Employee privacy should be balanced with workplace safety, employer groups say
Business groups are calling on provincial governments and the federal government to help clarify workplace rules for marijuana use.
“For any employer, what are their rights and responsibilities in the face of an employee who is under the influence of cannabis?” said Anita Huberman, CEO of the Surrey Board of Trade.
“How is an employer supposed to be able to deal with that type of situation without compromising their business and their workplace?”
The trade board wants British Columbia’s Employment Standards Act amended to address, specifically, marijuana usage, reported The Star.
WorkSafeBC regulations prohibit workers with any physical or mental impairment from doing work that could pose harm to themselves or anyone else. Employers also cannot allow anyone at a workplace to stay if their ability to work is impaired by alcohol, a drug or any other substance that could put anyone in danger.
But regulations for legalized marijuana should be standardized across the country, Huberman said.
Ottawa has set July 1 as the deadline for regulations to be in place and public consultations wrapped up last week in British Columbia. However, other provinces and territories are still crafting legislation.
The rules must consider the impact on workplaces and balance employee privacy with safety in the workplace.
“We want to make sure this is done right,” Huberman said.
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