RESEARCH / VERSION 1.1 / 16 OCTOBER 2026
West Lothian Council
Combines a misconduct-led approach with a recovery programme and conditional paid treatment time.
| Field | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Reference period | 2019-04-23 |
| Coverage | Scotland |
| Status | Published document examined; internal operation unconfirmed |
| Source-check date | 2026-10-14 |
| Document | West Lothian Council — Policy on the Misuse of Alcohol, Drugs and Other Substances |
| Confidentiality | Presence: explicit; conditions: condition or scope recorded. Necessary information shared with managers; policy also provides for police reporting. [Source: 8.1] |
| Voluntary disclosure | Presence: explicit; conditions: condition or scope recorded. Disclosure unprompted by testing or misconduct should not trigger disciplinary action. [Source: 7.21] |
| Treatment leave | Presence: explicit; conditions: condition or scope recorded. Paid recovery-programme time after Occupational Health confirms dependency. [Source: 6.1–6.3] |
| Relapse | Presence: explicit; conditions: condition or scope recorded. Further support at manager discretion; formal action remains possible. [Source: 6.5] |
| Return to work | Presence: explicit; conditions: condition or scope recorded. Return to substantive role unless fitness or safety prevents it; redeployment process available. [Source: 6.6–6.8] |
| Impairment and safety | Presence: explicit; conditions: not separately assessed. Recognises dependency support within a policy treating misuse primarily as misconduct. [Source: 1.3; 5.2–5.6] |
| Occupational health | Presence: explicit; conditions: not separately assessed. Occupational Health confirms dependency and advises support and return. [Source: 6; 7.20–7.21] |
| Treatment-time routes | treatment time |
| Treatment pay | explicit paid time — Paid recovery-programme time after Occupational Health confirms dependency. |
| Treatment-pay check scope | Paid treatment-time statement only; other fields retain original source-check date. |
| Currency | Public availability does not confirm that this is the current operative HR policy. |
Presence and conditions
| Provision | Presence | Conditions / scope |
|---|---|---|
| confidentiality | explicit | Necessary information shared with managers; policy also provides for police reporting. |
| voluntary disclosure | explicit | Disclosure unprompted by testing or misconduct should not trigger disciplinary action. |
| treatment leave | explicit | Paid recovery-programme time after Occupational Health confirms dependency. |
| relapse | explicit | Further support at manager discretion; formal action remains possible. |
| return to work | explicit | Return to substantive role unless fitness or safety prevents it; redeployment process available. |
| impairment safety | explicit | not separately assessed |
| occupational health | explicit | not separately assessed |
Interpretation limits
Published document approved April 2019; replacement status not confirmed. Employer statements about legal duties are not independently endorsed.
Sources
- Policy on the Misuse of Alcohol, Drugs and Other Substances — See provision-level section locators.
Cite this record
Civil Liberties Action (2026). Recovery at work: West Lothian Council. Record wp-west-lothian, version 1.1, 2026-10-16. https://cla-political-finance.copperchime4.chatgpt.site/databases/releases/2026-10-16-v1.1/records/workplace/wp-west-lothian.html
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