As a business owner, your workforce is the backbone of what you do. And while you may only see them during those hours of 9am until 5pm, there’s a duty of care that can stretch far beyond that.
Many business owners don’t take any interest in a person’s life outside of the workplace, but they are intrinsically linked, with a happy personal life leading to a happy and supportive workforce.
However, at present it isn’t as simple as that. We’re in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis and addiction rates are rising, to the point where members of your workforce could well be struggling with alcohol and drug problems without you realising.
But the question is, should you do anything about it as the owner of a business?
For many, it can be immediate grounds for dismissal, which is one way to approach it. However, that’s going to lead to a higher turnover of staff, as well as others that may also be struggling less likely to reach out for help.
Supporting staff through their difficult times can be incredibly important, and good for business, in a number of ways, and more and more companies are now looking to aid employees through addiction, either providing them with the time off to seek help, putting them through rehab or subsidising it to provide an affordable drug rehab cost.
But what are the benefits to your business for doing so?
It’ll enhance loyalty and morale
Firstly, by supporting staff who are struggling with problems, indeed any kind of problem, not just requiring addiction treatment, it’ll increase loyalty within the workplace. Not only will the person receiving the support be more inclined to remain loyal to the business, it’ll have a knock-on effect on other members of the team too.
We all go through rough periods in our lives and if employees see that you’ll stand by them and support them, you’re going to have a more loyal workforce that are willing to reach out when they are struggling.
It’ll reduce staff turnover and absenteeism
As a result, staff turnover will reduce, and as you begin to help employees, you’ll also see a reduction in absenteeism.
Ultimately, if an employee is drinking each night, then there’s a higher chance of them not turning up to work the next day. In fact, over 17 million days a year are lost to alcohol in the workplace each year. So, if you’re aiding people through alcohol abuse, once they enter recovery you’re going to see a huge reduction in sick days, and essentially increase productivity.
Increased productivity
That doesn’t just stop at reduced sick days either. Increased productivity will come from those periods where people are turning up to work on a hangover, are tired or have lost motivation, while they are hooked on a substance or going through tough stages of their life.
That support and getting employees back on track will increase productivity in the workplace, and overall make for a more community-like feel within your business.
That alone is enough reason to support your staff. But of course, there’s a good chance you’re going to care about the people who work for you, which is another excellent reason in itself.