Montgomery County adopts hiring consent form for pre-employment and post-accident drug testing

Montgomery County commissioners voted to adopt a revised drug-and-alcohol testing authorization and consent form that formalizes pre-employment screening and post-accident testing for workplace injuries and gives the county a standing authorization from an employee for testing tied to work incidents.

County staff said the consent form will be signed on an employee's first day and remains effective for seven years for purposes of work-related injuries. "The consent form is all encompassing, so you'll sign it your first day. And then if you get into a workplace accident, 7 years down the road, this is still going to cover the drug test that you need to provide if you're involved in a workplace accident," a staff member explained. The updated policy also clarifies that pre-employment testing will occur and that post-accident tests will be used to help determine fault and limit county liability in at-fault incidents.

During discussion, commissioners and staff addressed examples such as a deputy striking a deer while driving: staff said the policy is intended to remove ad-hoc or inconsistent decisions by department heads about whether to test after an accident. The county will treat volunteer firefighters the same as other hires for purposes of the hiring process, including background checks and drug testing, staff said.

The board approved the consent form by motion and directed staff to explain the policy to department heads before implementation. Staff emphasized that the policy is designed to reduce county liability and to provide a consistent process for clearing employees after incidents that cause injury or damage. The transcript records the motion, second and roll-call approval.