Nevada - The Governor of Nevada signed AB132, a law prohibiting Nevada employers from refusing to hire job applicants who test positive for marijuana. The law takes effect January 1, 2020. There are a few specific position exceptions outlined, such as firefighters, emergency medical technicians, employees who must operate motor vehicles as part of their duties, any position which federal or state law require screening tests, and positions which employers deem the safety of others could be affected.

Other Cannabis Related News -

New Jersey - New Jersey extends workplace protections for medical cannabis patients and providers. We are starting to see more and more news concerning the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana nationwide. Employers are having difficulty trying to appropriately respond to the laws in their policies and in the workplace. Adding to the difficulty is that cannabis use, regardless or medical or recreational, is still illegal under federal law.

Illinois - Illinois is the most recent state to legalize recreational marijuana, with the passage of the Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (Cannabis Act).

NAPBS and HR.com teamed up to survey human resources professionals to get their opinion on use of background screening. The survey was the third in a series and the results are interesting to say the least. The survey cites 96% of employers conduct one or more type of employment screening, and the main reason noted for conducting screening was for the safety of employers and their customers. Read the full report here.

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania answers commonly asked questions on its FAQ page. The page addresses: Clean Slate program, a new automatic record shielding process that went into effect on June 28, 2019; Act 5 limited access; expungements; and pardons.

We think the page contains great information and are passing it along to our readers as part of our ongoing efforts to provide education and resources.

Please join us for our upcoming HRCI approved webinar. We will review the blueprint of employer requirements on background screening including EEOC, FCRA and Ban the Box and that you may have a background screening program that is a fixer upper.

Space is limited. Register here!

Our partners at Quest Diagnostics sent the following statistical information about preventing workplace accidents. We thought it was really interesting and wanted to share it with you.

Preventing drug-related workplace accidents

On January 4, 1987, in Chase, Maryland, a locomotive engineer and his brakeman were smoking a marijuana cigarette while on duty operating a trio of Conrail locomotives. They failed to react to stop signals and collided with an Amtrak train carrying more than 600 passengers. In total, 16 people died and 164 were injured. Some of the injured were trapped in the wreckage for more than 10 hours before they were finally freed.