The COVID-19 pandemic could create challenges as it becomes increasingly difficult for employers to ensure compliance with workplace drug and alcohol policies, which remain a significant occupational safety issue for employers across the country. But safety is just one aspect of drug and alcohol impairment, which can also lead to poor performance, workplace mistakes, reduced output, and poor morale, among other detrimental effects. Employers should implement zero-tolerance policies for those employees in safety-sensitive positions, such as truck drivers and those operating heavy equipment, but should be mindful of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which protects employees with mental and physical disabilities, including mental health disabilities, depression, alcoholism, and drug addiction. The ADA does not, however, prohibit employers from ensuring that the workplace is free from the illegal use of drugs and the use of alcohol.
