Week V EOC: Marijuana in the Workplace

It’s Friday, just got off, payday and your co-worker just asked you to join them for a drink at the bar. You are not a heavy drinker, but you know your co-worker goes a little overboard. So you decide to go, not because you want to start your weekend with a little liquid courage, but because you want to make sure your co-worker gets home safe. So let’s fast forward, you got your co-worker home. You carried them out the bar, into your car and up the steps to the fourth floor of their condo style apartment. Now finally you are home, you put on your favorite movie and relax with a little cannabis. Who cares right? You only partake on the weekends and in the comfort of your own home. Well guess what, it is Monday, you are back at work; and your manager just announces a random drug screening. Panic much? But your co-worker, who has an empty bottle of Jack Daniels in his bottom left drawer, is perfectly fine. Why is that? "Pre-employment drug testing is allowable in most states, and can be a very effective tool for reducing insurance rates and potential worker liability issues. Many managers feel a drug-free environment tends to attract better-quality employment candidates, with the resulting impact of a higher-quality workforce."(Hayes)  But that is a pre-employment screening, no one told you that you would have to study again, for another test.  "The laws surrounding mandatory drug testing are very complex. If you elect to implement either a pre-employment or post-employment drug-testing program, it is best to first seek advice from an attorney who specializes in labor employment law in your state." (Hayes

Hayes, David K. Human Resources Management in the Hospitality Industry. John Wiley & Sons, 2008. VitalBook file. The Art Institutes.