State ex rel. Cordell v. Pallet Cos., Inc. (Slip Opinion)

*484O’Neill, J.

{¶ 1} Appellee, James F. Cordell, was terminated from his employment with appellant Pallet Companies, Inc. (“Pallet”) after failing a routine drug test administered soon after a workplace accident in which he was injured. Pallet concedes that Cordell’s drug use did not cause the accident. In this appeal, we consider whether conduct prior to a workplace injury can sustain an employer’s defense of voluntary abandonment of employment and preclude temporary-total-disability (“TTD”) benefits. Cordell’s workers’ compensation claim was initially allowed for TTD compensation, but then the…