There are close to 30 million chemically dependent people in America, and the vast majority of these people retain gainful employment and contribute to society. The problem of substance abuse and addiction pervades all working environments throughout the country, and substance abusers and addicts are in general far less productive, far more likely to get injured on the job, and far more likely to require costly medical leave.
It is in everyone’s best interest to minimize the problems of substance abuse in the workplace, and since co workers and employees become our friends as much as our occupational peers, there is a personal and emotional reason for a desire to effect change; over and above the important matter of employee performance.
Companies invest considerable time and resources in the training of their employees, and although when faced with substance abuse and declining productivity these employers may be justified to terminate employment, it is often preferable to first attempt to change the behaviors of substance abuse and salvage the resources invested in that person as they also attempt to better the health and happiness of a close workplace friend or colleague.
It’s not easy, but it’s still well worth doing
If it were easy to overcome an addiction to drugs or alcohol the level of abuse would never have reached the endemic levels we currently face. No one wants to ruin their health, their family life and sink careers to the face of an addiction, but these compelling diseases often cloud our judgment and our reasoning. Few of use can beat an entrenched addiction without professional help, and far too few of us ever seek treatment help without outside pressure.
Research shoes that in the case of male abusers, employer influence is the single greatest factor of influence towards treatment. Employer pressure supersedes that of family or friends, and as such employers are in a powerful influence to effect change.
Employers wishing to intervene in the use behaviors of an employee often consider the professional intervention as a way to demonstrate concern and compassion to the problem, but also to illustrate the true harms done to the company out of the substance use and abuse, and also to make clear the repercussions of not getting treatment.
A professional intervention runs in a similar manner to a familial intervention. All colleagues that work with, under and above the employee abuser will gather in a respectful and compassioned way, to share stories of the personal and professional costs to each from the actions of the substance abusing worker. The employers will also make clear in most cases that treatment assistance is a requirement of continuing employment.
Ideally some form of treatment is pre arranged, and professional responsibilities already covered for an easy entry into needed drug or alcohol treatment.
Everyone wins
These interventions are enormously effective in convincing of a need for change and a need for treatment, and when treatment can influence a change in behaviors and a betterment of the problem, everyone emerges far ahead. The company can salvage a valued employee and in many cases friend, and the abuser benefits most of all, with a better life of sobriety.
