employee addiction Archives - Drink and Drugs News

Photo by Israel Andrade on Unsplash Delphi Medical outlines why it's important for employers to offer treatment support to employees struggling with addiction. If you are an HR professional or have any input in the welfare of the people in your business, here are two facts to be aware of: • A YouGov poll indicates a 30% increase in ‘problem drinking’ in just 12 months • Alcohol-related deaths are at a 20 year high, whilst drug related deaths are at a 25 year high*… …and that’s before the full impact of the pandemic is felt. As a responsible employer who aims to keep good people, what can you do to help an employee who is struggling with an addiction? And why should you do it? Three reasons to provide addiction treatment for an employee; It’s a better use of your time and money Three points here: • It’s cheaper to get treatment for an employee than it is to lose them, then recruit and train a replacement • An employee who is underperforming due to an addiction can cost you time and money if unaddressed • Your time and money is spent more wisely investing in someone you know (and who knows you) rather than having an employment gap for an undefined period of time and then having to invest yet more time to get them up to speed. It says a lot about you as an employer Not that you’d shout about individual cases, but knowing the lengths you are prepared to go to help them must be a motivator and an incentive for staff. Addiction is officially classified as an illness, with the NHS website saying ‘If you need treatment for drug addiction, you’re entitled to NHS care in the same way as anyone else who has a health problem’. So if you offer any other health and wellbeing services to your teams, should you not also offer addiction treatment for those that need it? It’s the next big thing to impact the world of work Addiction is increasing and therefore it’s become increasingly likely that someone you employ will need help. Numerous surveys and reports are showing that the Covid pandemic has seen a large increase in the misuse of drink and drugs. For example, in February 2020 the NSPCC reported a 70% increase in the number of children needing help due to their parent’s addictions and misuse. Similarly, the BBC reported an increase in depression rates directly linked to increased alcohol consumption during lockdowns. With addiction becoming more and more prevalent, it is a potential health crisis that will have an impact on your business. Read the full blog post here. DDN magazine is a free publication self-funded through advertising. We are proud to work in partnership with many of the leading charities and treatment providers in the sector. This content was created by Delphi Medical

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Three reasons to provide addiction treatment to an employee