1. Purpose and Scope
This policy sets rules on alcohol, drugs, and impairing medication for everyone working for or representing [Organisation Name], including employees, contractors, and agency staff. It applies on company premises, at client sites, during business travel or driving, and at organisation-sponsored events.
The policy aims to maintain workplace safety, support dependency as a health condition, and establish clear conduct standards. This document is an administrative policy. It does not create an express or implied employment contract, nor does it alter at-will employment where applicable.
Working through related paperwork at the same time? See also our Alcohol & Drug Policy Template, US Workplace Mental Health Policy Template and Performance Review & One-to-One Template (UK).
2. Policy Statement
You must not work while impaired by alcohol, drugs, or impairing medication. Do not consume alcohol during working hours unless you are at a designated, authorized event. Possessing, using, or distributing illegal drugs on organisation premises or in company vehicles is strictly forbidden.
[Organisation Name] supports personnel who voluntarily disclose dependency issues before a policy violation or safety incident occurs. We handle work rule violations through progressive discipline.
3. Definitions
- Impaired: Unfit to perform job duties safely and competently due to any substance, regardless of type or amount.
- Working Hours: Any time you perform work, remain on call, drive on business, or take paid breaks, regardless of location.
- Safety-Sensitive Work: Roles where impairment creates a direct risk of injury or harm to yourself or others. Examples include operating machinery, driving, working at heights, or caring for vulnerable individuals.
- Authorized Events: Specific work events where [Role] formally approves moderate alcohol consumption.
- Drugs: Controlled substances without a valid prescription, illegal drugs, and any substance (including legal substances like marijuana) used in a way that causes workplace impairment.
4. Work Rules and Prohibitions
- Do not work, drive for business, or visit client sites while impaired by alcohol or drugs.
- Do not consume alcohol during working hours, except at authorized events. Never consume alcohol before safety-sensitive duties, even if you return to those duties later the same day.
- Do not possess, consume, or distribute illegal drugs on company property or in company vehicles at any time.
- Where local laws allow off-duty use of legal substances (including marijuana), workplace impairment remains strictly forbidden. Off-duty rules follow applicable regional and local laws as confirmed by legal counsel.
- If a manager determines someone is unfit for duty due to potential impairment:
- The manager immediately removes the individual from duty.
- The manager arranges safe transport home (such as a taxi, rideshare, or emergency contact) and ensures the individual does not drive.
- Management reviews the incident for administrative action on the next business day.
5. Medication Disclosure and Dependency Support
- Prescription and Over-the-Counter Medication:
- Inform [Role] before starting work if you take medication that causes drowsiness or impairs performance.
- You do not need to disclose your medical condition or the brand name of the medication.
- [Organisation Name] will modify your duties to keep the workplace safe. Medication disclosures carry no disciplinary penalty.
- If the medication involves a covered disability, management will evaluate it under the standard reasonable accommodation process.
- Voluntary Assistance and Recovery:
- We support personnel who ask for help with alcohol or drug dependency before a policy violation or incident occurs.
- Support includes a confidential consultation with [Role], temporary duty reassignment where appropriate, time off for treatment under standard leave or employee assistance programs, and strict confidentiality.
- Voluntary disclosure does not excuse past safety violations, but management will handle your recovery supportively alongside administrative requirements.
Use our templates to fast-track your documentation
Customize this template and 100s of others for free in Whale, the fastest way to get your team aligned.
6. Drug and Alcohol Testing
Where local laws allow or mandate drug and alcohol testing, testing follows applicable regional requirements.
Where active, testing protocols must follow these controls:
- Testing occurs only under legally verified circumstances, such as reasonable suspicion documented by two trained managers, or post-incident evaluations where impairment may have contributed to the event.
- An accredited third-party provider conducts all tests using established medical collection standards.
- Providers handle test results confidentially and release them only to authorized roles, including [Role].
- [Role] must confirm compliance with legal counsel before launching a testing program or requesting a test.
7. Department of Transportation (DOT) Regulated Roles
Employees in safety-sensitive transportation roles covered by Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations must meet federal testing, compliance, and return-to-duty requirements.
- DOT regulations override this policy whenever conflicts arise.
- [Role] independently manages the program for DOT-regulated personnel.
8. Federal Contractor and Grantee Obligations
For covered federal contracts at or above statutory thresholds ($100,000) or federal grants, the Drug-Free Workplace Act mandates these rules:
- Policy Distribution: [Organisation Name] distributes this policy statement to every covered employee, prohibiting the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession, or use of controlled substances in the workplace.
- Awareness Program: [Organisation Name] maintains an awareness program covering workplace drug risks, this policy, available counseling resources, and penalties for violations.
- Conviction Reporting: Covered employees must notify [Role] in writing within five (5) calendar days of any criminal drug statute conviction for a workplace violation.
- Agency Notification: [Organisation Name] notifies the contracting or granting agency within ten (10) calendar days of receiving notice of an employee conviction.
- Sanctions and Rehabilitation: Within thirty (30) calendar days of receiving notice of a workplace conviction, [Organisation Name] will take disciplinary action up to termination, or require the employee to successfully complete an approved drug rehabilitation program.
- [Role] oversees compliance for federal reporting.
9. Violations, Recordkeeping, and Policy Review
- Violations:
- We handle policy violations under the standard progressive discipline framework.
- Working impaired in a safety-sensitive role or distributing illegal substances on company premises is major misconduct and grounds for immediate termination.
- If an employee discloses dependency issues during disciplinary proceedings, management pauses the process to review support options and accommodation obligations before making a final decision.
- Recordkeeping:
- Management stores records of incidents, disclosures, referrals, and test results confidentially in [System/Location].
- Keep these records separate from standard personnel files. Limit access strictly to authorized personnel, including [Role].
- Policy Review:
- [Role] reviews this policy on a [Frequency] basis, after any major workplace safety incident involving impairment, or when federal, state, or local laws change.
- Policy Owner: [Role]
- Next Review Date: [Date]
FAQs on a drug-free workplace policy
What is a drug-free workplace policy?
A drug-free workplace policy sets rules on alcohol, drugs, and impairing medication for everyone working for or representing your organisation, including employees, contractors, and agency staff. It applies on company premises, at client sites, during business travel or driving, and at organisation-sponsored events.
Having it written down means the same rules apply to everyone, so managers are not making judgement calls case by case under pressure.
What does a drug-free workplace policy include?
This template covers work rules and prohibitions, medication disclosure and dependency support, drug and alcohol testing and department of transportation (dot) regulated roles.
Every section is written to be filled in. The bracketed placeholders mark the decisions that are yours to make, such as timescales, approval owners and retention periods.
How to implement a drug-free workplace policy with Whale
Copy this template into Whale and work through the bracketed placeholders so it reflects how your organisation actually operates.
Assign it to the teams it applies to so it sits where people work rather than in a shared drive, and set a review date so it gets revisited on schedule instead of quietly going out of date.
Use our templates to fast-track your documentation
Customize this template and 100s of others for free in Whale, the fastest way to get your team aligned.
