Pubdate: Sat, 01 Jul 2000
Source: Macon Telegraph (GA)
Copyright: 2000The Macon Telegraph Publishing Company
Contact:  P.O. Box 4167, Macon, GA 31208-4167
Fax: (912) 744-4385
Website: http://www.macontelegraph.com/
Author: Randall Savage

BIBB TO FIRE EMPLOYEES WHO FAIL DRUG TESTS

Bibb County employees have been put on notice that they'll be fired
immediately if they test positive in a random drug test.

County Commission Chairman Larry Justice said Friday the commission
has already approved a zero tolerance drug policy and that a new
ordinance containing the stiffer penalty is being prepared by County
Attorney Virgil Adams. The proposed ordinance will come before the
commission for approval soon. Zero tolerance is effective now, he said.

The need for a tougher policy surfaced earlier this month, when 10 of
82 Public Works Department employees failed a random test, Justice
said.

Commissioner Joe Allen, chair of the Engineering and Public Works
Committee, asked for the tests after an employee was involved in an
accident while driving a county vehicle. Allen said the employee, whom
he didn't identify, tested positive for drugs.

Because of that, Allen said, he asked County Engineer Bob Fountain to
have all public works employees tested.

"The board was totally shocked at that number," he said. "Ten failed,
which is totally unacceptable. We've never had this many fail in one
department. So we're sending a strong statement to the employees to
let them know that its zero tolerance from now on."

Cindy Stocks, deputy personnel administrator, said random drug tests
are administered to employees who hold safety-sensitive positions,
such as truck drivers and heavy equipment operators. They're also
given to employees who are suspected of drug abuse, Stocks said.

In the past, Justice said some employees who tested positive were
given the opportunity to go through drug rehabilitation. They were
also subject to regular drug tests for five years after that. If
employees failed rehab, they were terminated.

Because the 10 public works employees tested positive before zero
tolerance became effective, Justice said seven of them were given the
opportunity to go through rehab. Three of the employees were fired,
primarily because they had other blotches on their employment records,
Justice said. He declined to say what the other problems were.
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