In an effort to protect employees from discrimination, Governor Gavin Newsom signs a bill making it illegal for employers to punish employees who test positive for traces of cannabis from home-related marijuana consumption.
California Assembly member, Bill Quirk of Hayward, authored the bill as a response to companies drug screening employees in an attempt to prove impairment at work after cannabis legalization in California.
Exceptions from this bill include pre-employment drug testing, employees who require federal background investigations, federal contractors, or employees with jobs of high safety standards such as construction work.
The new law does not prevent other forms of drug screenings meant to determine if an employee is currently under the influence.
Some business groups are skeptical that this law will be misinterpreted as a pass for employees to work under the influence and in turn use the law as a means of protection. However, according to Quirk, “nothing in this bill would allow someone to come to work high”.
