The opioid epidemic is affecting workplaces across the country. Because opioids can be lawfully prescribed (but are increasingly abused), employers must tread carefully when taking adverse action against opioid users to avoid running afoul of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). “Recovery-friendly” workplaces may provide an alternative solution to help combat the crisis, but that approach should be considered with caution.
The Opioid Epidemic
The Trump administration has declared the nationwide opioid epidemic a “public health emergency.” To combat the problem, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions has proposed a bill that would provide the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) with grants to support state efforts to fight the crisis’s effect on the workforce, such as providing training to identify prescription drug or opioid abuse and supporting addiction treatment services.
