Alcohol, other drugs, and work: how can you manage this as an employer?

An alcohol and drug policy often only includes guidelines for ‘use at work’. But alcohol, illicit drugs, and psychoactive medication are mainly used outside the workplace. Since alcohol and drug use affects brain function, substance use before or after working hours also has a potentially significant impact on work behaviour.
 

Marie-Claire continues, “My research on substance use among Belgian employees and its negative effects in the workplace showed that alcohol is by far the most commonly consumed intoxicant. 83.1% of participants reported drinking alcohol in the previous year. Moreover, a significant group reported using sleep aids (9.3%), antidepressants (7.9%), and cannabis (7.4%).”

That alcohol is the most popular drug is not surprising. “But just because alcohol is legal does not mean the negative effects in the workplace are any less bad. The effects of use should not be underestimated for any drug, whether short- or long-term. For instance, employees under the influence may be late for work or even not show up, perform irregularly, and cause conflicts with colleagues. If they can’t get their usage under control, they are more likely to suffer from cancer and cardiovascular diseases in the long run.”

“The legislation on alcohol and drugs at work (CLA 100) brought work-related substance use to the fore in 2010. Every organisation has since been required to draw up a preventive alcohol and drug policy. But new issues, such as the Covid-19 and energy crises, have pushed the risks of alcohol and other drug use back into the background. At the same time, the current crises are just fuelling problematic substance use. It is therefore important to raise more awareness among employees and provide additional support. Just putting up a poster won’t do any good,” says Marie-Claire.
 

“Problematic use is always related to the interaction between three factors: people, resources, and the environment. Thus, a person’s characteristics, the specifics of the drug, and the immediate environment have a significant influence on the extent to which a person is at risk of developing problems through use.”

“Certain professions are therefore more susceptible than others. When you come into contact with alcohol or illegal drugs more easily at work, for example, the threshold for using is significantly lower. But you are also more likely to use intoxicants to cope if you often experience stress at work or the social pressure among colleagues is higher.”

“An alcohol and drug policy often focuses primarily on an employee’s performance: what are the effects on their health and work behaviour? And how can we raise employee awareness about this? At the same time, the underlying reasons for substance use should not be overlooked. This is the only way to create an environment in which everyone has an equal opportunity to do something about any functioning issues as well as the underlying problem. Therefore, you must anchor the issues in a policy.”

“Ideally, when the GP or a specialist prescribes psychoactive medication, the employee informs the occupational physician, especially if they hold a safety role. The occupational physician can then look at the effects of medication on work behaviour and adjust the employee’s medication use accordingly. Unfortunately, this isn’t currently done enough,” concludes Marie-Claire.