Should the Workplace Allow Medical Cannabis?
With many jurisdictions in the United States legalising medical marijuana, many employers are now at a loss on how these new laws work vis-à-vis their own drug and alcohol policies, which certainly count marijuana or cannabis as among the substances that could seriously impair their employees while at work. Certainly not helping is the fact that marijuana possession, use and distribution remains prohibited by federal law even when 24 jurisdictions have legalised it.
In light of all the laws about marijuana legalisation, the most pressing question for many employers in the United States is whether or not they can continue implementing their strict drug and alcohol policies and lawfully impose sanctions or penalties—dismissal included–on a worker who fails a cannabis drug test. Conversely, many employers are asking: should medical marijuana be allowed in the workplace?
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Many people are under the impression that the legalisation of cannabis in some states in the United States would encourage other countries like Australia to follow suit. To date, however, the Australian government hasn’t legalised cannabis, and does not appear too eager to do so. Cannabis remains illegal in Australia, and the same goes for many other substances. Here’s a review of drug offences in Australia to show you what’s illegal and what isn’t.
More often than not, office Christmas parties present perhaps the only opportunity for employees to drink alcohol right there in their workplaces without being called out for violating any alcohol or drug policy they have in place. An office Christmas party, however, is not a license to let loose and get drunk. Drunk people could suffer from or cause injuries, or they could behave inappropriately.
If you think that people who live in the city are more likely to smoke, drink, and use drugs, think again. A recent study disagrees, and in fact reveals that people who live in remote areas are twice as likely to engage in the above-mentioned unhealthy habits, says an article on ABC.
The Christmas season is upon us once again, and for employers and employees, that means it’s time for Christmas parties. Time to loosen those ties, have fun, and get some alcohol into your system. While there’s no problem with serving alcohol at a work Christmas party, it is highly likely that someone is going to drink a tad too much and get hurt in the process. In some cases, someone gets too drunk and starts behaving inappropriately. And when someone drunk gets injured at a work party or grossly offended by the actions of a colleague who’s had too much to drink, that opens the employer up to potential legal action.
Workplace drug testing is becoming increasingly common, and that is a great thing. It is, after all, an essential component of workplace health and safety. The more regularly workplace drug testing is done, the safer and less prone to accidents workplaces would become. Implementing a workplace drug testing program, however, is not something you just implement arbitrarily. It is, in fact, a program that takes a lot of thought and planning. Here are some important things you need to know about workplace drug testing.
Let’s talk about an ice epidemic in the NSW that has been going around for some time as more and more people are getting hooked on the drug. A report by Eamonn Duff for The Sydney Morning Herald makes the epidemic seem even worse, because children are already involved.
The Abbott Government is mulling drug testing for unemployed people on welfare, according to a report by Samantha Maiden for The Daily Telegraph.