Alrich Hospitality Staffing, Inc. recognizes that our employees may need to access medical marijuana for health reasons provided that each employee has a current and up-to-date prescription.
This policy is intended to ensure that employees are able to access their medicine in a discreet and safe manner, the confidentiality of employees’ medical needs is respected, and a safe, productive and healthy work environment is maintained that complies with Federal and/or Provincial Health & Safety guidelines.
This policy also briefly outlines the expectations for regular cigarette (tobacco) usage at a work assignment location.
CIGARETTE (TOBACCO) USAGE & EXPECTATIONSUnder the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017, you cannot smoke or vape in any enclosed workplace, any enclosed public place and other places designated as smoke-free and vape-free.
If you smoke or vape where it is not allowed, you may be charged with an offence and subject to publicly posted or other applicable fines, if convicted. You cannot smoke or vape in an enclosed workplace, even when the workplace is closed.
An enclosed workplace means any part of a building, structure or vehicle with a roof that an employee works in or visits, even during off-hours, including: an office building a trailer office on a construction site or a delivery truck.
You cannot smoke or vape in any common indoor areas of condos, apartment buildings or college and university residences.Examples of indoor common areas include:elevators, stairwells, lobbies, and hallwaysparking garages, laundry facilities, exercise areas, and party or entertainment rooms.
The only places you can smoke or vape in hotels, motels and inns is in fully enclosed guest rooms that the management has designated for smoking and/or vaping. Only registered guests and their invited guests can smoke or vape in these rooms.
It is important to remember that the odor or smell of cigarette smoke can linger on clothing and that the odor or smell can be noticed very easily by guests, visitors and others at the workplace in the smoke-free environment of the workplace. All Alrich employees, including managers and supervisors, are required to maintain professional behavior and appearance which includes ensuring that the lingering scent of cigarette smoke on clothing is not noticeable.
MARIJUANA USAGE LOCATIONLocation Employees may only medicate in the “Designated Area(s)” indicated, if any, by each Alrich Client. In other words, employees who need to medicate must do so at the Designated Area(s) (if any) for each workplace they are assigned to these Designated Areas will be different for each workplace.
An Alrich Client may have to change their designated locations periodically employees will be updated accordingly by the workplace managers and/or an Alrich supervisor. The Designated Areas will be prominently identified as such, but in the event of any confusion, the Human Resources Department at a particular work assignment location should be contacted for clarification prior to an employee's use of medical marijuana at any work assignment location.
Vaporizers or other, legal, non-smoking ingestion methods may be used in the Designated Areas which are indoors. For those wishing to medicate by smoking, employees will be required to medicate outdoors in the applicable Designated Area. It is important that the general smoking areas not be used to medicate. We are a professional organization that supports a patient’s rights to medicate, but it is important that employees only medicate in Designated Areas so that all guests and visitors are always met with the level of professionalism we wish to portray. As such, you may not medicate in other areas, including, without limitation, in your vehicle.
Similarly, should you need to medicate while offsite on behalf of Alrich or an Alrich Client, we expect the same level of discretion and professionalism. Failure to abide by these rules may result in disciplinary action, including, without limitation, termination.
MARIJUANA USAGE CONFIDENTIALITYEmployees have the right to confidentiality, including with respect to their medical marijuana needs. This confidentiality, however, must be balanced with the fact that Alrich Supervisors/Managers, including the employee’s immediate client-site (workplace) manager and the Human Resources Department, must have sufficient knowledge to maintain a healthy and safe working environment for all employees. In other words, an employee may need to provide appropriate information to managers, supervisors and/or the Human Resources Department so that reasonable steps, accommodations and/or decisions can be made or implemented to keep the workplace environment healthy and safe.
EMPLOYEE'S RESPONSIBILITIESIf an employee is advised by their treating healthcare professional that they must legally medicate at work, it is the employee’s responsibility to follow the processes outlined within this policy.
The employee must discuss his or her specific requirements with their manager. If there is a preference to not disclose medical marijuana needs with one's immediate manager, such requirements must instead be discussed with the Human Resources Department at the work assignment location. At all times, the employee and Alrich must balance the need to maintain a safe work environment with the employee’s right to accommodation of disabilities, prescribed religious or cultural practice, confidentiality and privacy.
If an employee is feeling unwell or otherwise unfit to work as a result of medicating, he/she should stop working immediately and notify their manager or the Human Resources Department.
The employee should notify their manager or the Human Resources Department if any aspect of this policy is not meeting his or her needs so that Alrich can explore alternative accommodations as appropriate.
The employee must not operate any heavy equipment after medicating, and must use reasonable care and judgment in undertaking any activity after medicating, whether at work or outside of work, including, without limitation, driving. This is true of all activities, with particular emphasis on any activity that may be dangerous in an impaired state of mind.
In addition, employees should only be using medical marijuana in the Designated Areas as previously stated above. For greater certainty, 'using' for the purposes of this policy includes preparing medical marijuana for future usage (e.g., rolling).
MANAGER'S RESPONSIBILITIESIn order to ensure a healthy and safe working environment, the manager, of an employee who is required to medicate at work, must meet with the employee who is required to medicate at work to discuss an appropriate medicating plan.Discussion points should include:whether the employee has been advised by his or her treating healthcare professional that he or she must use their prescribed medicine during working hoursthe frequency, timing and method of administering medicineestablishing a regular process to ensure the needs of the employee are being met, without compromising the employee’s ability to perform his or her duties or the safety of the workplaceensuring that the employee does not operate any heavy equipment, use any machinery, climbing ladders, or undertake any activity that could be dangerous in an impaired state (whether the employee is impaired or not), including, without limitation, driving anddiscussion of the contents of this policy, including the topics of where and when it is appropriate to administer medicine, and Alrich’s commitments to accommodation and confidentiality.
Alrich fully supports our employees’ medical needs, while also being continuously mindful of their health and safety and their privacy. Should you have any questions about this policy, please speak with your immediate Alrich supervisor or manager. The contents of this document, in conjunction with our Health and Safety Standard as well as all other current Alrich policies and standards, shall complement each other and be applied, where relevant, for the benefit of all
Employees. Effective: December 23, 2018