Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia has a longstanding commitment to provide a safe and productive work environment. Alcohol and drug abuse pose a threat to the health and safety of employees, students, and to the security of our equipment and facilities. For these reasons, MTSA is committed to the elimination of drug and/or alcohol use and abuse in the workplace and complies with The Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988 and The Drug Free Schools and Communities Act of 1989.
This policy outlines the practice and procedure designed to correct instances of identified alcohol and/or drug use in the workplace. This policy applies to all employees and all applicants for employment to MTSA. The Director of Human Resources is responsible for policy administration.
Illegal drug use and alcohol misuse have a number of adverse health and safety consequences. Information about those consequences and sources of help for drug/alcohol problems is available from the Office of Human Resources.
When possible, Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia will assist and support any employee who voluntarily seeks help for such problems before becoming subject to discipline and/or termination under this or other policies. Employees may be allowed to use accrued paid time off, placed on a leave of absence, referred to treatment providers, and otherwise accommodated as required by law. Employees may be required to document that they are successfully following prescribed treatment and to take and pass follow-up tests if they hold jobs that are safety sensitive or that require driving or if they have violated this policy previously.
Employees should report to work fit for duty and free of any adverse effects of illegal drugs or alcohol. This policy does not prohibit employees from the lawful use and possession of prescribed medications and alcohol. Employees must, however, consult with their doctors about any medication’s effect on their fitness for duty and ability to work safely, and must promptly disclose any work restrictions to their supervisors. Employees should not, however, disclose underlying medical conditions unless directed to do so.
The prohibited use of alcohol or illegal drugs in the workplace includes but is not limited to:
- Using, possessing, buying, selling, manufacturing, or dispensing an illegal drug (to include possession of drug paraphernalia);
- Being under the influence of alcohol while on duty or an illegal drug as defined in this policy;
- The presence of any detectable amount of any illegal drug or illegal controlled substance in an employee’s body while performing school business or while in an MTSA facility is prohibited;
- MTSA will not allow employees to perform their duties while taking prescribed drugs that are adversely affecting their ability to perform their job duties safely and effectively. Employees taking a prescribed medication must carry it in the container labeled by a licensed pharmacist or be prepared to produce it if asked.
Any illegal drugs or drug paraphernalia will be turned over to an appropriate law enforcement agency and may result in criminal prosecution.
Consequences
Applicants who refuse to cooperate in a drug test or who test positive will not be hired. Employees who refuse to cooperate in required tests or who use, possess, buy, sell, manufacture, or dispense an illegal drug in violation of this policy will be terminated. The first time an employee tests positive for alcohol or illegal drug use under this policy, the employee will be subject discipline up to and including termination. Whether such employee is offered a last-chance basis to maintain their job is dependent on the circumstances and the employee’s work history/record.
Employees will be paid for reasonable time spent in alcohol/ drug testing and then suspended pending the results of the drug/alcohol test. After the results of the test are received, a date/time will be scheduled to discuss the results of the test; this meeting will include a member of management and one from Human Resources. If the results prove to be negative, the employee will receive back pay for the work hours/days of suspension.
Confidentiality
Information and records relating to test results, drug and alcohol dependencies, and legitimate medical explanations will be kept confidential to the extent required by law and maintained in secure files separate from normal personnel files.
For additional information on drug laws with a list of controlled substances defined by federal and state law, substance abuse resources, and legal and institution sanctions see Drug Free Workplace and Substance Abuse, which are annually disclosed to personnel.