If the information being sought is not relevant to reasonable employer concerns and is not obtained in appropriate ways, the employer runs the risk that mandatory employee testing could be viewed by the courts as an invasion of the employee's privacy, which is protected by some constitution, statute, or common-law cause of action. Reasons for testing likely to be accepted by the courts are to ensure the safety of workers, customers, and the public; to improve worker performance; to reduce employee absenteeism and employer insurance rates; and to discourage employee theft, drug selling, and other criminal activities. Tests should not be unreasonably intrusive or demeaning, and they should be reliable. Even under the foregoing conditions, however, testing may be legally risky when less invasive investigatory procedures will suffice. 49 footnotes