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Council updates employee substance-abuse policy to clarify testing and fit-for-duty rules
Summary
Council adopted ordinance 2026-0083 to modernize the parish personnel substance‑abuse regulations: clarified prescription/OTC guidance, strengthened testing and reasonable‑suspicion standards for safety‑sensitive roles, and retained treatment options for first-time positives outside probationary periods.
The Saint Charles Parish Council unanimously approved ordinance 2026-0083 on March 16, 2026, updating the parish code on employee substance‑abuse to clarify prescription and over‑the‑counter medication rules, strengthen fit‑for‑duty evaluation authority, and codify random and reasonable‑suspicion testing procedures for safety‑sensitive positions.
Dana Parker, the parish personnel officer, said the 1990 policy had been amended repeatedly and the latest revisions aim to modernize language without changing core intent: ensuring a safe workplace and consistent enforcement. The revisions add explicit guidance that employees consult physicians about work restrictions, require safety‑sensitive employees to notify supervisors about medications that could impair performance, and expand the parish’s authority to order evaluations when concerns arise.
Parker noted penalties remain largely unchanged; first‑time positives generally allow for treatment options unless the employee is still in a six‑month probationary period. The public hearing drew no speakers and the ordinance passed unanimously.
The council asked staff to proceed with implementation and provide managers with the updated objective‑behavior guidance for reasonable‑suspicion testing.
