The Fix for the High-Cost Risk of Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing Gone Wrong
Rudner Law is pleased to announce that associate Geoffrey Lowe will be a featured faculty speaker at the upcoming Infonex national conference, “Responding to the Workplace Mental Health Crisis,” taking place virtually on November 9–10, 2026.
Workplace drug and alcohol testing is frequently utilized by employers as a primary line of defense to manage impairment risks. However, in practice, testing comes with significant legal constraints, strict human rights considerations, and complex interpretation challenges. For HR leaders and organizations, the critical issue is not simply whether a testing policy exists, but how it is governed, when it can legally be enforced, and how results should—and should not—inform management decisions.
In this practical, compliance-focused session, Geoffrey Lowe will provide an essential governance framework for employers.
Attendees will learn how to integrate defensible testing practices into a broader workplace risk management system without over-reliance or costly legal missteps.
Key Takeaways
- Impairment vs. Presence: What workplace testing can and cannot reliably indicate about active impairment.
- Testing Frameworks: Navigating the legal differences between pre-employment, post-incident, reasonable cause, and safety-sensitive testing environments.
- Substance Nuances: Understanding why the interpretation of testing results varies significantly between cannabis, alcohol, and prescription medical substances.
- Corporate Governance: How to build defensible corporate testing policies and robust decision structures that align with workplace safety and human rights obligations.
Who Should Attend?
This session is highly recommended for:
- Human Resources professionals,
- in-house counsel,
- health and safety managers, and
- business leaders looking to ensure their drug and alcohol policies are legally airtight and operationally sound.
Registration Information
To learn more about the conference agenda or to register for this virtual event, please visit the organizer’s website at Infonex.com.
If you are facing an urgent workplace testing issue or need your current corporate policy reviewed by our team ahead of time, please contact Rudner Law directly at 416-864-8500.
