The use of psychoactive products, such as alcohol, tobacco, or cannabis, is not reserved for private use. Addictions can also occur in the workplace. All sectors of activity and all hierarchical levels may be concerned. The Interministerial Mission for the Fight against Drugs and Addictive Behavior (MILDECA) recently published a report on addictions in the workplace.
Addictions in the workplace
If job seekers are more exposed than workers to addictive behaviors, the fact remains that the workplace is not spared from addictions. Last September, the MILDECA published a report describing addictions in the workplace. It reveals very diverse situations, depending on the professional branches, the age, and the sex of the workers.
All age groups can be affected by addictive behavior, even if 18-35-year-olds appear to be the most affected by the phenomenon. All companies and organizations, private or public, in all sectors, can be affected.
More seriously, the professional environment could in certain cases play a decisive role in the development of an addiction, whether it appears before, during, or after working hours. Addictive behavior, whatever its nature, can be both a symptom or a consequence of dysfunctions in the organization of life at work. Managers and leaders, therefore, have a key role to play.
Is the professional environment, a risk factor for addiction?
Sometimes work itself constitutes a risk factor for addiction, at several levels:
- Difficult working conditions and stress at work encourage the consumption of psychoactive substances;
- The search for performance or the demands of productivity can be at the origin of certain addictions, but also of addiction to work, which specialists call workaholism;
- The accessibility of psychoactive substances in the workplace can encourage their use;
- Corporate cultures, in particular promoting the consumption of alcohol, or integration rituals can also contribute to increasing the consumption of psychoactive substances.
Faced with this risk, human resources departments and senior managers have a duty to establish a protective environment for their employees. Several actions are possible, including:
- Strict internal regulations regarding the use of psychoactive substances;
- A collective prevention approach;
- An individual prevention approach, after early identification of the employee concerned;
- Support for employees.
Individually and collectively prevent addictions in the workplace
Among the actions implemented by MILDECA and the government is the portal for addictions in the workplace, Addict’AIDE Pro. This platform is entirely dedicated to the prevention of addictions in the workplace, a real public health issue.
On the platform, executives, human resources staff, managers, employees, staff representatives, and occupational physicians can find:
- Tools ;
- Good practices;
- Resource ;
- Testimonials.
In addition, the MILDECA offers training for trainers “prevention of addictive behavior in the workplace”. Free of charge, it is aimed at occupational physicians or prevention physicians, occupational health nurses, and medical staff. It allows trained people to design a comprehensive approach to preventing addictions in the workplace.
All these initiatives aim to limit addictions in the workplace, which impact the life of the company, but also the personal and professional life of the employees concerned.