Fiona Hamilton reports on polygraphy in the workplace in Queensland, Australia in this article published in the Courier-Mail. Excerpt:
LIE detector tests are the latest weapon for Queensland employers in vetting prospective employees and investigating workplace thefts and frauds.
Insurers are also using lie detectors to check the veracity of claims, offering to pay if claimants pass the test.
Paul Woolley, an examiner with Brisbane polygraph testing company, Australian Lie Detection, said he had been hired by employers to scrutinise workers for everything from pre-employment checks to questioning over fraud and theft incidents in the workplace.
The emerging trend has been slammed by privacy and legal experts who said employees could be bullied into taking tests against their wishes. They said the tests were an invasion of workers’ privacy.
The practice is illegal in NSW [New South Wales], and the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties yesterday called for the Queensland Government to make similar changes to legislation before the testing procedure was misused.
QCCL president Ian Dearden said lie detector tests were a breach of workers’ rights and believed employees could be easily pressured into taking a test for fear their employment might be terminated.