Most private companies are not mandated by law to have drug-free workplace policies, however, there are exceptions to this. Workers in safety and security-sensitive industries, as well as federal employees are required to maintain sobriety in the workplace under the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988.
DrugAbuse.com just conducted a survey of 3,700 employers across the country, asking them to rank their tolerance of intoxication in the workplace from 1 to 10 (1 being the most tolerant and 10 being the least). The survey revealed that overall, employers in the state of North Carolina are among the least tolerant of drunk or high employees, with a ranking of 5/10.
Employers in Connecticut, Maine and Nebraska were found to be the most tolerant of employee intoxication with an average tolerance ranking of 3/10.
The survey also delved into different industries to find out which are most and least tolerant when it comes to being intoxicated on the job. Employers in the banking and real estate industry were found to be equally tolerant (2/10).
Comparatively, those in public service, charity, and healthcare industries were least tolerant, ranking an average of 4/10, certainly due to the nature of these fields requiring regular interactions with customers, volunteers and patients respectively.