Release of Information Protocol
Issuing to Incoming or Transferring Employee
For New Employees
Upon the creation of the incoming employee’s New Hire Packet (a.k.a New Employee Packet) an Onboarding task is issued from BambooHR.
This Onboarding task includes a blank Release of Information Record, along with instructions for:
Completing the Release of Information Record electronically, including the requirement to provide a drawn signature.
Typed signatures are not currently permitted by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) regulation.
Providing the current or most recent employer’s information.
Confirming the due by date.
The Onboarding task is only issued to new employees with a Job Function Status of Safety-Sensitive.
Human Resources shall identify all employers within the past two (2) years of the incoming employee’s expected Hire Date.
This information is identified by analyzing the incoming employee’s:
Résumé; and
Employment Application.
If the incoming employee has more than one (1) employer within the last two (2) years then proceed with the additional steps. Otherwise, this concludes the tasks for this section.
If necessary, Human Resources shall prepare and submit additional Release of Information Records using the Send Signature Request feature from BambooHR.
Select Files from within the BambooHR navigation tab.
Locate and select the Release of Information Record signature template.
Select Request Signature on the right sidebar.
Enter the incoming employee’s name into the “Send a signature request to” field.
Within the “Message to Signers” paragraph field copy and paste the following:
Please take a moment to complete this additional Release of Information Record for EMPLOYERNAME; if you were employed by a staffing company for this previously stated employer please provide the staffing company’s information instead. This record shall be completed as soon as possible, but no later than the end of your Hire Date. IMPORTANT: When completing this record please use the cursor signature option. DO NOT use the typed signature option as this is not acceptable per current Department of Transportation (“DOT”) and Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) requirements (DOT 49 CFR Part 40 Section 40.25 & 40.321 and FAA 14 CFR Part 120).
Replace EMPLOYERNAME with the appropriate employer name.
Select Send Request.
Repeat these steps for each additional employer.
Should it be necessary, the sender whom submitted the Release of Information Record Signature Request may send reminders to the incoming employee to complete a record with pending status. Be aware that the following are only for Signature Requests; Onboarding items have automated reminders configured.
Select Reports from within the BambooHR navigation tab.
If this is missing you do not have authorization to use this function. Please consult with Human Resources to request access.
Select Signed Documents on the left sidebar.
Locate and select the Release of Information Record signature template.
Select the Submit Reminder icon for the appropriate request.
For desktop, hover your mouse above the appropriate request to unhide the Submit Reminder icon.
For mobile, press in the whitespace area to the right of the appropriate request to unhide the Submit Reminder icon.
For Transferring Employees
Upon the confirmation of an employee’s transfer into a position that includes a Job Function Status of Safety-Sensitive the following shall be taken:
Human Resources shall identify all employers within the past two (2) years of the employee’s expected transfer date.
This information is identified by analyzing the transferring employee’s:
Résumé; and
Employment Application.
Human Resources shall prepare and submit a Release of Information Record using the Send Signature Request feature from BambooHR.
Select Files from within the BambooHR navigation tab.
Locate and select the Release of Information Record signature template.
Select Request Signature on the right sidebar.
Enter the incoming employee’s name into the “Send a signature request to” field.
Within the “Message to Signers” paragraph field copy and paste the following:
Please take a moment to complete this additional Release of Information Record for EMPLOYERNAME; if you were employed by a staffing company for this previously stated employer please provide the staffing company’s information instead. This record shall be completed as soon as possible, but no later than the end of your Hire Date. IMPORTANT: When completing this record please use the cursor signature option. DO NOT use the typed signature option as this is not acceptable per current Department of Transportation (“DOT”) and Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) requirements (DOT 49 CFR Part 40 Section 40.25 & 40.321 and FAA 14 CFR Part 120).
Replace EMPLOYERNAME with the appropriate employer name.
Select Send Request.
Repeat these steps for each additional employer.
Should it be necessary, the sender whom submitted the Release of Information Record Signature Request may send reminders to the transferring employee to complete a record with pending status.
Select Reports from within the BambooHR navigation tab.
If this is missing you do not have authorization to use this function. Please consult with Human Resources to request access.
Select Signed Documents on the left sidebar.
Locate and select the Release of Information Record signature template.
Select the Submit Reminder icon for the appropriate request.
For desktop, hover your mouse above the appropriate request to unhide the Submit Reminder icon.
