A staggering 54 percent of employers are interested in offering addiction support.
Yet, only 4 percent have implemented this, according to a survey by Love Your Employees.
On the other hand, 41 percent of workplaces are not interested in offering this service to their employees at all.
Counselling for addiction
The survey found that only 13 percent of employers have measures in place where employees can uptake counselling for addiction.
It also found that 26.3 percent are interested in providing this.
This means that 60.7 percent of employers are not interested in offering counselling for their workers.
Elliott Smith, co-founder of Love Your Employees says: “While it’s interesting to see how many employers are interested in offering support for addiction, it’s clear that there are measures that must be put in place, as well as the need for more employers to recognise the issue.
“Addiction is often filed in the ‘too difficult’ pile. It will need sensitivity, expertise, and braveness to a certain extent to tackle what is a common problem area. Funding in this area has been disseminated over the last 10 to 12 years, and for many there is nothing available where they live. Perhaps there are rewards to be had by offering this kind of support in the workplace.
“Helping to move those with problems from chaotic functioning towards a higher level of wellbeing and performance is in both employee and employer interests.”
What is the effect of addiction on businesses?
Not only does addiction to substances have an effect on mental health, with things like cannabis increasing the risk of depression and anxiety, but it can also cost the business itself.
UK employers face a loss of £7.3 billion annually due to a decrease in productivity resulting from the misuse of alcohol, which is just one of the many areas of addiction.
In fact, substance abuse accounts for 60 percent of poor performance in the workplace.
Smith continued: “The influence of addiction is severe, and given the impact it can have on businesses, it demonstrates how vital employees are in the workplace.
“While there is a large proportion of employers interested in offering addiction support, it’s crucial that they take action and implement the necessary measures for employees. As well as this, employers who have no interest at all must recognise the drastic effects on both the workers and the business.”
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.
