The use and abuse of alcohol and drugs pose a serious threat to a practice and its employees. In order to maintain and insure a safe, healthy and efficient working environment this office has adopted the following policies:
- Staff members shall not be under the influence of alcohol or drugs during working hours.
- The possession, use or distribution/sale of alcohol or drugs, in any amount, on our premises or while on duty is prohibited. The only exception to this policy is the possession and use by an employee of medications that have been prescribed for the employee by a licensed physician and when the drugs are being used by the employee as directed by the physician.
- Staff members shall not use or consume alcohol or drugs under any circumstances that may adversely affect their job performance or have a negative impact on the reputation of our practice.
- Any employee may be required to submit to, and release the results of, an alcohol and/or drug examination upon reasonable suspicion or cause by the Practice Administrator or one of the physicians. Reasonable cause is defined as a reasonable suspicion that the employee has drugs or alcohol in his or her possession or is currently impaired by alcohol or drugs, based upon observations concerning the appearance, behavior or speech of the employee.
- All applicants for employment may be tested for the use of prohibited substances.
- The practice will institute such procedures as are required to effectively enforce this policy. This may include the requirement that employees cooperate in personal or facility searches when the presence of alcohol or drugs is suspected. Refusal to cooperate with these procedures, refusing to take and release the results of any substance test requested by the employer, testing positive on any such tests and any other violation of these policies will subject the employee to immediate discharge or such other discipline as the employer may determine in its sole discretion to impose on the staff member. If an applicant for employment refuses to submit to a pre-employment test, or tests positive on such a test, the applicant may not be hired.