Washington
Washington State Limits Pre-Employment Marijuana Testing
Employers in Washington State face new challenges and considerations regarding drug testing practices with the passage of Senate Bill 5132 (SB 5132). The legislation provides broad protections for adult users of marijuana and imposes limitations on employment drug testing, particularly related to cannabis. Employers must prepare to comply by January 1, 2024, the bill’s effective date.
Washington legalized the recreational use of marijuana in 2012. Ten years later, as part of the 2022-2023 legislative session, lawmakers in Washington worked to reconcile a “disconnect between prospective employees’ legal activities and employers’ hiring practices,” considering cannabis use analogous to alcohol consumption. SB 5132 identifies that drug tests may report the presence of “nonpsychoactive cannabis metabolites from past cannabis use, including up to 30 days in the past, that have no correlation to an applicant’s future job performance.” The bill notes, “Applicants are much less likely to test positive or be disqualified for the presence of alcohol on a pre-employment screening test compared with cannabis, despite both being legally allowed controlled substances.”
Past Cannabis Use Cannot Impact Job Opportunities
SB 5132 includes provisions to protect employees from adverse actions solely based on marijuana usage if it occurs outside of work hours and does not impair job performance. Employers should be cautious not to discriminate against employees or applicants based solely on off-duty cannabis use.
While SB 5132 does not explicitly prohibit pre-employment marijuana testing, employers may not require a drug test indicating “nonpsychoactive cannabis metabolites” in hair, blood, urine, or bodily fluid. However, employers may require drug tests that assess a range of controlled substances, including cannabis, if the results provided to the employer do not report findings associated with past cannabis use.
Testing for Psychoactive Cannabis Metabolites
While SB 5132 limits pre-employment marijuana testing, employers may still be interested in identifying recent cannabis use or psychoactive cannabis metabolites for specific positions or safety concerns. Some alternative testing options may provide insights while respecting the new legislation.
Oral fluid testing, also known as saliva testing, is gaining popularity due to its ability to detect recent drug use. This method can identify the presence of psychoactive cannabis metabolites shortly after cannabis consumption, usually within a few hours to a few days. It provides a window of detection that aligns with identifying impairment rather than historical use.
Employers may also conduct drug testing after accidents or incidents where drug use may be a factor. Additionally, if there is reasonable suspicion of an employee being impaired on the job, drug testing can be administered to ensure workplace safety. Such tests can detect psychoactive cannabis metabolites if used within a reasonable timeframe after cannabis use.
Exceptions
SB 5132 does not apply to jobs that involve federal security clearances or background investigations, in law enforcement, the fire department, first responders, corrections officers, the airline or aerospace industries, or in safety-sensitive positions where impairment while working presents a “substantial risk of death,” if the employer identifies the position as “safety-sensitive” before the candidate applies for employment.
Practical Considerations for Employers
In light of SB 5132 and the limitations it imposes on drug testing, employers may consider the following practical considerations to ensure compliance and maintain a safe and productive workplace:
- Policy Review and Revision: Employers must review and revise their drug testing policies to align with the provisions of SB 5132. Remove any pre-employment marijuana testing requirements that test or report nonpsychoactive cannabis metabolites and ensure that policies clearly outline the permissible circumstances for drug testing, such as post-accident or suspicion-based situations.
- Safety-Sensitive Positions: Identify safety-sensitive positions within your organization that may require drug testing, including testing for psychoactive cannabis metabolites. Clearly define these positions and their related job duties to ensure appropriate testing and compliance with safety regulations. Make required disclosures in safety-sensitive job postings.
- Education and Communication: Proactively educate employees about the changes brought about by SB 5132. Communicate the revised drug testing policies, the reasons behind the changes, and the continued commitment to maintaining a safe work environment. Provide resources for employees to seek clarification or address any concerns.
By balancing safety concerns and individual rights, employers can comply with SB 5132, foster a positive work environment, and ensure legal compliance. Staying informed, seeking legal guidance if needed, assessing options with drug testing vendors, and maintaining open communication channels with employees will contribute to a smooth transition and help employers navigate the evolving landscape of employment drug testing in Washington State.
