Should employers discontinue drug-testing programs? Recently two experts debated this topic in an article in the June/July/August 2018 issue of HR Magazine. The article is only available to members of SHRM. One expert, Jim Reidy, an employment lawyer and shareholder in the Manchester, N.H., office of Sheehan Phinney Bass & Green PA, argued that employer-drug […]

According to The Washington Post, Indiana and New Hampshire passed laws last year banning synthetic urine, and two additional states — Missouri and Mississippi — introduced bills this year to make the product illegal. With drug positivity rates soaring to record highs, according the Quest Diagnostics Index it is no wonder that drug users are searching […]

Employers beware of removing marijuana ( pot ) from your drug test panels. And individuals should be aware of using pot personally. In the midst of a wave of states approving medical marijuana and a few states legalizing pot for recreational use, we know this message sounds contrary to popular thinking. But, there are plenty […]

A safety sensitive position is one where the employee holding this position has the responsibility for his/her own safety or other people’s safety. Obviously, if a person operating in this type of job is under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, members of the workforce, the public or even themselves could be injured or even […]

Using hair as a specimen for drug testing poses a number of issues. There are open questions about the scientific validity of results of hair drug testing. And there are questions about its effectiveness in taking action if positive result comes back. Typically, employers are required to take action only if a positive drug test […]