The Hall County Library System is committed to providing a safe work environment and to fostering the well-being and health of its employees. That commitment is jeopardized when any Hall County Library employee illegally uses drugs on or off the job, comes to work under their influence, possesses, distributes or sells drugs in the workplace, or abuses alcohol on the job. Therefore, the library board has established the following policy to ensure a safe and productive workplace.

VIOLATIONS

• It is a violation of library policy for any employee to use, possess, sell, trade, offer for sale, or offer to buy illegal drugs or otherwise engage in the illegal use of drugs on or off the job.
• It is a violation of library policy for any employee to report to work under the influence of or while possessing in his or her body, blood, or urine illegal drugs in any detectable amount.
• It is a violation of library policy for any employee to report to work under the influence of or impaired by alcohol.
• It is a violation of library policy for any employee to use prescription drugs illegally, i.e., to use prescription drugs that have not been legally obtained or in a manner or for a purpose other than as prescribed. Nothing in this policy precludes the appropriate use of legally prescribed medications.
• Violations of this policy are subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination.
• As a condition of employment, employees must abide by the terms of this policy and must notify the Hall County Library System in writing of any conviction of a violation of a criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace no later than five calendar days after such conviction.

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE

The Hall County Library System offers resource information on various means of employee assistance in our community, including but not limited to drug and alcohol abuse programs. Employees are encouraged to use this resource file, which is located in the office of the Assistant Director for Human Resources. In addition, the library distributes this information to employees for their confidential use by placing a copy in the staff lounge and listing information in the general electronic files maintained for staff information.

GENERAL PROCEDURES

An employee reporting to work visibly impaired will be deemed unable to properly perform required duties and will not be allowed to work. If possible, the employee's supervisor will first seek another supervisor's opinion to confirm the employee's status. Next the supervisor will consult privately with the employee to determine the cause of the observation, including whether substance abuse has occurred. If, in the opinion of the supervisor, the employee is considered impaired, the employee will be sent to a medical facility by taxi or other safe transportation alternative--depending on the determination of the observed impairment--and accompanied by the supervisor or another employee if necessary. A drug test may be in order. An impaired employee will not be allowed to drive.

OPPORTUNITY TO CONTEST OR EXPLAIN TEST RESULTS

Employees and job applicants who have positive confirmed test result may explain or contest the result to the library system within five (5) working days after the library contacts the employee or job applicant and shows him/her the positive test result as it was received from the laboratory in writing.

CONFIDENTIALITY

The confidentiality of any information received by the employee through a substance abuse testing program shall be maintained, except as otherwise provided by law.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT DRUG TESTING

All job applicants at the Hall County Library will undergo testing for the presence of illegal drugs as a condition of employment. Any applicant with a confirmed positive test will be denied employment.

Applicants will be required to submit voluntarily to a urinalysis test at a laboratory chosen by the library system, and by signing a consent agreement will release the library from liability.

If the physician, official, or lab personnel has reasonable suspicion to believe that the job-applicant has tampered with the specimen, the applicant will not be considered for employment.

The library system will not discriminate against applicants for employment because of a past history of drug abuse. It is the current abuse of drugs, preventing employees from performing their job properly, that the library will not tolerate.

Individuals who have failed a pre-employment test may initiate another inquiry with the library after a period of not shorter than six (6) months, but they must present themselves drug-free as demonstrated by urinalysis or other test selected by the library.

EMPLOYEE TESTING

The Hall County Library System has adopted testing practices to identify employees who use illegal drugs on or off the job or who abuse alcohol on the job. Failure to submit to a required substance/alcohol abuse test is misconduct and shall be subject to discipline up to and including termination. It shall be a condition of employment for all employees to submit to substance abuse testing under the following circumstances:

A. When there is reasonable suspicion that an employee is using illegal drugs or abusing alcohol. "Reasonable suspicion" is based on a belief that an employee is using or has used drugs or alcohol in violation of the employer's policy drawn from specific objective and articulable facts and reasonable inferences drawn from those facts in light of experience. Among other things, such facts and inferences may be based upon, but not limited to, the following:

1. 1. Observable phenomena while at work such as direct observation of substance abuse or of the physical symptoms or manifestations of being impaired due to substance abuse;
   2. Abnormal conduct or erratic behavior while at work or a significant deterioration in work performance;
   3. A report of substance abuse provided by a reliable and credible source;
   4. Evidence that an individual has tampered with any substance abuse test during his or her employment with the current employer.
   5. Information that an employee has caused or contributed to an accident while at work; or
   6. Evidence that an employee has used, possessed, sold, solicited, or transferred drugs while working or while on the employer's premises or while operating the employer's vehicle, machinery, or equipment.

B. When employees have caused or contributed to an on-the-job injury that resulted in a loss of worktime, which means any period of time during which an employee stops performing the normal duties of employment and leaves the place of employment to seek care from a licensed medical provider. The library may also send employees for a substance abuse test if they are involved in on-the-job accidents where personal injury or damage to company property occurs.

C. As part of a follow-up program to treatment for drug abuse when an employee has involuntarily entered a rehabilitation program because of a positive confirmed test result. The frequency of such testing shall be a minimum of at least once a year for a two year period after completion of the rehabilitation program. Advance notice of testing shall not be given to the employee.

ALCOHOL ABUSE

The consumption or possession of alcoholic beverages on the library's premises is prohibited. An employee whose normal facilities are impaired due to the consumption of alcoholic beverages, or whose blood alcohol level tests .05 or higher while on duty/library business shall be guilty of misconduct, and shall be subject to discipline up to and including termination. Failure to submit to required substance abuse tests is misconduct and also shall be subject to discipline up to and including termination. Professional activities which may include the serving of alcoholic beverages are not included in this provision.

The goal of this policy is to balance the library system's respect for individuals with the need to maintain a safe, productive, and drug-free environment. The intent of this policy is to offer a helping hand to those who need it, while sending a clear message that the illegal use of drugs and the abuse of alcohol are incompatible with employment at the Hall County Library System.