Drug and Alcohol Use

It is WVEMS's desire to provide a drug-free, healthful, and safe workplace. To promote this goal, employees are required to report to work in appropriate mental and physical condition to perform their jobs in a satisfactory manner.

While on WVEMS premises and while conducting business-related activities off WVEMS premises, no employee may use, possess, distribute, sell, or be under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs. The legal use of prescribed drugs is permitted on the job only if it does not impair an employee's ability to perform the essential functions of the job effectively and in a safe manner that does not endanger other individuals in the workplace. Employees required to take prescription or non-prescription medication, which may potentially affect job performance, are required to report this to their supervisor. Management may consult with or obtain a written statement from the prescribing physician to determine if it is necessary to temporarily place them on another assignment to ensure the safety of our employees and the public, or to remove them from the workplace.

Violations of this policy may lead to disciplinary action, up to and including immediate termination of employment, and/or required participation in a substance abuse rehabilitation or treatment program. Such violations may also have legal consequences.

WVEMS reserves the right to test employees for the presence of drugs and/or alcohol, and a refusal to take such a test is grounds for refusal to hire or discharge. When urinalysis, hair follicle, and/or blood tests are requested or necessary, samples will be taken under the supervision of an appropriate health care professional.

Applicant Drug Screening Procedure:

Applicants who have been made a conditional offer of employment may be required to submit to a drug screen. Applicants who do not take the test within the specified period of time, test positive, or refuse to be tested will be considered ineligible for hire. Applicants will NOT begin work before the results of the drug tests are known to be negative.

Current Employees May Be Tested:

For Cause/Reasonable Suspicion. If management determines that there is reasonable cause to suspect an employee is under the influence of drugs or alcohol they may require the employee to be tested. Reasonable grounds would include inappropriate behavior or performance problems on the job, an accident in the workplace or while operating a Company or customer vehicle, observable indications of use of substance and direct observation of the individual taking drugs or alcohol.

After An Accident. The Agency reserves the right to require an employee to submit to substance abuse screening after notifying management of an accident. The accident may include an injury involving loss of time on the job, an injury requiring medical attention, an accident causing damage to Agency property, a moving traffic violation resulting from the accident on Agency time and any accident resulting in a fatality.

Random Testing: As part of the overall enforcement of the program, WVEMS may conduct random testing. Employees to be tested will be selected through the use of a neutral selection mechanism. A predetermined percentage of employees will be randomly selected for drug testing. Management will establish the percentage. The random selection of test employees will be done by an outside administrator based on employee numbers, not names.

Return to Service: Employees, who return to service after an extended period of time away from employment with the Company, will be required to submit to drug testing.

The above-mentioned searches and drug tests will not be conducted if an individual refuses to submit; however, refusal to submit will result in immediate suspension and will be grounds for termination. Results of drug and alcohol tests may be shared with an employee's supervisor or others in management who have a legitimate need to know.

Employees with questions or concerns about substance dependency or abuse are encouraged to use the resources of the Employee Assistance Program. They may also wish to discuss these matters with their supervisor or the Executive Director to receive assistance or referrals to appropriate resources in the community.

The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides confidential counseling and referral services to employees for assistance with such problems as drug and/or alcohol abuse or addiction. It is the employee's responsibility to seek assistance from the EAP prior to reaching a point where his or her judgment, performance, or behavior has led to imminent disciplinary action. Participation in the EAP after the disciplinary process has begun may not preclude disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

Employees with drug or alcohol problems that have not resulted in, and are not the immediate subject of, disciplinary action may request approval to take unpaid time off to participate in a rehabilitation or treatment program through WVEMS's health insurance benefit coverage. Leave may be granted if the employee agrees to abstain from use of the problem substance; abides by all WVEMS policies, rules, and prohibitions relating to conduct in the workplace; and if granting the leave will not cause WVEMS any undue hardship.

Copies of the drug testing policy will be provided to all employees. Employees with questions on this policy or issues related to drug or alcohol use in the workplace should raise their concerns with their supervisor or the Executive Director without fear of reprisal.

It is the responsibility of all Company employees to ensure that the work environment is free of alcohol and drugs. Violations of this policy will subject an employee to disciplinary action, up to and including termination. Any employee that has knowledge of the violation of this policy by another employee and does not report it may also be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

Policy No.  7.02  Issued  1/1/2019  Applicable  12/13/2018