Tēnā koe

Thank you for your email dated 31 July 2020 requesting information about pre-employment drug testing.

Our team will manage your request under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 which requires us to respond as soon as possible, but no later than 28 August 2020.

The reference number for your request is IRO-10324.

Please contact us if you have any further questions.

Kind regards

Jessica Hall
Assurance Services Coordinator  | Wellington City Council
| W Wellington.govt.nz | |

The information contained in this email is privileged and confidential and intended for the addressee only.
If you are not the intended recipient, you are asked to respect that confidentiality and not disclose, copy or make use of its contents.
If received in error you are asked to destroy this email and contact the sender immediately. Your assistance is appreciated.

Dear BAW Russell,

Thank you for your email to the Council’s Complaints and Information
Assurance Team received on 26 July 2020 in which you requested information
relating to pre-employment drug testing.

Under section 13 of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings
Act 1987 I can advise your request is granted and for no cost.

I will endeavour to provide you with a full response within the next five
working days.

Should you have any further questions please feel free to contact me.

Kind regards,

Ian

 

Ian Hunter
Assurance Advisor | Complaints and Information Assurance | Governance and
Assurance Directorate | Wellington City Council
P 04 803 8315 | M 021 227 8315 |
E [1][email address] | W [2]Wellington.govt.nz | [3]Facebook|
[4]Twitter

 

References

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1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://wellington.govt.nz/
3. https://www.facebook.com/wellingtoncityc...
4. http://twitter.com/wgtncc

Dear BAW Russell,

 

Thank you for your email received 28 August 2020 in which you referred to
the Council’s obligations under the Local Government Official Information
and Meetings Act 1987.

 

By way of clarification; under section 13, the local authority to which a
request is made shall, “…as soon as reasonably practicable, and in no case
later than 20 working days after the day on which the request is received
by that local authority, -

 

o (a) decide whether the request is to be granted and, if it is to be
granted, in what manner and for what charge (if any); and
o (b) give or post to the person who made the request notice of the
decision on the request.”

 

Further to my email dated 28 August 2020 in which I provided the Council’s
decision on your request for information relating to the Council’s use of
Pre-employment drug testing, I am now able to provide a formal response to
your request.

 

As you asked a number of questions I will address these in the order of
your email.

 

1) Please provide a copy of your policy on pre-employment drug testing.

 

Please find a copy of the Council’s Drug and Alcohol Policy and
Procedures, including pre-employment testing.

 

2) Please also advise how much you have spent on pre-employment drug
testing by year for the last five years.

 

The Council is unable to provide a figure in respect of pre-employment
drug and alcohol testing as the testing costs (both pre-employment and
employees) are the same and are not broken down this way by the service
provider.

 

3) The number of positive tests each year, including a breakdown for each
year of the substances the positive tests relate to.

 

I can advise the Council does not hold this information as there is no
requirement to collate information relating to applicants who may fail
pre-employment drug and alcohol testing.

 

4) The total number of positive tests by employees in the top three tiers.

 

If I have understood this question correctly, then I can advise none of
the top three tier roles at the Council are Safety Sensitive roles (where
drug and alcohol testing is mandatory) as defined by the Council’s Drug
and Alcohol Policy and Procedures.

 

Whilst applicants for safety sensitive roles are required to undertake
pre-employment testing, and the Council may require the testing of other
designated roles, none of the staff occupying top three tier roles have
been tested as part of the pre-employment process.

 

5) The number of employees whose employment ended as a result of a
positive pre-employment drug test.

 

Applicants who fail pre-employment drug and alcohol testing (with a
positive result being confirmed as conclusive in relation to the
definition of Drugs and Alcohol as outlined in the Policy) are not
progressed through the employment process.  As they are not employed at
this point in time there is no formal process required to end employment.

 

As such, this information is not held by the Council as there is no
requirement to hold test results for unsuccessful applicants.

 

6) Please also advise the number of employees who refused a test.

 

Again, if I have understood this question correctly, any applicant
refusing a drug and alcohol test would not be progressed through the
employment process and therefore this information is not held as per the
answer given to question 5 above.

 

7) The number who were exempted from testing and the reasons why?

 

With respect to Safety Sensitive roles, all applicants are tested with no
exemptions being granted.

 

Again, whilst the Council has the right to request the testing of
applicants to other designated roles, testing for such roles is not
currently being undertaken.

