Dealing with Workplace Impairment: Balancing safety, accommodation, and employee rights

The impending legalization of recreational cannabis has profound implications for employers and unions seeking to ensure workplace safety while respecting employee privacy. This in-depth training session will teach participants to recognize the signs of impairment and problematic substance use, ensure workplace safety through legally-compliant policies dealing with impairment, and accommodate employees with substance use disorders.

Experts in impairment recognition and addictions will join experienced labour lawyers and arbitrators to teach participants the skills and knowledge necessary to:

• Adapt workplace policies to address the legalization of recreational cannabis.
• Spot the signs of impairment.
• Ensure workplace safety with policies and procedures that prohibit impairment while ensuring employee rights.
• Identify aspects of "Standardized Field Sobriety Tests" (SFST) and "Drug Recognition Expert" training that may be applicable to the workplace.
• Recognize the signs that someone in the workplace may have a substance use disorder.
• Approach employees suspected of having a disorder in a non-threatening way that encourages them to disclose and seek help.
• Accommodate employees with a substance use disorder while maintaining workplace safety.

MATERIALS
Includes materials, with case summaries and analyses, prepared by Lancaster's legal staff.