Unlike many European nations, Finland has mandatory national laws relative to drug testing. That means there are actual rules and regulations that must be followed in this country as opposed to a set of “best practice guidelines” as in the case in others countries in Europe. There are four laws in Finland that together regulate drug testing: 1. Act on the Protection of Privacy in Working Life: As the name suggests, this law aims to protect individual privacy in the workplace. It includes many requirements from direct necessity to employee relationship before processing personal data, employee consent, informing individuals for a drug testing requirement and drug test certificates. 2. Occupational Health Care Act: This law requires employers to provide health care to employees. It also regulates a few items concerning narcotics testing. 3. Act of Cooperating within Undertakings: This law regulates how company policies are drafted and implemented. It applies to the creation of an action programme on substance abuse prevention (as required in the Occupational Health Care Act) and the work tasks outlined in the Act on the Protection of Privacy in the Working Life. 4. Narcotics Act: In addition to outlining measures to prevent the illegal drug trade, this law provides many definitions that are referred to by the laws above. It is important to follow the trail that leads from this Act to other legal documents in understanding certain terms.
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