Rehabilitation/Counseling. 4.1 If a person is undertaking rehabilitation or counseling, he/she is entitled to sick leave, negotiated leave without pay and other benefits provided for by the appropriate award/agreement.
4.2 An affected person will not be disadvantaged as a result of undertaking rehabilitation or counseling.
4.3 The employer will liaise with the person’s representative to enable appropriate assistance and support to be made available to him/her during and on completion of rehabilitation (with his/her permission).
4.4 Confidentiality is to be maintained in all matters relating to the rehabilitation and counseling, employment arrangements etc of individuals.
Rehabilitation/Counseling. At the City's request or voluntarily, the employee shall seek professional help for a drug related problem. If the treatment requires that the employee remain off work for a period of time, the employee may use available sick leave or be placed on medical leave of absence if sick leave is not available. This leave of absence shall be conditional upon the employee entering an appropriate treatment program as soon as possible, execution of a medical release in order for the City to obtain the medical and test results and upon receipt of reports from the medical personnel supervising the employee's drug treatment program that the employee is cooperating and is making progress. Such leave will be granted if the employee abstains from future use of controlled substances. Within 45 days of entering the treatment program, the employee must provide satisfactory medical evidence that he has completed the program and is fit to return to work, and pass a drug test. This time limit may be extended by the City Administrator if medical or scientific evidence indicate that a longer period of time is justified. However, no period longer than 6 months from the date of the original positive test result will be permitted. Upon completion of the program and a re-test that demonstrates that the employee is no longer using illegal drugs, the employee shall return to duty. The employee may be subject to periodic re-testing on a random basis upon his return to work for a period of one year from the date of his return. This testing need not be based on any reasonable suspicion.
Rehabilitation/Counseling a. Employees found to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol during working hours or those who voluntarily seek help, who have available leave time either paid or unpaid, may seek a temporary leave of absence utilizing their available leave time at the discretion of their Department Head to attend a rehabilitation program when advised to do so by the EAP, Director of Personnel or his designee. The employee may apply for temporary disability.
b. The County commits to hold open the employees job while he is in full-time attendance of a County approved rehabilitation program for six (6) weeks per calendar year, subject to displacement through normal Department of Personnel procedures such as certification against provisionals, lay-offs, expiration of temporary position, etc.
c. Employees who are found distributing, selling or possessing a drug or drugs on the County premises, or in County vehicles, may be subject to immediate removal, and therefore may not be granted a temporary leave of absence.
d. The County will not be required to grant further temporary Ieaves of absence for detoxification or rehabilitation if a test, taken after the employee has had a reasonable opportunity prior thereto to be detoxified and rehabilitated, should the presence of an illegal or misused drug or alcohol. Each case will be reviewed individually and a determination will be made as to whether or not another leave will be granted. This decision will be made on a case-by-case basis.
