Social Security Act 2018

Enforcement: sanctions and offences - Sanctions for breach of obligations other than young person or young parent obligations - Evidential drug test

258: Effect of request for evidential drug test

You could also call this:

“What happens when you ask for a second drug test after failing the first one”

If you ask for an evidential drug test that follows the rules in [section 257(2)], a few things happen until MSD (Ministry of Social Development) gets the test result:

  1. Any punishment you got for failing the earlier screening test is put on hold.

  2. Any failure based on you not passing the earlier screening test is also put on hold.

  3. You don’t have to pay for the costs of your earlier screening test that your employer got paid back for.

If you ask for an evidential drug test but don’t follow the rules in [section 257(2)], MSD can give you the punishment as if you didn’t ask for the test at all.

Remember, if you fail a screening test and choose not to take an evidential drug test, it’s the same as failing the evidential drug test.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM6783673.

Topics:
Work and jobs > Worker rights
Health and wellbeing > Public health

Previous

257: Request for evidential drug test if sanction imposed for failing screening drug test, or

“You can ask for a second drug test if you get in trouble for failing the first one”


Next

259: Effect of failure of evidential drug test, or

“What happens if you fail a drug test for work requirements”

Part 5 Enforcement: sanctions and offences
Sanctions for breach of obligations other than young person or young parent obligations: Evidential drug test

258Effect of request for evidential drug test

  1. A request by a person (P) for an evidential drug test that complies with the requirements set out in section 257(2) has the following effect until the result of the test is notified to MSD:

  2. any sanction imposed on P under section 232 for failing the associated prior screening drug test is suspended:
    1. any failure for the purposes of sections 240(1) and 262 based on P failing the associated prior screening drug test is suspended:
      1. P is not liable under section 260 for the actual and reasonable costs (if any) of P's associated prior screening drug test that have been reimbursed to the employer under section 151.
        1. If a request for an evidential drug test does not comply with the requirements set out in section 257(2), MSD may proceed to impose the appropriate sanction as if the request had not been made.

        2. This section is subject to section 149(1) (which provides that a person is taken to have failed an evidential drug test requested under section 257 if the person fails a screening test and waives an associated evidential drug test).

        Compare