This week brings the final class for my Marijuana Regulation, Coverage, and Reform seminar, which suggests we've had the final set of pupil shows. The sixth and ultimate pupil presentation scheduled for this week appears to be like at employer drug testing insurance policies after marijuana reforms. Right here's how my pupil describes his subject (together with some background studying):
As marijuana turns into authorized in increasingly more states, one of many greatest questions for employers is the right way to handle marijuana testing insurance policies. The last word aim is to take care of a drug-free office whereas additionally respecting the private freedoms of staff. My paper will discover the professionals and cons of sustaining strict drug testing insurance policies and suggest an answer on the easiest way for states to uniformly method drug testing within the office. My paper analyzes how authorized states have already approached drug testing and supplies an outline of how Amazon approaches drug testing to develop a proposal for finest drug testing practices for employers.
On the one hand, sustaining strict marijuana insurance policies is necessary for employers to keep away from intoxication at work that can lead to accidents. That is very true for sure industries, reminiscent of public transportation and manufacturing, the place the probability of office accidents is greater. Even in different industries, employers wish to preserve a drug-free office to enhance the standard of labor produced by staff. Then again, nevertheless, there are a number of disadvantages to strict marijuana drug testing insurance policies. It’s tougher to show marijuana intoxication with out regulation even off-the-clock exercise. This can lead to staff feeling like their privateness has been violated when they’re topic to common drug checks as a result of it restricts them from utilizing marijuana of their work time. In states the place marijuana is authorized, this could create a significant battle between the pursuits of employers and the private freedoms of staff.
Whereas authorized states have taken completely different approaches in regulating employer drug testing, California and Washington have adopted legal guidelines that prohibit employers from firing staff who check constructive for marijuana with out even proving that the worker was actually intoxicated whereas working. This technique helps to take care of a stability between the pursuits of the employer and the staff. Employers are in a position to stop staff from utilizing marijuana and being intoxicated at work, and staff are nonetheless ready to make use of marijuana recreationally of their free time. For these causes, that is one of the best technique for authorized states and employers to undertake relating to marijuana testing insurance policies.
The backgroundd Studying:
Khori Atkinson, Authorized Weed Pushes Corporations to Chill out Their Drug Testing Insurance policiesBloomberg Regulation (July 14, 2023).
Max Freedman, Hashish at work: How employers are reacting to the legalization of marijuanaEnterprise Information Each day (24 Oct. 2023).
Options for occupational well being, The Professionals and Cons of Drug Testing within the Office.
Levi Sumagaris, New California Legal guidelines for 2024: Staff will get safety for using hashishCal Issues (December 27, 2023).