January

All Australian government-funded construction sites now require contractors to have a comprehensive fitness-for-work policy that includes mandatory drug and alcohol testing.

The amendments apply to all new and existing projects after October 16, 2015, where the Commonwealth has contributed at least A$5 million and 50% of project value or at least A$10 million towards the project. But drug testing is not associated with deterring people from taking drugs, so why do we do it?

Employed people are more likely than unemployed people to drink at risky levels. Plus, workers in the building and construction industry have a higher rate of use of some drugs than the general population. To be effective a workplace policy needs to be part of a broader healthy workplace solution that considers drug and alcohol use, mental health, fatigue and other impacts on fitness for work. Workplaces with effective drug and alcohol policies have happier, healthier and more productive staff and reduced absenteeism.

Differences in the structure and philosophy of the EU and APEC do not mean that these organizations will fail to find common objectives. Within the context of economic interdependence at the global level, they might initiate joint actions and projects as well as foster dialogue, interaction and brainstorming on critical issues. In spite of their differences, their economic agenda is rather similar. Regional cooperation and multilateralism are necessary presuppositions for successfully handling new challenges. These challenges are not limited to the financial sphere but also have a broader dimension.

The 36th International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners, held in Mauritius and impeccably hosted by the local data protection office, was an extremely productive and revealing event. This annual gathering of regulators and other movers and shakers of the privacy world has become a reference point in terms of debating key public policy issues and coordinating regulatory strategies and actions. Some key points covered were: data protection as an enabler, enforcement cooperation, focus on big data and the internet of things, cross-border data flows still a top concern, and politics will continue to play a role.