Drug-stealing nurse reinstated by arbitrator

Nurse diagnosed with opioid substance abuse disorder, which is known to impair judgment; Employer didn’t investigate accommodation before dismissal for cause

Employees with addictions can present quite a conundrum for employers – especially employers whose workplaces required a high standard of trust and skill, such as a medical care facility. Employee theft is considered a serious form of misconduct that can often provide just cause for dismissal. But if an employee’s theft – or any other misconduct – might be related to the employee’s addiction, then the employer’s duty to accommodate kicks in before just cause does – even if the employee is a nurse who breached her duties caring for patients.

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