Employers have to oversee many different areas within business. Things like logistics, finances and HR may be the first words that spring to mind, but the role of an employer goes far beyond this. But how far do an employer’s responsibilities actually go? In this article, we’re going to discuss an employer’s role in addiction battles.
While an employer isn’t directly responsible for their employees’ lives outside of the workplace, it can benefit businesses if they put time into caring for their staff’s wellbeing. If an employee is fighting an addiction battle outside of work, it’s highly likely that this will impact their performance during work hours. Obviously, addiction can come in many different shapes and sizes, and the type of addiction will determine the type of support an individual needs.
Below, we’ve listed some of the most common ways in which employers can help their employees with addiction battles.
Education
The obvious starting point when it comes to helping your employers with addiction is education. Like most things, education is key when it comes to preventing addictions in the first place. Most employers don’t offer education around things like drug and alcohol addiction, but when you consider how much it can impact an individual’s life, it may be worthwhile trying to prevent addiction issues from arising in the first place.
As anyone with an addiction battle will tell you, once an addiction starts then it can very quickly snowball and become hard to control. As an employer, you’ll likely see a decrease in performance and morale of an employee as soon as they begin to battle an addiction.
If you’re concerned that you don’t have the knowledge as a business to offer education around addiction, you’re not alone. But fortunately, there are many third parties that can handle this on behalf of your business. Also, remember that employees aren’t expecting you to be a trained therapist, and simply offering some form of education means you are doing more than most!
Inclusive Culture
Culture is a word that’s thrown about a lot in modern day business, and companies now put a lot more time and effort into developing a positive workplace culture. But what actually makes a culture positive? To many, a culture that caters to and includes everyone is a positive one. In the case of addiction, this means not excluding anyone who is suffering from a certain addiction.
For example, how many of your work social activities involve alcohol? If it’s the majority, have you considered how this impacts employees who have fought or are fighting alcohol addiction? Individuals who have a difficult relationship with alcohol may feel excluded if they are constantly not being accounted for.
Clear Policies
It’s also important to have clear policies in the workplace. One of the most common addictions is tobacco; data indicates that 1 in 5 adults has a tobacco addiction, but there aren’t clear laws and policies around this. For example, a UK business is not legally required to provide a smoking area, so it’s easy to see why the lines can become blurred.
As a business, outline a clear approach to your team. This is particularly important when supporting employees with tobacco addictions. While you can offer education and support to help them beat their addiction, it’s also important to outline the business’s approach to smoking areas, smoking breaks and cigarette alternatives such as vapes and nicopods.
Financial Support
Whilst it certainly isn’t an employer’s responsibility to fund addiction battles, this doesn’t mean offering financial support is off the table. And it doesn’t need to come in the form of simply handing them money.
Financial support could include paying for courses or even paying for a member to become trained in substance misuse so they can provide informed internal support. It’s also worth pointing out that employees may feel uncomfortable discussing potential issues with a fellow colleague, so paying for an external provider of HR services may be more beneficial to employees.
Even small financial gestures, such as paying for time off to attend recovery meetings or medical appointments, can go a long way to supporting employees with their battles against certain addictions.
Final Thoughts
Don’t assume that your employees’ lives outside of work won’t impact them inside of work. It’s completely naive to think that battles outside of work just disappear as soon as the working day commences. But it’s also important to understand that taking the time to support staff with any battles can have a positive impact on their performance at work. While the solutions above offer a strong starting point for those looking to support staff with addictions, it’s vital that you get to know staff on a personal level if you want to offer the best support.
Reblog It collaborates closely with clients to develop tailored guest posting strategies that align with their unique goals and target audiences. Their commitment to delivering high-quality, niche-specific content ensures that each guest post not only meets but exceeds the expectations of both clients and the hosting platforms. Connect with us on social media for the latest updates on guest posting trends, outreach strategies, and digital marketing tips. For any types of guest posting services, contact us on reblogit.webmail[at]gmail.com.