BUSINESS: The Ultimate Resource™ April 2003 Upgrade #7 © Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2003 ACTIONLIST Managing Addictive Behavior in the Workplace Getting Started Drug and alcohol abuse has been a workplace issue for decades, and employers are increasingly taking action to address its costs in terms of employees’ health and productivity. • In 1998, the most recent year for which such statistics are available online, the U.S. Government estimates that the cost of alcohol and drug abuse was $185 billion. • Of that figure, $134.2 billion (70%) is the estimated cost due to “loss of productivity,” that is, fr om loss of business and wag es due to substanc e abusers. • Almost 40% of the cost is borne by government (20% by the U.S. Government, 18% by states—mainly through loss of tax revenue). • About 45% of the cost is borne by the families of the alcohol and drug abuser themselves, and the cost is largely due to lost wages. • Of the three major treatment types (all with similar outcomes) the one costing the least is “motivational enhancement therapy,” in which the employee’s own motivation—together with outside resources—brings about the personal change. • In response to the immense impact costs and the emergence of relevant federal laws in the past 10 years, there has been an explosion of Employee Assistance Programs in U.S. businesses. FAQs A member of my team is performing poorly. This is uncharacteristic and I suspect there may be an issue wi th excessive drinking. What should I do? Meet with this person to share your observations about his or her performance. Do not mention your suspicions at this stage; give the person an opportunity to allay your fears without becoming defensive. You might explore possible work-related causes to see whether you can elicit an explanation that puts your mind at rest. Failing this you may want to discuss the organization’s alcohol policy (see next question) and, if it has one, its employee assistance program, and offer further assistance. What is the most effective way of dealing with alcohol ab use at work? If none exists, you might consider drawing up a substance abuse policy and procedures to provid e clear guidelines for dealing with alcohol an d/or drug abuse at work. Having such a policy can help assure those with alcohol problems that they will
