The parties agree that alcoholism and other such drug depen dencies are both a sickness and a social ill. The parties desire to work together to help correct the problems this has caused our employees and the City.
The parties will identify in a cooperative fashion persons in need of the Employee Assistance Program both inside and outside the discipline process.
The parties agree that a strengthening of the Employee Assistance Program is essential for effective operation of that program. In order to strengthen it, the following actions must take place.
1. Additional training and education on alcoholism, drug dependency, and the Employee Assistance Program should be made available.
2. When discipline is involved, the parties will fashion discipline so that the remedy will help correct the problem as well as imposing a penalty. The City reserves the right to discipline.
3. When an employee is referred to the Employee Assistance Program as a result of the discipline process, the employee shall attend that program under threat of further discipline.
4. Reports limited to attendance, cooperation, and progress can be confidentially supplied to the employee's division head and other appropriate individuals so as to assure that treatment is completed; provided, however, that the exact nature of the problem, prognosis, and diagnosis should remain confidential. Reports shall only be provided when the employee is enrolled in the Employee Assistance Program as a result of the discipline process or when the employee consents to the submission of status reports.
5. The methods, criteria, functions, successes or failures of this program shall be re-evaluated whenever appropriate.
6. The Union and City shall form a committee of a representative from the Union, a representative from the City, and the coordinator of the Employee Assistance Program to evaluate and assist the Employee Assistance Program.