Addiction in the Workplace

Disclaimer

• During this presentation different aspects of drug addiction and/or alcoholism will be discussed. Both legal and medical aspects of addiction will be presented with the purpose of educating and reducing harm to both the company and individual from addiction however....

• Nothing stated during this presentation should be though of as medical or legal advice. If you have medical or legal concerns about a situation please consult a doctor or lawyer.

Learning outcomesAt the end of this presentation you will:• #1. Understand some indicators of an addicted employee-warning signs.

• #2. Have some strategies to manage addiction in the workplace.

• #3.Have an opportunity to speak with an alcoholic/addict in recovery who will answer your questions about addiction

• #4. Have resource to call for further help or education

•Your Industry and Addiction

• Illicit Drug Use Among Full-Time Workers Trends by

• Major Occupation/Industry Code: 2002-2004

• Occupation /Industry % Illicit Drug Use

• Food Services and Preparation 16.9

• Construction 13.7

• Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 11.6

• Information 11.3

• Management of Companies, Admin, Services 10.9

• Retail Trade 9.4

• Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 8.0

• Mining 7.3

• Transportation and Warehousing 6.2

• Health Care and Social Assistance 6.1

• Educational Services 4.0

• Utilities 3.8

Past Month Heavy Alcohol Use among Full-Time Workers Aged 18 to 64, by Industry Categories: 2002-2004 Combined

Industry Categories Percent

Construction 15.9

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 13.6

Mining 13.3

Accommodations and Food Services 12.0

Wholesale Trade 11.5

Management of Companies and Enterprises 10.4

Information 10.4

Utilities 10.1

Other Services (Except Public Administration)  9.9 

Real Estate, Rental, and Leasing 9.8

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting 9.7

Manufacturing 9.5

 Retail Trade   8.8

Transportation and Warehousing 8.6

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services  7.1

Finance and Insurance   6.9

Public Administration 5.9

Health Care and Social Assistance 4.3

Educational Services 4.0  

Warning signs of Addiction✦ Patten absenteeism

✦ Spasmodic work pace

✦ Overreacts to criticism

✦ Misses deadlines

✦ Negative worldview (*excessive swearing)

✦ Unreasonable resentments*

Warning signs of Addiction✦ Feeling uncomfortable around a person while that person is drinking*

✦ Dramatic personality change while drinking*

✦ Pressures others to drink heavily

✦ Person constantly speaking about “partying” “getting wasted”

✦ Always bringing up the subject of alcohol or drugs while discussing unrelated topics

✦ Unusual interest in inanimate objects

Warning signs of Addiction

✦Excessive amounts of time away from desk/workstation

✦ Excessive amount of time spent in washrooms*

✦ Frequent use of LTD/STD benefits

✦ Unusual amount of time on LTD/STD claims*

✦ Days off for vague reasons

✦ Wife, spouse or partner “calling in sick” for the employee

✦ Conflict with co-workers (especially ones they were close too)

✦ Very fast or slow speech

✦ Avoidance of responsibility

✦ Difficulty accepting changes in routine/ job description

Warning signs of Addiction

Warning signs of Addiction• Physical symptoms

✦ Red eyes/glazed eyes* (frequent use of eyedrops )

✦ Widely dilated pupils , pin point pupils

✦ Unsteady gait, odour of alcohol on the breath

✦ Rotten teeth

✦ Hands that are shaky

Warning signs of Addiction

Physical symptoms

✦ Drug /alcohol related tattoos

✦ Yellow/brown stains on the tips of

fingers/hands*

✦ Consistently chapped or burned lips

✦ Scabs/bruises/puncture marks on extremities

Warning signs of AddictionPhysical symptoms

✦ Frequent use of antacids Tums/ Pepto Bismol

✦ Frequently complains of stomach problems

✦ Frequently takes concurrent sick days

✦ Advocates taking medication for any

pain/problem*

Tips to Manage Addiction in the Workplace

• Education/training is an excellent way to reduce costs associated with addiction in the workplace.

• Supervisor and employee education/training is most beneficial.

• Develop a drug and alcohol free workplace policy and communicate that policy to employees.

• Have as part of your policy a no penalty employee disclosure system.

Tips to Manage Addiction in the Workplace

• Have an Employee Assistance Program to help employees struggling with addiction/personal issues

• Have an Addiction Professional who can perform assessments on employees you suspect have an addiction

• Invest in Abstinence based Treatment for identified employees the return on investment can be 3:1 or higher

Thank you for your time!

ACIR gratefully acknowledges the following organizations for some of the material used: The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the United States

Department of Labour.

This presentation is the property of Addiction Consultants in Recovery. HRPA Halton has permission to post this on their website for the education of their membership. Only for educational purposes and not for profit

use.

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