Genes and Jobs

Screening workers for defects

The question was bizarre, and the reply was startling to say the least. Congress wanted to know whether U.S. firms might be interested in examining the genes of workers and job applicants. The lawmakers had assumed that such arcane examinations were still years away, but last week they discovered that in the case of certain firms, the future is already here. A total of 59 major companies that responded to an initial Congressional Office of Technology Assessment survey begun last March said they may start screening genes within five years. Six firms revealed they were already engaging in various sorts of gene-screening examinations of workers.

Congress encouraged companies to respond by granting anonymity to all participants in the study, which is scheduled to be completed by fall. With confidentiality assured, several firms disclosed that, on the basis of the test results, they have from time to time advised employees to seek work elsewhere. Moreover, only eight companies that screened their workers bothered to tell them that the examinations were being done.

Experts conduct such screening by studying the genes in samples of a person's blood, often drawn during a routine physical exam. The findings can reveal information about an individual's bodily makeup, including any hidden genetic traits that might lead to increased risks on the job.

That ability to probe deeply into an employee's physical nature has provoked sharp disagreement between corporations and some labor unions, physicians and scientists. Companies say the information helps them decide whether a worker should be kept away from potentially hazardous materials. Opponents charge that genetic testing can be used to shift blame for occupationally related illnesses away from the employer and onto the ailing employees. Some critics also worried that the tests may lead to unfair discrimination in hiring.

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