Drugs and alcohol

Drugs and alcohol can impact on work and sickness absence, and were the focus of Dame Carol Black’s recent Independent Review of the Impact on employment outcomes for drug and alcohol addiction and obesity. Its main recommendations were on the need for more integrated working across the benefit and health systems to improve employment outcomes.

The government advice service Fit for Work (see page 37) encourages employers to support rehabilitation plans for employees with drug and alcohol problems, rather than discipline in the first instance, if they are aware of such problems. It suggests that a drug and alcohol policy should encourage employees to be open in relation to any dependency they have, and advise that there will be a supportive approach.