ROGERSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A county official in East Tennessee is refusing to participate in a drug-testing program even though it could end up costing the municipality $17,541.
Hawkins County Property Assessor Jeff Thacker told the Kingsport Times-News that he's not sure if the county program complies with state law and thinks the policy violates the rights of employees.
The policy, which was approved earlier this year, says all employees are subject to post-accident drug screenings while employees who are in "safety sensitive" positions are screened before being hired and are subject to random screenings.
Becky Brock of the Local Government Insurance Pool told a Hawkins County Commission committee that the county gets a discount on workman's comp insurance premiums only if all departments comply with the drug screening policy.
