HELP STAFF FIGHT DRINK AND DRUG MISUSE, FIRMS URGED

Four out of 10 employers say that alcohol misuse is a significant
cause of worker absenteeism, but few organisations have policies to
deal with drink or drug problems, according to a report published
today. In a survey of 500 organisations by the Chartered Institute of
Personnel and Development, 40% of employers questioned said alcohol
misuse was a "significant cause" of employee absence and lost
productivity.

One third of the organisations reported that drug abuse had a
similarly negative impact in the workplace.

But only a half of the employers provided access to counselling or to
occupational health services for staff members with
substance-dependency problems.

The author of the report, Ben Willmott, said employers should be doing
more to help their workers fight alcohol and drug problems.
"Supporting employees with drug and alcohol problems has a high
success rate, with many individuals returning to work. But
organisations must make employees aware of the policies and support in
place otherwise they will not have the confidence to hold their hand
up and acknowledge they have a problem and need help," he said.

According to the survey, only 38% of employers provide coordinated
rehabilitation support to help individuals with drug or alcohol
problems return to work after treatment. Only a third of employers
train their managers in recognising and managing drugs and alcohol
misuse, Mr Willmott said. Where organisations do have policies in
place they do very little to promote them, he added. "Simply adding a
policy to a rarely-used staff handbook is unlikely to ensure the issue
is seen as an ongoing priority."

Almost a third of organisations surveyed said they had dismissed
employees in the last two years because of alcohol problems. Fifteen
percent of the organisations reported dismissals in which drug misuse
was a cause or major factor. "Clearly drug and alcohol misuse is an
issue which needs to be taken seriously within the workplace," said Mr
Wilmott.

Twenty-two per cent of organisations surveyed test their workers for
alcohol or drugs misuse, the survey showed.

According to the Health and Safety Executive, up to 14m working days
are lost each year due to alcohol-related problems, at an estimated
cost to British industry of around UKP2bn each year. Clare McNeil of
Addaction, the drug and alcohol treatment charity, said that the
survey reflected a society which turned a blind eye to the risks of
excessive drink and drug use. "Many people with a drug or alcohol
dependency can and do manage to hold down a job, but they may not
realise the extent of their problems and can be reluctant to seek
help," she said. "Responsible employers must be able to identify and
manage problems early on, but they can only do this if drug and
alcohol rehabilitation programmes are available locally."