Lake County Gazette

The Lake County Board of Health will consider final proposed revisions to Health Department employee policies during its July 24 meeting. Defensive driving courses and drug and alcohol-free workforce policies are among the changes under consideration.

According to the Lake County Board of Health agenda for its July 24 meeting, Health Department and Community Health Center employees who drive county vehicles or their personal vehicles as a requirement of their position shall be required to complete an online driving course upon hire and once every three years. This is a change from the previous requirement of a defensive driving course. A review by the Lake County Risk Manager could also trigger a need for retraining.

In addition, Human Resources can require any employee involved in a preventable collision or who demonstrated questionable driving practices to be retrained in the Safety National Attention and Distractions Online driving course, instead of a defensive driving course, according to the agenda.

The proposed revisions to the Drug and Alcohol-Free Workplace policy include adding "solicit or sell illegal drugs" in addition to forbidding the manufacture, distribution, dispensing, or possession of illegal drugs. The revisions also state that employees are forbidden from using a controlled substance without a prescription. The policy stipulates that employees must not be impaired by alcohol, marijuana/cannabis, an illegal drug, or a controlled substance while conducting county business on or off Lake County Health Department of Community Health Center property.

The revised policy adds that if a legally prescribed medication affects or interferes with the safety and effectiveness of job performance, an employee may be reassigned or placed on leave in addition to the possibility of removal.