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Wilmore to implement new drug, alcohol policy

December 22, 2010|By Amanda Baumfeld | abaumfeld@jessaminejournal.com

Come January, Wilmore will begin to implement a strict drug and alcohol policy that will require random drug testing of city employees each month.

The Drug and Alcohol Free Workplace, certified by the Kentucky League of Cities, is part of Wilmore’s new adopted personnel manual. It will impose random drug testing once a month within each city department as well as a possible order by Mayor Harold Rainwater that would test all employees upfront.

“It’s a major step forward,” said Dave Carlstedt, director of utilities and public works. “It wasn’t that we didn’t have a policy, but it’s gone from six to seven paragraphs to 17 pages of policy.”

Before implementing the program, all employees will have to undergo a training session with the Kentucky League of Cities, Carlstedt said.

The training will provide an overview to employees about the kinds of things that lead to substance abuse and familiarize employees with the new procedures.

“Obviously we will have protocols on how we are going to hold employees accountable to a drug-free workplace through performance, new hiring, testing after an accident and follow-up testing. All of these are addressed in the new policy,” Carlstedt said.

The city will also introduce employees to an assistance program it now has in place to help employees should they be suffering from substance abuse.

The four departments that will test one employee a month each include police, utilities, public works and the fire department.

The certification allows the city to save money on its insurance premium.

In addition to the drug policy, the city updated its entire employee manual, which has not been done since 2001.

The 10-month process that underwent reviews from a hired consultant as well as the council updated the city’s policies on sexual harassment, cell phone and Internet use as well as sick time.

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