Firms rush to update cannabis policies
‘The time to act is now’ ahead of Oct. 17 rollout
With Canada’s legalization of recreational marijuana just weeks away, recent studies suggest that workplace policies could be in for some changes — if they haven’t been changed already.
One recently released study by consulting firm Mercer Canada found that a strong majority of Canadian employers surveyed — 90 per cent — intended to update their alcohol, drug and substance use policies.
The same study also found that 38 per cent and 37 per cent of employers, respectively, said they aim to update codes of conduct and disability accommodation policies.
“The time to act is now,” said Alex Boucher, principal and total health management leader for Canada at Mercer, in a release. “Organizations that wait and see will ultimately be reacting to problems, and not proactively taking action to achieve their goals.”
Mercer’s findings come as Canada is set to become the first of the G7 countries to legalize recreational cannabis on Oct. 17.
The decision, however, has meant that a number of details have had to be sorted out by businesses and governments, leaving some employers on edge over how to handle their hires in the age of legal pot. For example, the Mercer study also found that 78 per cent of employers surveyed “believe their organization’s HR leadership should be very concerned.”
Another study — this time released by the Conference Board of Canada in June — found 52 per cent of Canadian organizations were either concerned or very concerned when it comes to cannabis legalization and the workplace. The top worries employers had were regarding safety, impairment or intoxication on the job and increased use of cannabis in general.
“Workplace safety is consistently flagged as employers’ top concern with legalization, but the solution is not one-size-fits-all,” said Bryan Benjamin, vice-president of organizational performance at the Conference Board, in a release. “Gauging and managing impairment; adapting workplace policies; and ensuring employees are educated on what is allowed and what remains prohibited are all crucial components to a smooth transition to legalization.”
As of earlier this year, many businesses still had work to do. Survey results released in January by the Human Resources Professionals Association, Business of Cannabis and the Public Services Health & Safety Association showed that 71 per cent of employers were still not ready for legal weed.
“While some workplaces feel they have policies and procedures in place to address health and safety concerns, others are looking for clarity on what legalization means to their workplace health and safety practices, specifically as it relates to safety-sensitive roles,” said Kim Slade, the director of emerging markets and commercialization at PSHSA, in a release at the time.
The survey followed a 2017 research report by the Human Resources Professionals Association that said that marijuana was already the drug most likely to pop up in workplace drug testing, and that its use was to expected to increase further after legalization.
HRPA also did a survey included in the 2017 report that found only 11 per cent of companies that responded had a policy in place to deal with already legal medical marijuana. Meanwhile, nearly 46 per cent of businesses did not think their existing policy would be enough to cover possible workplace issues that could stem from the legalization of recreational cannabis.
Just 27 per cent of Canadians surveyed as part of the Mercer study felt their employers were ready for cannabis legalization.
“Our data shows that although employers are aware that cannabis legalization will have an impact on their workplace, these impacts haven’t been fully examined across the whole of the organization,” Boucher said.
Mercer recommended that organizations prepare
WORKPLACE SAFETY IS CONSISTENTLY FLAGGED AS (PROBLEMATIC).
their “total health management” plans accordingly, not just by adding “and cannabis” to existing rules.
“The implications of legal cannabis consumption should be thought through carefully, across the entirety of an organization’s operations, including situations as diverse as forklift operations, holiday parties and decision critical roles — like key leaders,” Boucher said. “Organizations should also consider the implications for their employee health benefits plans.”