If your HR representative is reluctant to involve treatment professionals in the agreement, you should defend it. Substance use disorder is a complex disease. A trained physician will understand the recovery trip better than an employer who is not aware of the disease. The goal of a return to working agreement is to create a safe working environment for all. It is understandable that your employer is concerned about the legal consequences if you use drugs or alcohol in the workplace. RWA should also benefit you. It should indicate the appropriate precautions you need to do your job during restoration. The worker has received a copy of the employer`s drug and non-alcohol employment policy and includes all provisions of the directive. The employee agrees to comply with its provisions. To learn more about your rights under the agreement, you should consult an experienced lawyer. Also talk to your staff representative to make sure you understand what is expected of you.

An agreement must be specially designed for you. This means that you need to involve your health care providers. You and your employer or a staff representative must work with your doctor and health care providers to ensure that everyone is on the same side. When workers return from treatment because of drug and alcohol problems that have violated the drug and alcohol policy, you should have them sign an agreement that sets out the expectations that affect both the employer and the worker, as well as all the consequences for the violation of the agreement. Substance and alcohol abuse is a serious problem for employers. The consequences range from absenteeism and productivity to increased health costs, workplace injuries and accidents. To combat substance abuse, employers should consider creating a drug- and alcohol-free workplace with a written policy. Employers should also consider using the labour market return agreements. Under these agreements, a salaried worker commits, after the completion of a rehabilitation programme, to give up alcohol or drugs as a condition of return to work. An agreement on the return to work should define the employer`s expectations of the employee and the consequences if expectations are not met.

It is important that the courts maintain more and more such agreements. Before you sign an RWA, you need to understand what it says, what is expected of you and under what conditions you can be fired. It is best to consult a lawyer before signing something and get answers to any questions you have. The information presented here is not legal advice. A Return to Work Agreement (RWA) is a written agreement that defines your employer`s expectations of your behaviour and the consequences for violating those conditions.