June 30, 2022

This paid piece is sponsored by Avera.

If your employee calls you from an emergency room over the weekend, explaining his broken arm from a bicycle accident, you’re likely to understand and excuse him from working Monday.

Substance abuse disorders aren’t visible – like a broken arm – but they can limit your workers in many of the same ways. Beyond physical signs, substance abuse includes emotional and social levels.

“People facing substance abuse disorders are carrying the shame and guilt of the illness, along with its other impacts,” said Malia Holbeck, outpatient manager with Avera’s Addiction Recovery Program.

Substance abuse disorders can lead to denial – the person can lie to themselves, their co-workers and their boss. To help counter this denial, employers can frame conversations in terms of wellness. You can help the person overcome the disorder affecting their work – and their lives.

“You start by explaining how much you appreciate the employee and how you want to help them get well,” Holbeck said. “You provide the opportunity they might need to get treatment and face their situation head-on.”

What works — and what doesn’t — when offering help

Employers who want to help a worker with an addiction disorder can face some challenges. Confrontation is usually an ineffective approach, even though it’s common in media and television.

“It’s a disease, just like cancer or diabetes,” Holbeck said. “Employers who start the conversation with compassion do better when it comes to helping someone they notice has started to falter.” Many people see substance abuse as weakness or a character flaw. It’s not – but that takes time to teach and learn.

“Businesses that begin with education – before they have to provide direct help to an employee with a disorder – tend to do better,” Holbeck said. Education, along with awareness of symptoms of a disorder, are good investments in a business that wants to thrive.

When a worker faces a substance abuse issue, there can be signs such as:

• Decline in appearance.
• Often late or out sick.
• Frequent mistakes or a sense of forgetfulness.
• Mood swings — extreme highs or especially lows.
• A lack of motivation or a more emotional bearing at work.
• Angry outbursts or rage.
• Bursts of energy, sometimes followed by agitation and irritable speech or actions.

“Many disorders start as acceptable activities like having a beer or a glass of wine to celebrate and relax,” Holbeck said.

She said if everyone realizes how sustained use changes the way the brain works – we can better understand how disorders come about. Sometimes treatment can be the turning point to help an employee.

Saving money — and people — who face substance abuse

Many studies show it’s cost-effective to keep an employee, even if termination is your first impulse.

When you let someone go, separation costs, along with those that come from the vacancy, are guaranteed. Such costs include additional recruiting, onboarding and training.

When you help the employee, in many ways you’re helping your bottom line.

“A close look at turnover and training costs shows how an ongoing investment to get a worker ‘better’ pays off,” Holbeck said. The challenges include responses from the rest of the team. They might not “get” that it’s an illness.

“That’s why preventive programs, including teaching workers about mental health, substance abuse and recovery, all pay big dividends,” Holbeck added. “There’s no one-size-fits-all way to address this problem. But valuing employees is a good start.”

You can get help while helping your employees at Avera.org/Addiction.