Employee May Be Fired for Prescription Drug Intoxication at Work

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An employee who was intoxicated on a new prescription drug could be terminated for violating the company’s drug and alcohol policy, according to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

In Caporicci v. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc., the employee, who suffered from bipolar disorder, notified her manager that she was changing medications. Her work performance was admittedly affected by her medications, and she was subsequently terminated for being intoxicated at work in violation of company policy. The court found that this was a legitimate reason for her termination and not a pretext for discrimination against her disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act and state disability law.