Off-premises cannabis consumption and the workplace: Striking a balance between zero-tolerance policies and employee rights. An analysis of Enever v Barloworld

South African labour law recognises both employers’ rights to discipline and employees’ rights to fair labour practices. While the Labour Relations Act (‘LRA’), the Constitution and the Employment Equity Act prohibit unfair discrimination and guarantee fair dismissals, employers may implement workplace safety rules, including zero-tolerance drug policies. Following Prince v Minister of Justice (2018), which decriminalised private cannabis use, disputes have arisen over employees’ dismissal for positive tests. In Enever v Barloworld (2024), a category analyst was dismissed under her employer’s zero-tolerance policy after repeatedly testing positive for cannabis used privately for health and religious reasons. The Labour Court upheld the dismissal, emphasising workplace safety. However, the Labour Appeal Court overturned it, finding the dismissal to be automatically unfair and discriminatory under s 187(1)(f ) of the LRA, as it impaired the employee’s dignity and failed to distinguish between workplace safety risks and private use. This article argues that employers must reassess zero-tolerance cannabis policies to account for job requirements, fairness and constitutional rights, to balance workplace discipline with employee rights in an appropriate way.