Washington
4 Third Basemen the Washington Nationals Need To Pursue This Offseason
There is a lot to like about the Washington Nationals in the future. They are loaded with young talent up and down the roster, whether it is in the lineup or on their pitching staff.
However, there are a few areas of concern heading into the offseason. One of the positions that could use an upgrade is third base.
Who could the Nationals look to add to their roster at the hot corner? Here are four players they need to pursue in the winter to upgrade their lineup.
One of the most accomplished players hitting free agency, the Houston Astros star is going to get paid a large sum of money. A two-time World Series champion and turning 31 right before the 2025 campaign, he can lock things down at third base for years to come.
His market is going to be robust as the clear-cut No. 1 option at the position that is hitting the market. A ton of teams are going to try and land him and it will take a ton of money to pry him away from the Astros.
If Washington wants to go to the top of the market, there isn’t a better option that will be available. However, it could be argued that they would be better off spending top dollar at first base; at least there are options in-house at third who could handle innings here such as Jose Tena, Ildemaro Vargas and prospects Brady House and Cayden Wallace.
The veteran hitting free agency is not yet a sure thing. The Arizona Diamondbacks have a $15 million club option that can be exercised and retain him for 2025.
Even if that does occur, Suarez could be made available on the trade market. Rumors swirled about him being a trade candidate ahead of this past summer’s deadline when he was struggling.
He ended the season on a high note, restoring his value. The Nationals won’t find a better answer to their home run problem at third base than the veteran righty, who has hit 21+ home runs in every season since 2016, excluding the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign. In only 57 games that season, he did launch 15 homers.
Intra-divisional trades are quite rare. Seeing the NL East rival New York Mets make a deal to strengthen Washington’s outlook would certainly be a surprise, but if the right deal is there to be made, why not pull the trigger?
Baty is someone that could be mentioned in trade rumors all winter given the emergence of Mark Vientos at third base. While there are some concerns about Vientos’s glove long-term, the bat certainly plays.
Anyone acquiring Baty would be buying low after his chance to lockdown third base long-term in Queens didn’t come to fruition. But, it wasn’t long ago that he was a top 100 prospect in baseball.
A change of scenery could help him get back on track and he would fit in perfectly on the timeline the Nationals are now operating with.
Washington has aspirations to turn things around quickly. For that to happen, they need some veterans who can lead the young guys, showing them exactly what it takes to succeed at the Major League level.
While not exclusively a third baseman, Enrique Hernandez can fill the void there adequately, providing leadership and guidance while also possessing World Series experience. After logging 529 solid innings at the hot corner with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he can keep the seat warm until a young guys is ready.
After that, he can shift into a super-utility role, as he has logged at least one inning at every position except catcher in his professional career. Hernandez would provide insurance in the outfield and middle infield and is once again proving to be a clutch postseason performer.
Washington
VOA reporter shares early voting experience in Washington, DC
Early voting is underway in Washington, DC with voters casting their ballots ahead of Tuesday’s November 5th general election. VOA’S Anthony LaBruto gives viewers an inside look at some of the specifics of the voting process as he casts his ballot for the first time in the U.S. capital.
Washington
After DC apartment explosion, I-Team finds missed warning signs and no insurance
An explosion shook an entire apartment building in Northwest D.C. the morning of Sept. 20 and residents ran. It felt like an earthquake, one resident told the News4 I-Team.
D.C. Fire blames the explosion in Columbia Heights on a gas leak from a stove inside an apartment. The woman using that stove was sent to the hospital. No one else was hurt, but D.C.’s Department of Buildings said no one could live in the building at 1433 Columbia Road NW until repairs were made and 41 building code violations found after the explosion were fixed.
Following the explosion, D.C.’s Office of the Tenant Advocate, a city-funded office, snapped into action and spent more than $250,000 on emergency housing for the tenants. It’s money it would get back with liens on the building, but that’s a court process and the building already has been tied up in court for years. Additionally, the OTA supplied rental vans to help tenants move to new housing.
More than a month later, District-funded emergency housing for the residents has run out but needed repairs haven’t even begun, according to the city. The I-Team found it’s not the only obligation the building’s owners, Helenia and John Steininger, a mother and son, have ignored.
