New support package to tackle hidden cost of drug and alcohol misuse at work

Alcohol and drug misuse significantly impacts the UK workforce, leading to substantial losses in productivity and working hours. Each year, approximately 17 million working days are lost due to alcohol-related illness, resulting in an annual economic loss of around £7 billion*.

While specific data on working hours lost due to drug misuse is limited, it is estimated that drug misuse costs UK businesses £1.4 billion annually**.

The bottom line is not the only hidden cost of this growing problem. It can have a devastating impact on people’s lives and those employees affected may not be able to access the help they need. Colleagues may also be affected when a fellow worker is not carrying out their role effectively or behaving erratically.

SIAS (Solihull Integrated Addiction Services) has developed a support package to help. With its ‘Stay Safe, Stay Smart’ wellbeing campaign, the organisation is working closely with businesses across the borough to help promote responsible choices for drink and drugs.

Its experienced team can help employers to identify the signs that an employee or colleague could be struggling, and to understand the issues involved. Ultimately, the aim is to support employees so that they stay well and enjoy their job while also protecting productivity.

Mark Pemberton, service manager - engagement at SIAS explains, “For some people, having a few glasses of wine in the evening, or using cocaine socially at weekends, quickly become coping mechanisms when life is stressful, but both alcohol and drugs are addictive, and occasional use often ends up increasing. This can spiral into dependency without people realising it.

“Telltale signs are perhaps being late or missing deadlines at work or becoming irritable and arguing with colleagues or family members. Or there may be changes in physical or mental health - weight loss, anxiety, or trouble sleeping. These are signs that dependency is creeping in and recognizing you have a problem is the first step towards recovery.

“This is where SIAS can help with support packages tailored to meet each individual’s needs.

“We would welcome enquiries from any organisation who would like to extend their HR toolkit with this wellbeing programme. Raising awareness with open and honest communication and early intervention makes an enormous difference, with the main objective being a healthy and productive workforce.”