We need to talk about alcohol addiction in the workplace

More and more of us are talking about mental and emotional health in the workplace, but sadly few of us are openly talking about addiction.

Drug and alcohol misuse are significant issues in society, and therefore also for UK workplaces and with many wellbeing risk factors, such as social isolation and financial pressures, being heightened by the Covid19 pandemic, it’s more important than every for us to engage with the issue.

Exactly how bad is the problem?

Looking to the workplace, an impact assessment paper on minimum pricing discovered the UK economy loses £21 billion to alcohol abuse and £15 billion to drug abuse each year, and employers lose about £7.3 billion yearly due to lack of productivity as a result of the misuse of alcohol. 

An estimated 24 per cent of workers have drunk alcohol during work hours at least once in the past year and 15 per cent of workers are occasionally drunk at work.

When interviewed, one in every 10 small business employers disclosed that they had experienced an employee under the effect of drugs during work hours. A little over 33 per cent of employees admitted to having resumed work with a hangover; with 83 per cent of hung-over workers admitting that the hangover affected their performance at work.

There is also evidence that people in certain professions and occupations are likely to drink more, with a British Medical Association (BMA) survey showing that, on average, those in professional or managerial roles drink more than those in manual occupations.

Alcohol also continues to be the leading risk factor for ill-health, early mortality and disability across all age groups in the UK

Jason Baker is the CEO of Citrus Ornge, a Brighton-based marketing, tech and publishing company which specialises in creating opportunities for those recovering from addiction and it sits right.

He says it’s important that businesses don’t shy away from difficult conversations and wants workplaces to normalise talking about the issues surrounding addiction and support those in recovery.

Mr Baker said “The challenge of addiction changed my life and I know how difficult it is to get your life back together while in recovery. I’m concerned that addiction is a silent issue in the workplace. It should be a topic that is openly discussed in-line with the movement towards mental health first aid in the modern workplace.

“I strongly believe that employment is a crucial part of recovery and it helps in so many ways. I want all employers to take this issue seriously and commit to including addiction issues as part of the move towards mental health first aid in today’s modern workplace.”

So what should we be doing to address addiction in the workplace?

Shifting the cultural norms associated with addiction and recovery opens up a safe space for those who may be too scared to either approach a colleague about their own personal concerns around their drinking or even ‘come out’ as a recovering addict within the workplace.

By creating a space to talk more freely about alcohol addiction we enable people to build their confidence and ability to help improve their own drinking behaviours.

Addressing addiction more freely in the workplace gets people to talk more openly about balancing the spectrum of drinking cultures that sit within our society.

Ali Hannon, a Brighton-based Diversity and Inclusion speaker, trainer and activist, explains: “Getting people talking about subjects like these saves lives. Many leaders don’t know where to even begin with these conversations, though.

“Those living with addiction face several obstacles in the workplace and creating inclusive cultures means getting to grips with the reality of addiction. As someone who grew up around addiction, I know that talking about it is the first step to breaking patterns of behaviour.”

How do we approach those conversations?

When confronted with evidence of drug or alcohol misuse, it can be difficult for people to admit that they have a problem, or that their misuse is out of control.

To help achieve a favourable scenario where the employee seeks appropriate treatment they will need to be assured that per company policy, their drug or alcohol problem will be treated as a health issue as much as is possible rather than as a cause for immediate dismissal.

Thinking about the language we use is important, and avoiding terms that label or blame people.

Stigma can, and often should, be challenged - one major study in the USA found that people with alcohol dependency were more than 60% less likely to seek treatment if they believed they would be stigmatised. Talking openly about alcohol may help to breakdown stereotypes and lead to more empathy and less discrimination.

Leadship coach Kelly Campbell explains: “Vulnerable conversations require psychological safety within organisations.

“That starts at the top; If leaders both embrace and demonstrate the new hallmarks of effective leadership—self-awareness, vulnerability, curiosity, connection and compassionate empathy—then those characteristics become the cultural norm.

“In practice, this could mean making vulnerability a core value of the organisation, investing in conscious communication coaching and/or trauma informed training for all employees, and even hiring speakers to share their personal stories. The authentic message must be: Come as you are. Here, we take care of one another."

"Employees will only begin to feel comfortable to share their struggles and ask for help if the environment makes them feel safe, seen, valued, respected and a sense of belonging.

“Addiction, anxiety and depression are all on the rise since 2020, which is no surprise as we're all dealing with a tremendous amount on our plates. As conscious leaders though, we have a responsibility to ensure that those under our stewardship feel well-supported. That's how we ensure the entire eco-system is set up for success. Not only is it the right thing to do from a human perspective, it's also good for business. Win-win."