An alcoholic drink with your business lunch could get you fired if Maryland Bill 299 becomes law. It would permit your employer to force you to take a breathalyzer test at any time during the work day. Under the bill, employees would be in violation if their breath test estimated a blood alcohol level or concentration (BAC) of .02; the legal limit for driving is .08.
But some legislators are concerned about possible misuse of the legislation. Ann Doory says that a person who has had a sip of alcohol at a retirement party could suffer retaliation.
There are also other potential problems with the bill: the impact of mouthwash, the fact that everyone produces alcohol within their bodies 24/7 (endogenous ethanol production), as well as the documented unreliability of alcohol breath tests.
Filed Under: Legal