Testing for Drugs or Alcohol Authorized — Conditions for Testing — Effect of Failure to Comply
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A covered employer may test a job applicant for alcohol or for any drug described in § 50-9-103; provided, that, for public employees, the testing shall be limited to the extent permitted by the Tennessee and federal constitutions. A covered employer may test an employee for any drug defined in § 50-9-103, and at any time set out in § 50-9-106. An employee who is not in a safety-sensitive position, as defined in § 50-9-103, may be tested for alcohol only when the test is based upon reasonable suspicion, as defined in § 50-9-103. An employee in a safety-sensitive position may be tested for alcohol use at any occasion described in § 50-9-106(a)(2)-(5), inclusive. In order to qualify as having established a drug-free workplace program that affords a covered employer the ability to qualify for the discounts provided under § 50-6-418 and deny workers' compensation medical and indemnity benefits and shift the burden of proof under § 50-6-110(c), all drug or alcohol testing conducted by covered employers shall be in conformity with the standards and procedures established in this chapter and all applicable rules adopted pursuant to this chapter. If a covered employer fails to maintain a drug-free workplace program in accordance with the standards and procedures established in this section and in applicable rules, the covered employer shall not be eligible for:
Discounts under § 50-6-418;
A shift in the burden of proof pursuant to § 50-6-110(c); or
Denial of workers' compensation medical and indemnity benefits pursuant to this chapter. All covered employers qualifying for and receiving discounts provided under § 50-6-418 must be reported annually by the insurer to the division.
The commissioner of labor and workforce development shall adopt a form pursuant to the commissioner's rulemaking authority, which form shall be used by the employer to certify compliance with this chapter. Substantial compliance in completing and filing the form with the commissioner shall create a rebuttable presumption that the employer has established a drug-free workplace program and is entitled to the protection and benefit of this chapter. Prior to granting any premium credit to an employer pursuant to § 50-6-418, all insurers and self-insured pools under chapter 6, part 4 of this title, shall obtain the form from the employer. No less frequently than monthly, insurers and self-insured pools shall submit the forms to the department of labor and workforce development. Any other employer desiring to establish a drug-free workplace shall file the form with the department.
It is intended that any employer required to test its employees pursuant to the requirements of any federal statute or regulation shall be deemed to be in conformity with this section as to the employees it is required to test by those standards and procedures designated in that federal statute or regulation. All other employees of the employer shall be subject to testing as provided in this chapter in order for the employer to qualify as having a drug-free workplace program.