Rhode Island
GoLocalProv | Business | 3 Things Employers Need to Know About RI’s Cannabis Act
Monday, July 25, 2022
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The Rhode Island Hashish Act was signed into regulation on Might 25, 2022. Whereas medical hashish has been authorized in Rhode Island since 2006, the brand new regulation permits residents over 21 years of age to own and eat hashish for leisure functions, much like many different states. What does the Act imply for employers?
1. You may nonetheless implement insurance policies prohibiting workers from being underneath the affect of hashish within the office or different location the place an worker performs work, which incorporates distant work. Be sure you assessment your drug and alcohol use coverage and replace any sections impacted by the regulation.
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2. Employers can’t fireplace or take disciplinary motion in opposition to an worker solely for his or her personal, lawful use of hashish exterior the office so long as the worker has not and isn’t working underneath the affect of hashish. Contemplate coaching managers and supervisors on how one can acknowledge and doc affordable suspicion in addition to how one can reply if an worker is underneath the affect at work.
A pair notable exceptions to the safety for off-duty use is that, for work carried out in safety-sensitive positions (outlined as “hazardous, harmful or important to public welfare and security”), employers can have a coverage prohibiting an worker’s use of hashish 24 hours previous to starting work. As well as, drivers of economic motor automobiles topic to the U.S. Division of Transportation’s drug and alcohol testing laws by no means might use marijuana.
3. Your actions are restricted on the subject of pre-hire or suspicion-based drug testing outcomes since an worker shouldn’t be thought-about “underneath the affect solely for having hashish metabolites of their system. For those who carry out drug testing, assessment your coverage in opposition to the regulation to make sure compliance. You’ll additionally need to analyze the chance versus reward of continued drug testing.
It is essential to notice that employers with workers topic to a collective bargaining settlement or who’re federal contractors topic to federal regulation will not be required to adjust to this new regulation.
Melissa M. Gillespie is the Vice President, HR Companies, Hilb Group New England. She leads the corporate’s HR Companies follow and is devoted to simplifying the complexities of HR for purchasers.
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