Are mandatory drug test becoming the new standard for school employees?

THIBODAUX — Lafourche public-school employees may soon be required to take a drug test after any on-the-job injuries, if a plan headed to the Lafourche School Board on Wednesday is approved.

The change would lower costs and make the workplace safer, officials said.

By discouraging drug and alcohol use, the policy would make it mishaps less likely in the first place, said Lafourche schools Safety Manager Seth Holloway.

“It makes the place safer, not only for our employees but also for our staff and our kids,” Holloway said.

Fewer accidents means less money would be spent on worker’s compensation claims, Holloway said. And any mishaps involving drugs or alcohol will not cost anything beyond the drug test.

“If they do get injured and they are caught as far as drug and alcohol use, they can be terminated immediately,” he said. “So their worker’s comp claim won’t be paid.”

Worker’s compensation claims can easily cost tens of thousands of dollars, Holloway said. Drug testing would cost $5,000 to $10,000 per year, he said.

The effort is meant to increase overall safety.

“There’s no person or department where we’re saying they’re” working while using drugs or alcohol, he said. “But in any workforce there’s a percentage doing this.”

The change would include working closely with Thibodaux Regional’s medical network, including an online tracking system that keeps school officials up-to-date with the status of injured employees. The intent, Holloway said, is to “get them back to work faster.”

If the board agrees to enter the program, the Policy and Procedure Committee will be tasked with making necessary changes to the school system’s policy manual before drug testing begins.

SOURCE