Has your employer or prospective employer in New Jersey asked you to take a drug test? Federal law places few limits on employer drug testing: Although the federal government requires testing by employers in a few safety-sensitive industries (including transportation, aviation, and contractors with NASA and the Department of Defense), federal law doesn't otherwise require – or prohibit drug tests. For the most part, state and local laws determine whether an employer may test employees and applicants for drugs.
Although many states have passed laws regulating or restricting an employer's right to require drug testing, New Jersey has not. New Jersey legislation does not address drug testing in private employment.
The Supreme Court of New Jersey has ruled on drug testing in private employment. In Hennessey v. Coastal Eagle Point Oil Co., the Court found that the validity of an employer's policy of random drug testing had to be weighed on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the employee's job responsibilities. In that case, the employee was fired for failing a random drug test and sued for wrongful termination in violation of public policy. The Court ruled against the employee, finding that his job posed a significant risk to public safety and, therefore, that the employer's interest outweighed the employee's right to privacy.
Because New Jersey law puts very few limits on workplace drug testing, employees who believe their test was illegal will have to rely on other legal theories. For example, an employer may run into legal trouble based on who is tested or how the test is conducted. Here are some examples: