Employees and Employers
Who Suffers from Addiction?
Part 4
One of the largest groups of people who indirectly suffer from addiction is employers. The US Department of Labor has documented the extent of the problem created in businesses by substance abuse and addiction. The professions that most frequently experience problems with substance abuse are construction workers, sales personnel, food service workers and bartenders, laborers and machine operators. But despite this shortlist, anyone in any business anywhere can suffer the destructive effects of addiction.
Those who are trapped in substance abuse are more likely to make it hard for a business to stay profitable. They are far more likely to show up late or miss work quit suddenly or change jobs often. They show up late more frequently than sober employees and are nearly four times more likely to be involved in a workplace accident and five times more likely to file a worker’s compensation claim.
In every test and survey, substance abuse contributes to the loss of jobs and income for the addicted person. But an addict has a continuous, driving need to obtain the substance he (or she) craves—alcohol, heroin, prescription pills, cocaine, methamphetamine or other drugs. When jobs or lost or careers are trashed by a person showing up unable to work, to perform, to show their expertise, this is part and parcel of the dwindling spiral of addiction.
Loss of Employment Creates Big Problems for the Addicted
A family will watch as an addicted person fails at job after job. They will probably try to help the person find another job but that one too gets wasted, as long as the basic addiction is never addressed and fully handled. Drugs and alcohol themselves cause physical changes that contribute to the depression suffered by addicts, but the loss of one job after another compounds the depression and desperation an addict feels.
If a job is lost, there is a chance that an addicted person may have to turn to dishonest means to get the money for the next pill, bottle or baggie of drugs. What usually happens then is that he (or she) pawns personal possessions or sells items out of the home. When those things are gone, family and friends may find their possessions missing. The addicted become skillful liars as they borrow items from other people that are then “stolen” or “lost” before they can be returned.
An addicted person may find he has to do some drug dealing or shoplifting to make ends meet. The cravings can get so intense that he feels driven to do whatever it takes to get more of the drug he needs, even if he would never have considered that activity while he was sober. Employers may find that an employee who has been trusted for years has become an embezzler after an addiction problem developed.
Both Employees and Employers Need a Solution to Addiction
In some regions, an employer may actually find it hard to find sober workers for construction sites, oil rigs or manufacturing plants. If he does hire substance abusers, there may be more accidents and loss of profitability. By hiring a substance abuser, an employer risks hiring someone who will get other employees or the company’s patrons hurt or even disabled.
The solution for the employer, the employee and the families involved is the same: effective rehabilitation that results in lasting sobriety. This is a solution that is a win for all involved.
In the last decade, businesses have become much more oriented to working with employees to get them through rehab services and returned them to the job. But the typical short-term rehab of 28 days may not be the right solution.
For a longer-term rehab program with a step-by-step regimen that addresses all aspects of addiction, many families choose the Narconon drug rehabilitation program. For those who arrive at Narconon drug rehab centers, the program provides them with the tools to achieve lasting sobriety so that they can return to effective employability again. They can once again enjoy productive lives, support their families and provide the services so valued by their employers.
Learn how the Narconon program enables the cravings that drive drug use to fade away. Discover the innovative means of providing true and honest relief from guilt.
Find out how a person can regain the brightness of outlook they had before drugs stole it away.
See also:
- Who Suffers from Addiction? Part 1
- Who Suffers From Addiction? Part 2: Children who become Addicted
- Who Suffers From Addiction? Part 3: Husbands and Wives
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