Perhaps more than any other mental or physical health disorder, addiction is shrouded in stigma, secrecy and persistent myths regarding its mechanisms and cause. Those impacted rarely feel free to discuss this issue and its emotional, financial and physiological consequences, despite the fact that nearly 600,000 people in the UK are estimated to suffer from alcoholism alone.
Whether it’s substance abuse, alcoholism, gambling addiction or smoking cigarettes, there are few of us who aren’t directly or indirectly affected by addiction – and the cost to society as a whole is significant. The NHS spends around £500m a year on treating drug misuse, while the cost of addiction to UK industry is hard to quantify, but likely to be extremely high, with £7.3billion of lost productivity through alcohol misuse.
While an undeniably complicated endeavour, employers can be a positive influence as society navigates these issues. By understanding addiction in the workplace, startups can safeguard their staff and save on costs, while also becoming a positive influence in their community. Through corporate wellbeing practices, informed leadership and effective HR policies, startups have the means to help prevent dependency and assist in recovery.
The challenges of treatment
While it is possible to overcome addiction, treatment isn’t always straightforward – and that’s in the cases where people seek (or have the means to access) support. According to Addiction Centre, of those suffering from alcoholism in the UK less than one-fifth receive help. Shame and stigma is a key factor, while the variability of support services and prevalence of denial in addicted individuals also plays a part – and this story is likely to be repeated across many forms of dependency.
Addiction is associated with changes in brain chemistry which make it extremely hard for people to move on from addiction, even if they desperately want to. It is not a question of willpower, but of ongoing support from medical, therapeutic and social professionals (as well as peer support) which steadily guide those affected towards recovery.
The cost of treatment, while high, corresponds to huge benefits for individuals and society as a whole. Whether it’s as simple as NHS support in quitting cigarettes, or the more involved process of alleviating drug addiction, coherent treatment improves the quality of life both for addicted individuals and their families, and results in significant social returns. According to Public Health England, there’s a social return of £3 for every £1 spent on alcohol treatment and £4 for every £1 spent on drug treatment.
Addiction and corporate wellbeing
Employers have a part to play when it comes to addiction in society, and indeed have a corporate social responsibility (CSR) to look after the health and wellbeing of their workforce. While safeguarding the team as a whole is an employers biggest consideration, there are a variety of ways that startups can do their part to address the issue of addiction within their wellbeing strategy.
Launching a startup is often an undeniably stressful task, with long days and high stakes that inevitably place a lot of pressure on business leaders and their employees. Finding a healthy way to manage this stress is a part of preventing substance misuse and dependency, ensuring that no one in the organisation comes to rely on unhealthy coping mechanisms.
Company culture and addiction
Addiction is more prevalent in certain industries, and this is thought to be due to the stressful nature of the work. For example, chefs are nearly twice as likely as the general population to suffer from alcoholism and drug addiction, and 51% of kitchen staff reported feeling debilitating levels of stress and depression in a 2017 survey. While not the whole story, many theorise that this issue is a result of the long-hour, high-pressure nature of this profession, and the bullying that chefs often report is widespread in the industry.
Aside from untenable levels of stress, problematic behaviours can be normalised through the development of other harmful industry cultures. Whether it’s endless networking with boozy client lunches or a macho “work hard, play hard” attitude that demands nights outs and early mornings, the expectations tied up in people’s professional lives can have a huge influence.
While running a startup is challenging, it offers the unique opportunity of forming policy and your company culture from the bottom up, rather than maneuvering through labyrinthine policy and tackling entrenched ideas. This means you can build a company culture that is most beneficial both to your business and to the health of your employees and to take corporate wellbeing into account from the staff.
To prioritise the health and safety of their employees, businesses can create an employee-centred wellness culture, and a safe and supportive environment where every member of the team can thrive. Some important factors in this are:
- Minimising workplace injury and supporting those with chronic pain: Both of these issues are linked to addiction, as injury and pain can leave people individuals vulnerable to reliance on prescription painkillers. People who suffer with chronic pain can benefit from comfortable work environments, regular breaks, flexible working hours and the opportunity to work from home.
- Access to workplace health and wellbeing programmes: Practices such as yoga and mindfulness have been found to increase people’s resilience to stress, increasing levels of the brain chemical GABA (associated with feelings of contentment) while reducing stress hormones. Evidence also suggests that yoga and mindfulness has a positive influence on the neurobiology of addiction, engendering helpful brain changes that restore balance and support recovery.
- Encouraging a good work/life balance: As outlined above, stressful life circumstances and pressures on mental health can lead people to problematic behaviours. As people spend so much time at work, fostering a focused but relaxed atmosphere in the professional environment can have a huge impact on their quality of life. Discourage presenteeism and long working hours, enforce breaks and manage workloads.
- Supporting those suffering with addiction while safeguarding other employees: Determine an agreed policy on drug/alcohol misuse as part of your overall health and safety policy. Be aware of the signs of dependency in the workplace, such as increased absences, changes in behaviour, loss of productivity, poor work relationships and impaired judgement.
If an employee shares with you that they have been struggling with substance misuse, draw up a plan of support while gently highlighting the circumstances in which you would have to take disciplinary action, so they feel fully informed and are aware of professional boundaries. You can also play a role by referring to vulnerable individuals in your workplace to support services.
This post was submitted by The Minded Institute, a yoga therapy centre which provides help for individuals living with anxiety, depression and other mental health issues through their Minded Clinic.