North Dakota joined 28 states across the nation who have legalized some form of medical marijuana use when its Compassionate Care Act went into effect in December. The Act does not allow employees to possess marijuana in the workplace, nor does it include…
Posts by Category: Pre-employment Drug Testing
EEOC Increases Scrutiny of Employer Actions Taken Against Prescription Drug Users
Prescription drug abuse has made national news in the last few years. In March 2016, President Obama noted that “prescription opioid abuse and [the] heroin epidemic claims the lives of tens of thousands of Americans each year,” and that he was taking more steps to…
Shortage of Drug-Free Job Applicants
It is no secret that the country has a drug problem and, according to Briefings magazine, that problem is increasingly spilling over into the workplace, making it difficult for employers to identify potential employees who are not using drugs. In fact, more than half…
FMCSA Finalizes Rule on National Drug and Alcohol Testing Clearinghouse
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently announced a final rule establishing a national drug and alcohol clearinghouse database for commercial motor vehicle drivers. The rule, which will be in effect by…
By the Numbers: Drug Detection Window by SpecimenType
Quest Diagnostics’ By the Numbers series recently took a closer look at the numbers, facts and data that impact workplace drug testing programs, examining how long drugs can be detected using a drug test. This “drug detection window” or “detection time frame” can…
The Opioid Addiction Epidemic Grows in the Workplace
It’s no secret that Americans – and their employers – have an opioid problem. The Washington Post recently shared that one-third of long-term users say they’re hooked on prescription opioids, a problem that is being addressed by the $1 billion 21st Century Cures Act….
What Does Florida’s Medical Marijuana Law Mean for Employers?
More than 6.5 million Floridians voted to approve an amendment to the state’s Constitution that allows the right for people with one or more approved Debilitating Medical Conditions to use physician-approved marijuana. Amendment 2, however, does not require any…
Recreational Marijuana Use Becomes Legal in Massachusetts
A new Massachusetts law that has legalized the recreational use of marijuana in the state seeks to control its production and distribution under a system of licenses, regulations and taxes. The law allows for certain amounts of marijuana to be found on a person 21 or…
Prescribed Drugs Blur Policies
With America in the throes of a prescription drug crisis, employers face the liability for failing to accommodate an employee’s use of legally prescribed medications. In Georgia, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently sued a Georgia medical center…
OSHA’S Post-Accident Drug Testing Rule Delayed
Along with the delay of OSHA’s new rule that affects post-accident drug testing procedures, the effective date now has been moved to Dec. 1 for employers. OSHA’s position on automatic post-accident drug testing states that “employers must establish a…