A lawsuit filed last year claims the Steiningers owe D.C. Water $81,019.33 in delinquent water bills. D.C. Water asked the court to appoint a receiver but kept the water on. Property tax records show the family owes $206,655.68 in property taxes. The records show they haven’t paid taxes in the past three years, possibly longer. A tax sale is pending.
Maybe most concerning, the property has no insurance to pay for repairs. Court records in the property tax case show Ms. Steininger and her son told the court they had no insurance on the building and according to court records, “repairs will be expensive.” There is no law in D.C. requiring landlords to have insurance.
The News4 I-Team called and emailed the owners and attorneys who represented them in the past. We didn’t get any response to our questions. A visit to Ms. Steininger’s Northwest D.C. home didn’t yield answers either. A caregiver for the elderly owner wouldn’t let our team speak with her and didn’t say when she could.
Minutes after our visit, the owner’s son emailed, not to answer our questions but referring us to an attorney who indicated she doesn’t represent them on these issues. Her son didn’t reply to our questions either.
Residents had described substandard conditions for years
The conditions are no surprise to Abel Núñez, executive director of the aid group Carecen. Núñez said the group has tried for years to help the tenants deal with the conditions and a landlord who they said didn’t insist on safe repairs.
“The conditions are horrible,” Núñez told the I-Team. “This is a place that you would consider being run by a slumlord. But it wasn’t that black and white because the owner wasn’t necessarily exploiting them, more than just allowing them to do what they would do.”
He explained tenants told him they were allowed to do illegal sublets and make their own repairs to the building. One tenant told us, “We were very worried because they don’t say nothing about the lights, about their repairs, because they don’t do nothing.”
The building was last inspected in 2018, when 30 violations were found. Online records don’t show if repairs were made. City law makes it the landlord’s responsibility to maintain a safe building.
Speaking last week, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser told reporters, “I am not sure what the viability of that building is at this point. It’s in really bad shape.”
As he was helping his aunt move out of the building, part-time resident Stanley Valencia told the I-Team he felt D.C. officials could have forced the owners to do more.
“They definitely should have done more,” he said.
Carecen’s Núñez said, “The city should create mechanisms to identify the owners, to either help them get right with the law and do what they need to do for their property or transition them out.”
Núñez told the I-Team, “They were willing to sacrifice good standard of living because they could afford to live in a neighborhood that they wanted to live.” In doing so, Núñez said, they sacrificed their own safety.
After the explosion, the D.C. Department of Buildings ordered the owners to submit a plan to fix the building and start repairs by mid-November. They still haven’t submitted a plan, let alone fixed anything.
DC’s Department of Buildings turned down an interview offer from the I-Team but explained “since day one … the District government has been working with residents. The Department of Buildings is ready to issue the permits to the landlord to do the necessary repairs and, until that happens, the building unfortunately must stay closed. In the interim, the District government is working with the tenants on removing their belongings if they desire and is also connecting them with community resources.”
The Department’s written statement didn’t say anything about the years before and it’s unclear if the residents, who were paying below-market rent, complained – seemingly trapped by low rent in a high-cost city.
“That is the tragedy,” Núñez told the I-Team, “because if they’re saying, ‘If I fight, but in the end, I win, but lose my apartment… I really lost.’”
-
Movie Reviews1 week ago
Alien Country (2024) – Movie Review
-
Technology7 days ago
OpenAI plans to release its next big AI model by December
-
Health6 days ago
New cervical cancer treatment approach could reduce risk of death by 40%, trial results show
-
Culture7 days ago
Top 45 MLB free agents for 2024-25 with contract predictions, team fits: Will Soto get $600M+?
-
Sports5 days ago
Freddie Freeman's walk-off grand slam gives Dodgers Game 1 World Series win vs. Yankees
-
News5 days ago
Sikh separatist, targeted once for assassination, says India still trying to kill him
-
Culture4 days ago
Freddie Freeman wallops his way into World Series history with walk-off slam that’ll float forever
-
Technology4 days ago
When a Facebook friend request turns into a hacker’s trap