Substance Abuse & Fitness for Duty Policy

How to Use This Tool

Workplace substance abuse remains a major challenge for HR managers. Although sound in principle, the traditional zero tolerance policy is ill-suited to the legal complexities of the modern world, especially now that Canada has legalized cannabis. You can still take a clear and firm line on employee drug and alcohol abuse for the purpose of health and safety. But the policy also has to exhibit finesse and sensitivity to legal subtleties. One of the best ways to create an enforceable policy is to base it not on the morality or even legality of substance abuse but the undisputable fact that it renders employees unfit for duty to the detriment of not just safety but productivity. Here’s a Model Fitness for Duty Policy that you can adapt. (You may want to use the province-specific version of this Policy instead if you’re from Alberta, BC, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Québec or federally-regulated.)