As an employer or HR Manager within a UK organisation, people are your most valuable and time-consuming asset. Whether you are responsible for recruitment, appraisals, training, direct line management, health & safety or salaries - overseeing employees is critical for your organisation.
With such high levels of investment made by your organisation into each staff member, retaining employees is crucial to ensure not only a return on investment, but to also retain knowledge, skills and to enhance growth.
However, where addiction is concerned you may feel unsure as to how best to support your employee and equally, represent your organisation's interests.
With addiction costing UK industry around £7.2bln every year, many organisations from a range of sectors will be affected by this issue. Addiction has always been prevalent within society, however it now affects an increasing number of people, and continues to grow. A recent IPSOS Mori survey highlighted that 6/10 people knew someone with a drug or alcohol problem. This trend is increasingly likely to continue with the onset of the recession and potential fear of redundancy.
However, our understanding of addiction and addictive behaviour has progressed massively. Addiction is now understood as an illness that with treatment and a willingness from the individual concerned to change, can be successfully treated, allowing the person involved to move on with their lives.
Please click here to read a short testimonial by a previous Seventy4 client who was supported into treatment by their employer, detailing how they found this process and what they achieved.
Whilst some organisations will have a drugs and alcohol policy drawn up, when an employee presents with addiction behaviours, key questions have to be asked as to what support is appropriate to be provided by both the line manager and the organisation and how the issue will be addressed.
For advice on addressing addiction within the workplace please click here.