UK employers review substance misuse policies after hangover research highlights workplace risks

New research has highlighted the scale of alcohol-related impairment in the workplace, with a survey of 2,000 working Britons commissioned by alcohol reduction organisation, Nul, finding that 17% of employees admit to attending work hungover at least once or twice a week. The findings have prompted renewed warnings about the safety and productivity risks associated with alcohol-related impairment at work.

Health and Safety International reports on this, highlighting how alcohol and substance misuse continues to present practical challenges for employers. While problems are sometimes associated with illegal drugs or drinking at work, the research suggests that much of the workplace impact comes from the after-effects of alcohol consumption, including fatigue, reduced concentration, and slower decision-making.

For employers, the issue sits at the intersection of health and safety and HR. Where workers are performing safety-critical tasks - whether driving for work, operating machinery or working at height -  impaired performance can create risks not only for the individual concerned but also for colleagues and members of the public. That makes it important for employers to understand both the scale and the nature of the problem. Substance misuse may involve a wide range of substances, including alcohol, illegal drugs, prescription medication, and even over-the-counter treatments that affect alertness or perception. Managing the issue effectively often requires a joined-up approach between HR and health and safety teams, combining clear policies with a culture that encourages openness and early support.

So let’s get a view on this. Earlier I caught up with Zoe Betts, who joined me by video link to discuss it. So is this a serious the problem and are employers are underestimating it?

Zoe Betts: “Well, yes and yes in answer to those questions, Joe, I do think it's a serious problem and I do think many employers are underestimating the issue, possibly because it's one of those ones that's quite difficult to grapple with. It is a health and safety risk in the workplace, and yet it is perhaps more sensitive and more nuanced than some of the traditional safety risks that many employers will be quite familiar with tackling. My understanding and many, many studies have been done in the UK, in Canada, Australia, in the US, but just to give some sort of context, In the UK, it's reported that one in three workers have either taken substances at work or witnessed that in colleagues’ behaviour. So one in three is really quite staggering to me. That is a high number and, of course, that can be across a range of different substances. This could be cocaine, cannabis, it can be prescription drugs, it can be opioids, it could be performance enhancing drugs and, in fact, they can be over the counter medication which in certain people can create apparent signs of substance misuse when in fact they've done nothing wrong, they're just reacting to something relatively innocuous. So the problem is quite widespread and I think employers are going to have to grapple with this issue because as society evolves, my feeling is that laws around the decriminalisation of drugs will become looser and more prevalent and therefore it's an issue that employers need to be thinking about now.”

Joe Glavina: “There’s a view some hold that it can be a mistake to adopt a punitive approach to this issue because it can turn out to be counterproductive and that a more supportive approach workers better. Would you agree with that?”

Zoe Betts: “Yes very much. So I think this is the sort of thing that I would tell my clients, make sure you're not operating in silos, health and safety teams, occupational safety and health professionals have a real role to play in looking after people's health, safety and welfare and considering drug and alcohol abuse, but so do HR professionals. So work together, pool your resources, make sure that policies are fully aligned, and do try to take a managerial approach which is supportive and is encouraging a culture of openness and transparency rather than being, as you say, punitive and driving the problem underground because that simply won't help, it won't cure the problem, it'll simply mean the product the problem is harder to identify and then, of course, it's harder to deal with. So if there's a culture of support and people are encouraged to be open about any issues they may have with substance use, that is then the opportunity for HR and H&S professionals to work together to try to signpost that person to the right support, make sure that they don't feel stigmatized, that they haven't been penalized but, equally, they're not putting themselves or others at risk because the issue here, really, with substance abuse in the workplace is if that person has a safety critical role, if they are then suffering from some sort of lack of concentration, or impaired perception, for example, drowsiness, fatigue, that could place themselves or others, whether it's fellow employees, visitors, contractors, members of the public, at serious risk, and the employer has a legal duty to prevent that. They have to take reasonable steps to safeguard each employee's health, safety, and welfare. So that's trying to prevent somebody from developing a substance misuse problem in the first place but equally well, there is a duty on the employer to make sure that if that person has a substance problem, they themselves are not putting other people at risk as a result of their impaired behaviour or the way in which they've reacted to taking that substance. So it's a serious issue, but very much one that I believe HR and H&S can work on together, but not really in a punitive fashion, rather in a way which encourages people to seek help and be directed to the right resources.”

Joe Glavina: “You mentioned HR and health and safety working together. Is that around managing training to spot the signs of a problem in the first place?”

Zoe Betts: “It’s exactly that. So it is maybe health and safety professionals giving some training to their HR professionals so they fully understand the legal framework around drugs and alcohol in the workplace but then making sure that the HR professionals are able to provide their expertise when it comes to policies supporting employees in the workplace and, of course, and this does have a role, the disciplinary process. There will be certain occasions where disciplinary is absolutely appropriate, and that's where the HR professionals are experts and they would lead on that, but they can perhaps educate health and safety professionals as to when that is most appropriate, and somebody would need to stop work, and may need to be taken down that route. But I think really, this is an opportunity for employers to assess the policies that they've got in place from both a health and safety and a HR perspective, make sure that they're fully aligned, make sure they're speaking to each other, make sure that communication is being shared and that the messages that are going to the workplace are consistent and are being put across in as positive a fashion as possible, but with a deterrent being provided as well because, ultimately, we do need workers to understand that this is an important issue. It does go to safety, it does go to the culture of an organisation, and the expectation on them is that they won't be using illegal substances in the workplace and I think if HR and health and safety professionals are joined up on that there will be a real force in that message and people will understand how critical it is and why that message is being promoted so strongly.” 

If you would like support reviewing your organisation’s approach to substance misuse - assessing risks, updating policies, or developing a joined-up approach between HR and health and safety – please do contact Zoe. Her details are on the screen for you.