For mobile, press in the whitespace area to the right of the appropriate request to unhide the Submit Reminder icon.
Collecting from Employee
Once completed by an incoming or transferring employee (and regardless of whether an Onboarding tasks or Signature Request) you will be able to retrieve the Release of Information Record from the employee’s BambooHR profile.
Select Documents from within the employee’s navigation tab.
Depending on access level permissions you may need to hover above or tap on More to see the Documents tab.
If this is missing you do not have authorization to use this function. Please consult with Human Resources to request access.
Locate and select the employee’s Signed Documents folder.
Locate and rename the Release of Information Record.
Select the appropriate Release of Information Record.
Select Rename on the right sidebar.
Rename the Release of Information Record using the following format
YYYYMMDD Release of Information Record Returned - EMPLOYERNAME
Replace EMPLOYERNAME with the appropriate employer name.
Select the gear icon for the Release of Information Record.
For desktop, hover mouse above the appropriate request to unhide the gear icon.
For mobile, press in the whitespace area to the right of the appropriate request to unhide the gear icon.
Move Release of Information Record to Drug & Alcohol Records folder.
Currently not available on mobile devices.
Submitting to Current/Previous Employer
Locate and select the employee’s BambooHR profile.
Select Documents tab from within the employee’s navigation tab.
Depending on access level permissions you may need to hover above or select More tab to see the Documents tab.
If this is missing you do not have authorization to use this function. Please consult with Human Resources to request access.
Locate and download appropriate Release of Information Record(s).
DO NOT print directly from BambooHR as the web address, among other things, will be printed in the header and/or footer sections.
Verify the accuracy of the incoming/transferring employee’s current or previous employer contact information.
You can verify the current or previous employer’s contact information through many sources, including:
The current or previous employer’s website.
Search engine results.
Viewing Release of Information Record submission and/or received history for other employees.
Prepare and Submit Release of Information Record.
Mail
Gather a windowless envelope.
Print the incoming/transferring employee’s current or previous employer’s name, attention to, and address on the envelope.
If name not provided for the current or previous employer’s Designated Employer Representative (DER) or Human Resources Representative, or if previous contact information did not matchup when verifying, use:
Attention: DOT Drug Abatement DER or HR Representative
Print and place the following into the envelope:
Release of Information Record (downloaded in step 3).
Release of Information Letter - Attempt 1/2/3 (located within BambooHR Files tab.)
Seal, stamp, and mail envelope.
Email
Due to individual privacy and unattended policy deviation concerns the Company does not currently permit Release of Information Records to be initially submitted via email.
Fax
Due to individual privacy and unattended policy deviation concerns the Company does not currently permit Release of Information Records to be initially submitted via fax.
No Response is Received
After two (2) weeks, BambooHR will automatically issue a reminder notice, via email, to appropriate Company employees to resubmit an additional Release of Information Record to the incoming/transferring employee’s current/previous employer. If an adequate response to the Release of Information Record has been returned from the current/previous employer then this reminder is dismissed. If an adequate response to the Release of Information Record has not been returned from the current/previous employer then resubmit a Release of Information Record using the same steps listed above in this section.
After making three (3) attempts in writing to connect with an incoming/transferring employee’s current or previous employer, and when each attempt has been made two (2) weeks apart, the following task shall be conducted:
Discontinue good-faith effort in attempting to reach out to the current/previous employer.
No further updates will be added to the Submitted Release of Information table for the current/previous employer.
Business Closed
If it has been determined by Human Resources that the incoming/transferring employee’s previous employer appears to have permanently closed the following tasks shall be conducted:
Add “Business Closed” to the incoming/transferring employee’s Submitted Release of Information table’s Comment field for the appropriate current/previous employer.
Discontinue the Company’s good-faith effort in attempting to reach out to the incoming/transferring employee’s previous employer upon determining the employer’s status.
Determination of a closed business can include a combination of:
Mail sent by the Company returned to sender;
Email failure returned notices;
Fax failed to be received notices; and/or
Phone line(s) disconnected.
Responding to New Employer
Upon receiving a request to provide information for drug and/or alcohol test results on a current/previous employee the Company’s Designated Employer Representative shall promptly review the employee’s drug and alcohol records and complete the written request.
Locate and select the employee’s BambooHR profile.
Select the DOT Drug & Alcohol tab from within the employee’s navigation tab.
