A.H. asks: How can employers better recognize signs of addiction in their employees?
Hi A.H.,
Because addiction is so rampant, the first thing that employers need to do is come out of whatever denial they may be in. Instead of brushing off when an employee is acting a little strange, consider that it could be addiction. In our world today, either everyone is affected by addiction – either their own or someone else’s – or they know someone who is. Denial is no longer an outlet that we can use and get the desired result; we need to see such things as they are now.
In Canada, pot, for example, is legal. Pot was one of my drugs. I know it’s addictive, and I know it’s cut with terrible things that can kill somebody on the first toke. What’s often happening is that people are smoking a joint while driving to work. By the time they get to work, they’re already high. If they’re not doing that, they may be smoking on their break or popping pills or drinking from a flask. At lunch, they may have a meal with a number of drinks. It’s time we give up what might have seemed acceptable as “The way things are” and instead start moving toward “The way we want things to be.”
There are ways that people present themselves when they are under the influence of something that is mind-altering. As an employer, you need to be looking out for that. Are they slurring their words? Is the quality of their work compromised or diminished? Are they behaving in a way that is not typical for them? In some professions like construction, for example, any number of lives could be put at risk by one person’s addiction. Are we ready for that to happen? Employers need to be aware and to not miss the signs of potential addiction.
In small organizations, it may be easier for an employer to watch for these things themselves. In large organizations, there needs to be an understanding that it’s okay for other workers to come to the employer or the supervisor or the HR people and tell them that they think there might be a problem, without any ramifications for those coming forward. For now, there seems to be a culture that if you come forward about your concerns for people you work with, there will be consequences for you. But if you stay silent about someone who’s having a problem at work from addiction, that is not a loving act toward the person having a problem – and it certainly does not contribute to possible conclusions for resolutions.
Also, every addict has a number of loved ones surrounding them. There are mothers and fathers and aunts and uncles and brothers and sisters and cousins and friends and on and on. There are all these people who care about that one person. Sometimes those loved ones are awake at three o’clock in the morning, worrying, hoping that they won’t get that phone call that something untoward has happened. They’re losing sleep and they’re anxious all the time – and then they go to work feeling like that. Depending on their job, they could be making some pretty serious mistakes as well. If you know somebody in that situation – if they’re a loved one of an addict and they’re not doing well – maybe you want to talk to that person or go with that person to talk to HR. You could also consider supporting them to get a little time off or to get some counselling. If possible, that counselling could be partially paid for by their organization.
Unless workers feel safe enough to come forward when they suspect substance abuse, or to approach the person they suspect and say they need to talk, the risks will continue to increase. Employers can help by keeping their eyes open and changing the culture for others to feel that it is appropriate to help.
