Page 12 - GBC spring 2018 eng

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Golf Business Canada
A discussion of substance use needs to acknowledge the issue of addiction, as should any published policy. Discrimination on the basis of disability is a protected ground under most jurisdictions’ human rights legislation. A staff member who asserts that they suffer from addiction may need to be accommodated on the basis of this disability, and a substance policy should make reference to the organization’s willingness to provide support if this is the case.
The same duty to accom- modate, such as providing a protected leave for treatment purposes, may apply as to the use of medical marijuana.
In all cases, policies should be reviewed by the appropriate professionals, and if in doubt, a lawyer should be consulted.
EDUCATING YOUR STAFF
Application of the substance policy must be consistent and transparent. Management should be educated on the signs of marijuana impairment, which include bloodshot eyes, lethargy, lack of coordination, confusion, dif culty in making decisions or solving problems and appearing more talkative than usual.
Managers who have reason to suspect that a staff member is impaired should address this in the same way as any other potential performance issue, and then apply the policy as appropriate.
Employers sometimes raise the issue of drug testing in the workplace. While there are different standards as to whether drug testing is permissible, and safety sensitive workplaces such as golf courses are more likely to be able to justify testing, the bar for being able to test in Canada is very high.
It may be justi able to test if there is reasonable cause to believe that an employee is under the in uence of a substance, but the decision to undertake drug testing should be carefully considered, and applied only with the guidance of legal counsel.
A nal word on staff and marijuana use – there may be less to worry about than owners and operators think. Notwithstanding that the substance has been illegal for recreational use until now, use has been commonplace for many decades. Among millennials, who make up a large percentage of the seasonal workforce in the Canadian golf business, regular use seems to actually be decreasing. According to a University of Michigan study, millennials use less marijuana than their baby boomer “parents” did when they were their kids’ age. So perhaps ... the kids are all right!
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paul.murray@parkland.ca michel.gagne@parkland.ca dale.eustace@parkland.ca