Depending on access level permissions you may need to hover above or select the More tab to see the DOT Drug & Alcohol tab.
If this is missing you do not have authorization to use this function. Please consult with Human Resources to request access.
Locate “Drug or Alcohol Violation(s) While Employed” checkbox.
If box is unchecked, answer no to the following questions (actual questions from the employer may vary, but should have similarities):
Did the employee have a positive alcohol test(s) with a result of 0.04 or higher?
Did the employee have a verified positive drug test(s)?
Did the employee ever refuse to be tested for alcohol and/or drugs?
Did the employee have other violations with DOT agency drug and alcohol testing regulations?
If the box is checked:
Select Documents tab from within the employee’s navigation tab.
Depending on access level permissions you may need to hover above or select More tab to see the Documents tab.
If this is missing you do not have authorization to use this function. Please consult with Human Resources to request access.
Locate and select Drug & Alcohol Records folder.
Identify and review documentation confirming violation(s).
Answer yes to the following questions appropriately (actual questions from the employer may vary, but should be similar):
Did the employee have a positive alcohol test(s) with a result of 0.04 or higher?
Breath Alcohol Test (BAT) result(s) indicate positive result.
Did the employee have a verified positive drug test(s)?
Drug test result(s) indicate positive result or Medical Review Officer (MRO) verifies presence of illegal drug in report(s).
Did the employee ever refuse to be tested for alcohol and/or drugs?
Breath Alcohol Test (BAT) and/or drug test result(s) indicate refused.
Did the employee have other violations with DOT agency drug and alcohol testing regulations?
Other records indicating a DOT Drug and/or Alcohol violation.
Locate “Drug or Alcohol Violation(s) Prior to Employment” checkbox.
If box is unchecked, answer no to the following question (actual question from the employer may vary, but should be similar):
Did a previous employer or the employee report a drug and alcohol rule violation?
If the box is checked:
Select Documents tab from within the employee’s navigation tab.
Depending on access level permissions you may need to hover above or select More tab to see the Documents tab.
If this is missing you do not have authorization to use this function. Please consult with Human Resources to request access.
Locate and select Drug & Alcohol Records folder.
Identify and review records confirming violation(s).
Answer yes to the following question appropriately (actual question from the employer may vary, but should be similar):
Did a previous employer or the employee report a drug and alcohol rule violation?
Release of Information request(s) indicates violation.
Upload File
Once the requested information has been provided, any authorized personnel may proceed with the following steps in this section:
Scan the new employer’s form to your electronic device.
Name this file with the following format YYYYMMDD New Employer Release of Information - EMPLOYERNAME.
EMPLOYERNAME shall be changed to reflect name of new employer.
Locate and select the employee’s profile.
Select Documents tab from within the employee’s navigation tab.
Depending on access level permissions you may need to hover above or select the More tab to see the Documents tab.
If this is missing you do not have authorization to use this function. Please consult with Human Resources to request access.
Select the employee’s Drug and Alcohol Records folder.
Select Upload.
Drag the appropriate file into the popup window or search for the file using the Choose File(s) button.
Confirm the scanned file is to be uploaded into the Drug and Alcohol Records folder.
Select (check) the “Share these File(s) with the Employee “checkbox.
For rehiring purposes…
Select upload and confirm file is now within the employee’s Drug and Alcohol Records folder.
Returning Information to New Employer
With the requested information being provided and once an electronic copy has been uploaded into the employee’s profile on BambooHR, any authorized personnel can now submit the form back to the new employer:
Return the requested information to the new employer as instructed:
Mail
Gather a windowless envelope.
Print the current/previous employee’s new employer name, attention to, and address on the envelope.
If name not provided for the new employer’s Designated Employer Representative or Human Resources Representative, use “Attention: FAA Drug Abatement DER or Human Resources Representative”.
Collect and place the following into the envelope:
Original new employer’s form.
Seal, stamp, and mail envelope.
Email
Create a new email on electronic device.
Send to the email address identified by the new employer’s instructions (if available).
Locate and attach the new employer’s form that was scanned to electronic device in step one of the Upload File section.
CRITICAL - CONFIRM SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER IS NOT ON FORM. WHITE OUT OR FULLY MARK OUT THE SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER AND RESCAN THE FILE BEFORE SENDING VIA EMAIL.
Submit email.
Fax
Collect the original new employer’s form.
