Drug Testing

Action by Certain Agencies When Employees Test Positive for Illegal Drugs Gao ID: GGD-90-56FS April 6, 1990

GAO reviewed actions that selected federal agencies took when their employees tested positive for illegal drug use.

GAO found that: (1) the Army and Department of Transportation (DOT) offered rehabilitation to employees who tested positive for illegal drug use; (2) the type of disciplinary action taken for the same misconduct varied across and within agencies, from employee dismissal to permanent reassignment or demotion to a position for which random drug testing was not required; (3) if the employee successfully completed rehabilitation, tested negative for drug use for 1 year, and met agreed aftercare rehabilitation requirements, DOT would reinstate the employee back into the random testing pool; (4) a second positive drug test at any time following rehabilitation resulted in immediate dismissal; and (5) Drug Enforcement Agency employees were dismissed for positive drug tests except in unusual circumstances.



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