The Human Genome Project has led us to consider both the risk and the opportunities presented by a more detailed knowledge of our individual and collective genetic make up. Nowhere is this dichotomy of benefit vs. harm is nowhere more apparent than in the workplace. Access to workplaces is considered "voluntary" because individuals choose their jobs, and employers select employees. Within the context of these "freedoms," is the practice of workplace genotyping likely to become more widespread? This question requires that we consider whether genetic testing is applied at the level of the individuals to select workers or used to improve regulatory protection for all; the incentives for employers to use genetic testing; the trade-offs for workers in terms of fair access to employment and their personal privacy; the possibility of effective legislation; and whether genotyping is technologically and economically feasible. The likelihood of routine genetic testing in the workplaces of the future and what it means for industrial hygienists will be addressed by this distinguished panel of genetic researchers, ethicists, and regulatory and legal experts.
• Genotyping: State of the Art. K. Siminovitch, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
• Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act: An Overview. N.A. Feldscher, NYC Dept. Environmental Protection, Corona, NY.
• Ethical and Legal Implications of Workplace Genetic Testing. T. Lemmens, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
• The Empress Has No Clothes. F.E. Mirer, Hunter College-CUNY; New York, NY.
• Uncertain Protection and Particular Concerns: The Status of Employee Privacy After Passage of the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act. M. Weinstein, Barry
University, Miami Shores, FL.