Substance abuse can have a huge impact on your employment, affecting your productivity, your relationships with your colleagues, your judgement, and much more.
Not only this but, as the majority of drugs are illegal, this means that anyone found to be in the possession of drugs at work may risk prosecution or disciplinary action, which could lead to loss of employment.
We’ve taken a look at how substance abuse can impact your employment.
There are many different types of substances that can be used in the workplace, including:
Alcohol, drugs and other substances have a negative impact on both your brain and your body. Any form of substance abuse can not only impair your judgement, but it can also affect your concentration levels, which in turn can put both yourself and your co-workers at risk.
If you work in a high-risk environment, such as on a building site, factory or anywhere else where you are working with dangerous machinery or operating dangerous equipment, abusing substances can put you at risk of having an accident.
Substance abuse in the workplace has also been linked to a loss of productivity. If you are under the influence of drugs and alcohol, it’s highly likely that you will have problems concentrating on your day-to-day tasks and completing your workload to a high standard, if at all.
It’s not common for addicts to lose their cool in the workplace following an alcohol or drug binge, with many people displaying signs of hostility, irritability, or anger. This can also have a huge impact on morale and relationships in the workplace, especially if your job involves working as a team.
Substance abuse is also linked to frequent tardiness and unreliable attendance, due to hangovers and come downs.
All employers have a legal responsibility to look after their employees’ wellbeing, health and safety and this includes taking the necessary steps to tackle cases of alcohol or drug misuse in the workplace.
There is plenty of support available and many employers now treat drug and alcohol misuse as a medical issue rather than a disciplinary matter, giving their employees the opportunity to overcome their addiction and recover.
At ANA, we work closely with our clients to help rebuild their lives, gain confidence and self-worth and believe that they can live a healthy, responsible, and productive life, free of addictive substances.
Our main alcohol and drug rehab treatment and services are based in Portsmouth and serve Hampshire, Sussex, Surrey, and London. Contact ANA today, our friendly team is on hand and ready to help.