 

Kind regards,

Ian

 

 

Ian Hunter
Assurance Advisor | Complaints and Information Assurance | Governance and
Assurance Directorate | Wellington City Council
P 04 803 8315 | M 021 227 8315 |
E [1][email address] | W [2]Wellington.govt.nz | [3]Facebook|
[4]Twitter

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://wellington.govt.nz/
3. https://www.facebook.com/wellingtoncityc...
4. http://twitter.com/wgtncc

Apologies,

 

With Policy attached.

 

Ian Hunter
Assurance Advisor | Complaints and Information Assurance | Governance and
Assurance Directorate | Wellington City Council
P 04 803 8315 | M 021 227 8315 |
E [1][email address] | W [2]Wellington.govt.nz | [3]Facebook|
[4]Twitter

 

From: Ian Hunter
Sent: Monday, 31 August 2020 9:48 AM
To: [FYI request #13426 email]
Subject: Request for information relating to pre-employment drug testing
(Ref: IRO-10324)

 

Dear BAW Russell,

 

Thank you for your email received 28 August 2020 in which you referred to
the Council’s obligations under the Local Government Official Information
and Meetings Act 1987.

 

By way of clarification; under section 13, the local authority to which a
request is made shall, “…as soon as reasonably practicable, and in no case
later than 20 working days after the day on which the request is received
by that local authority, -

 

o (a) decide whether the request is to be granted and, if it is to be
granted, in what manner and for what charge (if any); and
o (b) give or post to the person who made the request notice of the
decision on the request.”

 

Further to my email dated 28 August 2020 in which I provided the Council’s
decision on your request for information relating to the Council’s use of
Pre-employment drug testing, I am now able to provide a formal response to
your request.

 

As you asked a number of questions I will address these in the order of
your email.

 

1) Please provide a copy of your policy on pre-employment drug testing.

 

Please find a copy of the Council’s Drug and Alcohol Policy and
Procedures, including pre-employment testing.

 

2) Please also advise how much you have spent on pre-employment drug
testing by year for the last five years.

 

The Council is unable to provide a figure in respect of pre-employment
drug and alcohol testing as the testing costs (both pre-employment and
employees) are the same and are not broken down this way by the service
provider.

 

3) The number of positive tests each year, including a breakdown for each
year of the substances the positive tests relate to.

 

I can advise the Council does not hold this information as there is no
requirement to collate information relating to applicants who may fail
pre-employment drug and alcohol testing.

 

4) The total number of positive tests by employees in the top three tiers.

 

If I have understood this question correctly, then I can advise none of
the top three tier roles at the Council are Safety Sensitive roles (where
drug and alcohol testing is mandatory) as defined by the Council’s Drug
and Alcohol Policy and Procedures.

 

Whilst applicants for safety sensitive roles are required to undertake
pre-employment testing, and the Council may require the testing of other
designated roles, none of the staff occupying top three tier roles have
been tested as part of the pre-employment process.

 

5) The number of employees whose employment ended as a result of a
positive pre-employment drug test.

 

Applicants who fail pre-employment drug and alcohol testing (with a
positive result being confirmed as conclusive in relation to the
definition of Drugs and Alcohol as outlined in the Policy) are not
progressed through the employment process.  As they are not employed at
this point in time there is no formal process required to end employment.

 

As such, this information is not held by the Council as there is no
requirement to hold test results for unsuccessful applicants.

 

6) Please also advise the number of employees who refused a test.

 

Again, if I have understood this question correctly, any applicant
refusing a drug and alcohol test would not be progressed through the
employment process and therefore this information is not held as per the
answer given to question 5 above.

 

7) The number who were exempted from testing and the reasons why?

 

With respect to Safety Sensitive roles, all applicants are tested with no
exemptions being granted.

 

Again, whilst the Council has the right to request the testing of
applicants to other designated roles, testing for such roles is not
currently being undertaken.

 

Kind regards,

Ian

 

 

Ian Hunter
Assurance Advisor | Complaints and Information Assurance | Governance and
Assurance Directorate | Wellington City Council
P 04 803 8315 | M 021 227 8315 |
E [5][email address] | W [6]Wellington.govt.nz | [7]Facebook|
[8]Twitter

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://wellington.govt.nz/
3. https://www.facebook.com/wellingtoncityc...
4. http://twitter.com/wgtncc
5. mailto:[email address]
6. http://wellington.govt.nz/
7. https://www.facebook.com/wellingtoncityc...
8. http://twitter.com/wgtncc