How to help your employee fight drug addiction

The drastic effects of the global drug addiction epidemic on workplaces belonging to various industries has called upon for immediate measures that need to be put in place in order to stop the phenomenon in its footsteps. Drug addiction is a disease that not only destroys the lives of those affected, but also impacts the businesses and workplaces.

While it might sound easier to terminate the job of your drug addict employee, that would mean wasting a valuable team member who understands your company and its processes. Here’s what you can do to help your employee fight drug addiction:

Opt For Intensive Outpatient Programs

Terminating the employment of someone with addiction at such a low point in their life can have devastating effects on their already deteriorating mental condition. Opting for better measures such as the Intensive Outpatient Programs can potentially save their life and help you retain a valuable team member.

An IOP provides your employees with the much needed opportunity to maintain their responsibilities at job while receiving appropriate treatment for drug rehab. Such treatment programs are designed to help the addicts in learning how to cope with relapse while addressing other underlying issues of their addiction, such as their mental health problems through cognitive behavior therapies. You as their employer can help them by providing enough flexibility to maintain the rehab while working as well as provide them financial backing to help enroll in such programs.

Establish Clear Policies Against Substance Use

It’s not necessary that your employee has a history of being an addict before joining your company. Drug tests at workplaces are becoming frequent because of constant pressure at work or home that enables your employee to start drinking more and subsequently become addicted to it. Employers should therefore ensure that the policies of the workplace are strict enough to prevent such a situation from happening.

What you need to do is put strict policies in place, endorse them in writing and then put them up at a place where your employees can read them, agree to them and take on the responsibility to help you in maintaining a drug free environment. There should also be policies put in place for the employees who have a history of drug abuse, where their routines should be examined and progress documented. Make sure that the employee handbook which you hand over to your employees upon recruitment mentions the appropriate policies your workplace has made to fight drug abuse.

Moreover, periodic screenings and drug testing can help your employees maintain a sober environment.

Hold Workshops For Drug Addiction Awareness

Even more important is the need to ensure that no colleague nor employer ever enables the addicts by making excuses for their behavior or helping counsel them in the wrong manner. In order to help each and every individual realize their responsibility in dealing with their addict colleagues, whether or not they are their friends or relatives, workshops and seminars should be duly conducted. The more educated your employees are, the better suited they shall be to handle such a situation when the need arises.

Seminar and workshops also help educate those going through a difficult time to not look towards substance abuse as a way out. Through the seminars, you can put these people in touch with those who can help them deal with their problems in a better manner.  The more people know about the inevitable consequences of their actions, the less they shall be inclined to choose it for themselves.

Recognize And Identify The Addict

Employees who suffer from drug abuse are less likely to perform well at work. Drug abuse causes the addicts to become short tempered and argumentative, which is why they are not only less likely to stick to a single job but also adopt strained work relationships with their coworkers and employers. Addiction also negatively impacts employees’ overall work performance, making them less likely to deliver on time and up to a certain mark. You might even find such workers sleeping at work and avoiding contact with anyone.

Moreover, the telltale signs of an addict also include the smell of alcohol on them that you can recognize from afar as well as bloodshot eyes and slurring speech that is hard not to notice.

Your workplace can only be successful if you improve the lifestyle of your employees which resonate with your company. And in order to do exactly that, you need to show them the care and appreciation they deserve, in their low as well as high times. If and when you find any employee fighting their battle against substance abuse, make sure to help them win by equipping them with the right tools and motivating them to become a better version of themselves.