Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Do you know? Employee alcohol testing


Under the ADA, an employer is prohibited from making disability-related inquiries and requiring medical examinations of employees unless if the inquiries are job-related and consistent with business necessity. In September, the EEOC filed suit against Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel, claiming that it violated these rules by requiring random alcohol testing of probationary employees.

According to the EEOC’s Enforcement Guidance on Disability-Related Inquiries and Medical Examinations of Employees, the ADA differentiates between drug testing and alcohol testing. The ADA does not regulate the drug testing of employees because drug tests do not qualify as medical examinations. Blood, urine, and breath analyses to check for alcohol use, however, are considered medical examinations regulated by the ADA. Employers are permitted to maintain and enforce rules prohibiting employees from being under the influence of alcohol in the workplace. Employers are also permitted to conduct alcohol testing pursuant to such a rule if they have a reasonable belief that an employee may be under the influence of alcohol at work.

Random testing is just that, random. It is not tied to any reasonable belief about the employee’s on-the-job use of alcohol. I can make a very compelling argument that in any safety-sensitive position alcohol testing is job-related and consistent with business necessity. Nevertheless, and regardless of the circumstances, employers who intend to subject employees to alcohol testing should be mindful of these rules. Those that test without first consulting with employment counsel risk incurring the EEOC’s wrath.


Presented by Kohrman Jackson & Krantz, with offices in Cleveland and Columbus. For more information, contact Jon Hyman, a partner in our Labor & Employment group, at (216) 736-7226 or jth@kjk.com.