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June 28, 2021Iowa City, Iowa |  By: AP

Ruling limits safety-based drug testing at Iowa warehouses


IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) - The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled that employers cannot subject all warehouse employees to random drug testing by designating them as having "safety sensitive" jobs.

In a 4-3 ruling, the court found that companies must consider the specific duties of each worker when designing safety-based drug testing programs and not just where they work.

The majority rejected an argument from the state's largest business association that courts should not second-guess determinations made by employers on which jobs are more dangerous than others. 

The decision interpreted a 1998 Iowa law that regulates how employers can conduct unannounced testing for drugs and alcohol in workplaces.