Marlo v. Dir., Ohio Dept. of Job & Family Servs.

**What Happened** A Department of Transportation employee named Marlo was fired after refusing to take a required drug test. When Marlo applied for unemployment benefits, the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services denied the claim, saying he was fired "for just cause." During the drug testing process, Marlo's urine sample was outside the acceptable temperature range and he failed to provide enough specimen for testing. Federal regulations require transportation workers to submit to drug tests when requested by their employers. **What the Court Decided** The court sided with the state agency and upheld the denial of unemployment benefits. The court ruled that Marlo was indeed fired for just cause because he refused to comply with mandatory drug testing requirements that are legally required for transportation workers under federal safety regulations. **What This Means for Workers** This case shows that workers in safety-sensitive jobs, especially transportation, must comply with required drug testing or risk losing both their job and unemployment benefits. If your job requires drug testing under federal regulations, refusing to take the test can be considered "just cause" for firing, which typically disqualifies you from receiving unemployment compensation. Workers should understand their industry's testing requirements before refusing to participate.