Employment matters: Dealing with drug and alcohol use in the workplace

Employer now expected to establish the extent to which influence of intoxicants be a danger in workplace

A policy needs to be put in place for drinking on the job Pic: Pixabay

The main piece of legislation detailing employers’ responsibilities in respect of their employees’ use of drugs or alcohol in the workplace is the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005.

It introduced a new duty for employees, stating that an employee must not be under the influence of intoxicants at work to the extent that they could endanger health and safety.

Although this is a specific duty for employees, other provisions of ...