General policy statement
Mount St. Mary's University is committed to programs that promote safety in the workplace and employee health and well being. Consistent with the spirit and intent of this commitment, the university has developed this policy statement regarding the sale, use, possession, or distribution of drugs and alcohol by all university employees.
Employee involvement with drugs and alcohol can adversely affect job performance, employee morale and jeopardize student, visitor and community morale and safety. Such involvement is particularly unacceptable in an organization such as ours because of the importance of providing the highest standards for our student and community population. Our goal, and the purpose of the policy are to establish and maintain a safe workplace and a healthy and efficient work force free from the effects of drugs and alcohol.
Mount St. Mary's University encourages any employee with a drug or alcohol problem to contact the director of human resources, his or her private physician,
WellSpan Employee Assistance Program (EAP), or any agency with special interest in this field. The university is eager to help employees and will, at the employee's request, refer him or her to an appropriate source of professional assistance. All communications will be strictly confidential. Employees will not be subject to disciplinary action for voluntarily acknowledging their drug/alcohol problems. However, this will not excuse violations of the drug and alcohol policy for which the employee is subject to immediate discipline up to and including completion of an appropriate rehabilitation program, termination of employment or referral to the authorities for prosecution.
Procedure
The unauthorized use, possession, sale or distribution of drugs or alcohol while on university property will be cause for disciplinary action up to and including discharge. In addition, substances prohibited by this policy will be confiscated and the appropriate law enforcement agencies will be notified. (For purposes of this policy, the term drugs and alcohol includes, but is not limited to, all alcoholic beverages, narcotics, controlled substances, such as tranquilizers, barbiturates, amphetamines, stimulants, illicit drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, crack and marijuana as well as any other chemical substances that produce physical, mental, emotional or behavioral change in the user including over-the-counter products as well as prescription medicine.) It is also a violation of this policy to report for work under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol or to work while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.
An employee who is arrested for or convicted of any alcohol related offense, a drug offense which involves the off duty sale, distribution, use or possession with use or intention to distribute illegal drugs or manufacture them, must promptly inform the director of human resources of the arrest, the nature of the charges and the ultimate disposition of the charges. Failure to do so is grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including discharge. In order to meet federal requirements, all convictions must be reported to the director of human resources within five days after such conviction.
Employees who take over-the-counter or prescribed medication are responsible for being aware of any effect the medication may have on the performance of their duties and must report to their supervisor the use of any medication, which is likely to impair their ability to do their job prior to commencement of their assigned shift. Moreover, the employees who take over-the-counter or prescribed medication contrary to instructions while on duty or report to work under the influence of such medication may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including discharge.