Loss of an employee due to substance abuse affects productivity as well as your bottom-line. Then, there’s the negative impact on company culture that can derail personnel morale. With our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), saving the life of one employee makes a positive statement about who you are and what you stand for.
Unfortunately, it’s not unusual for employees within a workplace to struggle with substance abuse, addiction, or other personal challenges. Substance dependency can greatly hinder a person’s job performance, even if the substance abuse does not occur within work hours.
Sooner or later, the addiction can affect the body and the mind of the person, lowering the quality of their work, increasing absenteeism, and posing a potential safety risk.
If an employee who is struggling with addiction finds it hard to maintain performance or to function at an acceptable level after alcohol or drug consumption, he/she should be encouraged to consider addiction treatment options before the addiction gets worse.
At Foundations Wellness Center, we offer Employee Assistance Programs. EAPs are a treatment option for employees who deal with addiction and other issues that impair their job performance. These programs also help promote a safe and productive work environment for managers and all employees.
Companies often provide an Employee Assistance Program benefit to their employees. If employees seek help, it can lead to better attendance and productivity, improving the bottom line and work environment for everyone.
EAPs typically include counseling, referrals and resources for both managers and employees in areas such as workplace relations, legal, financial, behavioral, and substance abuse issues. The EAP can provide managers with the tools needed to confront employees and encourage them to seek help.
In the event that an employee has to miss work to receive treatment, the EAP can also prepare these employees to successfully transition back to the work environment.
The process varies from employer to employer. It may begin with a supervisor referring an employee who is battling some type of addiction or abuse to the Employee Assistance Program. The EAP counselor can then refer the individual to a program like that offered at Foundations Wellness.
An Employee Assistance Program fulfills four main roles within a company:
Before treatment begins, employees may go through an assessment and/or counseling sessions to determine their particular treatment needs. Once the needs are determined, the EAP counselors can provide a referral to a drug and alcohol addiction treatment facility like Foundations Wellness Center. If necessary, the employee can take advantage of FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) or short-term disability benefits in order to receive proper treatment.
The program at Foundations Wellness is available to EAPs to help employees overcome alcohol or drug abuse as well as mental health disorders, domestic violence, and stress-related conditions. Our program also offers guidance for substance abuse and mental ailments arising from financial problems, legal trouble, workplace conflicts, and workplace restructuring.
According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, about three quarters of Americans who struggle with alcohol or drug addiction are currently employed. Eventually, employees with substance abuse issues may start to behave detrimentally at the workplace. Some of the most common behaviors include:
According to the National Business Group on Health, alcohol and drug abuse costs employers an estimated $364 billion annually, which is more than the combined costs of treating cancer and diabetes conditions. Some of the effects that addiction has on employer-related costs include:
