Drafting and Implementing Effective Drug and Alcohol Policies

Recorded Date: April 24, 2019

Speakers: Natalie Cuthill

Slides: Download

This presentation will cover employers’ obligations to protect their workplaces from impairment, and how to meet their obligations through the implementation of drug and alcohol policies and permissible drug testing. Natalie will provide an overview of permissible drug testing and key cases in this area, as well as the best practices for drafting and implementing effective drug and alcohol polices. This presentation will also touch on the employers’ duty to accommodate drug and alcohol addiction and the use of cannabis for medical use, for example, and how to balance this duty with their obligation to protect their workplaces from impairment.

In specific, this presentation will cover:

• Permissible drug and alcohol testing,
• The duty to accommodate cannabis for medical purposes and drug or alcohol addiction, and
• The best practices for drafting and implementing effective drug and alcohol policies.

About the Speaker:

Natalie Cuthill is an associate in McMillan’s Advocacy and Employment Group. Natalie practices in the areas of provincial and federal employment, labour, and human rights law, and commercial litigation with a focus on defamation law.

Natalie regularly advises employers on a multitude of workplace issues including hiring, terminations, workplace accommodation, compliance with privacy legislation, and employment agreements and policies. She also advises companies on various employment law issues in transactions. Natalie has worked on British Columbia arbitration and Labour Relations Board matters, Canada Industrial Relations Board matters, cases in Provincial and Supreme Court, and matters before various other administrative boards and tribunals.

Natalie is a graduate from the University of Alberta Faculty of Law and has been with McMillan since joining the firm for summer articles in 2014. Prior to joining the firm Natalie worked at the British Columbia Workers’ Compensation Board as an Intern Review Officer. When not working, Natalie enjoys playing soccer and hiking in the North Shore mountains.