CRITICAL - CONFIRM SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER IS NOT ON FORM. WHITE OUT OR FULLY MARK OUT THE SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER BEFORE SENDING VIA FAX.
Send fax.
Verify all pages are scanned and that they are successfully sent.
Cancel or repeat fax submission as needed if problems exist; attempt another method if problems persist.
DO NOT WALK AWAY FROM FAX MACHINE UNTIL SUBMISSION IS COMPLETED.
Any original or hard copy versions of the new employer’s forms or documentation shall be shredded once completely processed.
Documenting
For Submitted Release of Information Record
Upon submitting a Release of Information Record to an employer Human Resources shall document this transmission within the Company’s Human Resources Information System (HRIS), BambooHR.
Locate and select the employee’s profile.
Select DOT Drug & Alcohol from within the employee’s navigation tab.
Depending on access level permissions you may need to hover above or tap on More to see the DOT Drug & Alcohol tab.
If this is missing you do not have authorization to use this function. Please consult with Human Resources to request access.
Locate the Submitted Release of Information Records table.
Select the +Add Submitted Release of Information Records link on the top-right corner of the table.
Complete or update the following fields and save:
Company Name
Enter the current or previous employer’s Company name.
Submission Type
Email - Select if Release of Information Record was emailed to employer.
Fax - Select if Release of Information Record was faxed to employer.
Mail - Select if Release of Information Record was mailed to employer.
Attempt #1
Date you submitted the Release of Information Record to the current or previous employer for the first time.
Attempt #2
Date you submitted the Release of Information Record to the current or previous employer for the second time.
Attempt #3
Date you submitted the Release of Information Record to the current or previous employer for the third, and final, time.
For Submitted Release of Information Record with a Response
Locate and select the employee’s profile.
Select DOT Drug & Alcohol from within the employee’s navigation tab.
Depending on access level permissions you may need to hover above or tap on More to see the DOT Drug & Alcohol tab.
If this is missing you do not have authorization to use this function. Please consult with Human Resources to request access.
Locate the Submitted Release of Information Records table.
Locate the appropriate Release of Information Record.
Select the pencil icon for the appropriate Release of Information Record entry.
For desktop, hover mouse above the appropriate request to unhide the pencil icon.
For mobile, press in the whitespace area to the right of the the appropriate request to unhide the pencil icon.
Complete the following fields and save:
Returned Date
Date you received the returned Release of Information Record from the employer.
DOT
Yes - Select if the incoming or transferring employee is identified by the previous employer to have completed safety-sensitive functions.
No - Select if the incoming or transferring employee is identified by the previous employer to have completed safety-sensitive functions.
Violation
Yes - Select if the incoming or transferring employee had a reported drug and/or alcohol violation on Release of Information Record.
No - Select if the incoming or transferring employee did not have a reported drug and/or alcohol violation on Release of Information Record.
DER Verified (edit access only available to the active drug abatement program’s Designated Employer Representative)
Yes - Checked when the Designated Employer Representative (DER) has approved the entities on the Submitted Release of Information table and the retuned Release of Information Record, if available.
No - Unchecked when the Designated Employer Representative (DER) has yet to approved the entities on the Submitted Release of Information table and the retuned Release of Information Record, if available.
For Received Release of Information Record
Upon completing a Release of Information Record for a new employer Human Resources shall document this transmission within the Company’s Human Resources Information System (HRIS), BambooHR.
Locate and select the employee’s profile.
Select DOT Drug & Alcohol from within the employee’s navigation tab.
Depending on access level permissions you may need to hover above or tap on More to see the DOT Drug & Alcohol tab.
If this is missing you do not have authorization to use this function. Please consult with Human Resources to request access.
Locate the Received Release of Information Records table.
Select the +Add Submitted Release of Information Records link on the top-right corner of the table.
Complete the following fields and save:
Company Name
Enter the current or previous employer’s Company name.
Received Type
Email - Select if Release of Information Record was emailed from the new employer.
Fax - Select if Release of Information Record was faxed from the new employer.
Mail - Select if Release of Information Record was mailed from the new employer.
Received Date
Date you received the Release of Information Record from the new employer.
Submitted Date
Date you submitted the Release of Information Record to the new employer.
Comment (Optional)
If a drug/alcohol violation was identified on the Release of Information Record, you shall document the questions that were answered with “yes”.