Genetic testing in the workplace: ethical, legal, and social implications.
With the completion of the Human Genome Project, it is likely that genetic testing for susceptibility to a wide range of diseases will increase in society. One venue for such increased testing is likely to be the workplace as employers attempt to protect workers from unhealthy gene-environment interactions, improve productivity, and control escalating health care costs. Past and recent examples of genetic testing in the workplace raise serious concerns that such testing could pose a significant threat to workers' privacy, autonomy, and dignity. Thus, defining the ethically, legally, and socially appropriate and inappropriate uses of genetic testing in the workplace presents a major challenge for occupational health professionals in the years ahead.
Brandt-Rauf
Paul W
PW
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. pwb1@columbia.edu
Brandt-Rauf
Sherry I
SI
D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D030661:Genetic Privacy / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D016272:Occupational Health; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012308:Risk Management; D017132:Workplace