As the legalization of cannabis in Canada approaches, League Inc. has introduced a toolkit to help employers solidify their human resources policies.

The free resource, which is available on the company’s website, includes three components along with a webinar.

“Basically it includes a policy template,” says Lori Casselman, health advisor at League. “The template really provides the foundation and resources employers can use to build out their policy.”

The toolkit also includes a substance classification chart for employees. “That allows employees to quickly scan the overview and determine if a substance that they may be using represents an issue that they would need to identify or address with their HR team. And the third peace is the cannabis policy checklist,” says Casselman.

While the resources are free, League’s employer clients can also work with a representative who can walk them through the toolkit, says Casselman. “Our customer service representative can help our clients to establish their policy by really understanding what, if anything, they have in place today and then helping them to use that toolkit to ensure they have a policy that covers off cannabis use.”

League put the toolkit together because it understood many employers aren’t prepared enough for the forthcoming legalization, she adds. “So we wanted to create a simple and easy-to-use toolkit that allows them to get started in developing their policies and practices.”

Casselman feels employers and plan sponsors need to be cognizant that there aren’t any separate requirements when it comes to creating a policy.

“I think a bit of that fear of the unknown can be removed for employers in helping them to understand that this should be in line with how they’re currently treating workplace substance abuse, and then ensuring that there’s alignment and then also recognition of new treatment therapies, new medication protocols, etc. that need to be considered in those policies and practices. And also that formal communication to employees around how that’s being managed and providing them access to things like that classification chart,” she says.

“Because I think what we’ve seen, and certainly what a lot of the industry research is showing, is that HR leaders are really undereducated and in many ways are self-acknowledging that they’re underprepared for these changes,” she adds.