people each year across five continents. Over 30 years he has delivered 2,800+ keynotes across 160 industries in 25 countries, held a weekly radio segment on Hong Kong Radio 3 for 20 consecutive years, and keynoted at TEDx Australia.

He holds 11 International Awards for Foresight and Innovation, is a Member of the G100 Einstein Global Future Think Tank, and serves as Chair and Industry Fellow of the Griffith University Inclusive Futures Industry Advisory Board. His frameworks, HUMAND™, PTFA™, Ripple Effects™, Immediate Futures™, Inhabitable Futures™ and Decision Trust Zones™, are his own rather than borrowed models.

Enquire about a keynote or workshop →  ·  All booking enquiries to Sylvia Misel

Leave a comment