Workplace substance abuse : a proactive approach (employee assistance programs)

Substance abuse affects an estimated 12% of today's workforce. Unable to deal with the direct causes of the substance-abuse problem and finding few satisfactory intervention models, employers often decide that their only choice is to live with the problem. As a result, they focus on disciplinar...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Workforce management 1989-04, Vol.68 (4), p.84
Main Authors: Pace, L, Smits, S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alcoholism
Drug abuse
Employee assistance programs
Intervention
Methods
Personnel policies
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Summary:Substance abuse affects an estimated 12% of today's workforce. Unable to deal with the direct causes of the substance-abuse problem and finding few satisfactory intervention models, employers often decide that their only choice is to live with the problem. As a result, they focus on disciplinary action to limit the scope of the problem. In contrast, a proactive approach concentrates on work-site prevention and cost-effective intervention. The basis for developing a proactive approach is the creation of an environment conducive to dealing with the problem from a workplace perspective. This involves issuing policies that define the problem and the employees' rights. The key to having a successful employee assistance program (EAP) is that it be run as a business. The EAP should be placed in the organization so that it has the clout for intervention in cases relating to high-level managers. If implemented correctly, an EAP will reduce and contain the substance abuse problem from the top down.
ISSN:1547-5565
2168-9016