Workplace
MANAGEMENT
Dangerous Dependencies
With an opioid crisis across the country and marijuana becoming legal this summer, addiction at work is poised to become an even greater concern. Here’s how you can help substance abusers
HE WAS THE ONLY ONE on-site that day at his company’s remote facility. He was drunk. He picked up the phone and called the company’s other locations. “He was ranting and raving and saying extreme things, including threatening to hurt people and burn the facility to the ground,” says Jason Fleming, who works as director of human resources for MedReleaf Corp., a Markham, Ont.-based licensed medical marijuana provider, and recalls this incident from his time with a previous organization. Employees alerted emergency
services near the man’s area. “It was very upsetting, very shocking,” says Fleming. Aſter the crisis ended, the employee was offered support through the company’s
16 | CPA MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2018
employee assistance program (EAP). Previous to this day, he had refused help that was offered on multiple occasions. Aſter this, he was fired with cause. When employees come to work
intoxicated (we’re talking alcohol or drugs), accidents, harassment incidents and violence can follow. There are other issues that can occur that aren’t as obvious, says Fleming. “You won’t know about some things until the behaviour has been going on for months.” These cases are not few and far
between. Many Canadians use alcohol and drugs, and with cannabis legalization expected in July, pot use may increase (the percentage of Canadians who use cannabis recreationally is
expected to rise from 22% to 39%). Plus, the opioid epidemic reveals Canadians are abusing prescription drugs. The stats are jarring: about one in
10 Canadians have a substance-abuse disorder and about 70% of this group are employed. (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders describes addiction as a “problematic pattern of use of an intoxicating substance leading to clinically significant impairment or distress.” It has several characteristics, such as recurrent use resulting in a failure to fulfil obligations at work.) A decade ago, these issues led to
productivity losses of about $24 billion a year in Canada, so it’s likely that today these numbers have skyrocketed. And contrary to popular belief, the employee doesn’t have to be drunk or high to cause problems. For example, people who suffer from these afflictions have high absenteeism rates, and when they do show up for work, they oſten have withdrawal symptoms. They
Jeannie Phan
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68