FROM ADDICTION TO ABSENTEEISM
Over the past few years there has been an increasing trend for workplace absenteeism caused by stress, anxiety, and depression. Surrey based Addiction Care believes that in many cases it is addiction that causes these issues and so in response have created a specialist service for Human Resources and Occupation Health departments and companies. The service allows companies to refer employees to Addiction Care as part of an Employee Assistance Programme. Once referred each employee will be assessed as to their individual needs, and a tailor made ‘day care’ recovery programme created for them. This enables the employee to take an agreed period of ‘time off’ to fit in with their working and family life commitments, thus being of benefit to both employer and employee.
Addiction is usually secret; an employee will try and hide their using for a long period of time before the consequences become obvious for all to see. In the work place the first thing that happens is the person becomes pre-occupied. They don’t listen to what their peers or customers are saying, they are ‘out of the meeting’ whilst still in the meeting, and pre-occupied with thinking of the next time they will use their ‘drug of choice’. Their performance deteriorates, and eventually this leads to absenteeism.
In 2011 Government statistics show the total number of working days lost was 131 million, of these 13.3 million were attributed to employees suffering with stress, anxiety and depression. There are many occasions when stress and anxiety overlay addiction. Alcoholism, drug misuse and other addictive behaviours such as gambling can be at the core of depression and mental health issues and are often mis-diagnosed.