One of the lift truck operators came to work smelling of alcohol last week (a frequent occurrence).
She was suspended and sent for a blood test. The results were positive, but since the level wasn’t at .08 (the legally drunk level), we can’t fire her or force her into treatment. All we can do is disqualify her from her position if it happens again.
But get this – if she had been stone cold sober but tested positive for marijuana (which stays in the system for what? 30 days?), then our attorney says we could have fired her.
It’s generally against company policy to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol while on the job (any company I’ve ever worked for, anyway). I’m pretty sure that company policies are reviewed and approved by lawyers before they’re enforced, so I really don’t see why she can’t be fired.
If it was my company, damn the law, she’d be gone.
From Des Moines, north on I-35 – take the Highway 20 exit west like you’re going to Fort Dodge (a real town) – Eagle Grove is 17 miles north and a bit west of Webster City.
Is the Iowa limit .10? I get Iowa confused with Washington State – don’t ask me why.