Can employers have employees sign a blanket release for drug and alcohol testing information?

No. An employee may not sign a blanket release for drug and alcohol testing information. A blanket release is too broad in nature and wouldn’t meet the requirements for a specific written consent. For instance, an employee is unable to agree to the release of a category of records or to a category of parties. An example of a blanket release is a new employer asking the driver to sign a release of all DOT testing information with a former employer. Another scenario that would not be allowed may be an owner-operator who is seeking employment with multiple carriers and signs a release for a consortium to release the driver’s DOT drug and alcohol records to any prospective employer (yet to be identified).