Why Your Employees’ Health Matters
Companies and organizations cannot be competitive without healthy, productive employees. Supporting employees to engage in healthier behaviors keeps a business productive and reduces costs over time.
Did You Know?
According to several studies:
- 1 in 12 workers have an untreated substance use disorder
- Ten to 15% of Ohioans, or 1.15 million to 1.75 million individuals have a life history of a substance use disorder
- The annual economic impact of substance misuse is estimated to be $249 billion for alcohol misuse and $193 billion for illicit drug use
- Productivity losses linked to employees who miss work cost employers about $1,685 per employee each year
- Over 70% of fatal opioid overdoses occur in working aged adults
- In the U.S. only 1 in 10 people with a substance use disorder obtain treatment
- Employers can save an average of $8,500 for supporting each employee in recovery from substance use disorder
Do you know the economic toll that substance misuse has on your workplace?
This Substance Use Cost Calculator—presented by the National Safety Council—will help you determine the cost of unaddressed substance misuse in your workplace based on the size of your employee base, industry and state.
Benefits of Becoming a RFW
Consider this. A healthier employee population can:
- Decrease employer health costs
- Decrease absenteeism
- Increase productivity and decreases presenteeism
- Increase employee morale
- Increase employee recruitment and retention
What Can Employers Do?
Employers can support healthier behaviors and a recovery-friendly work environment through programs & policies that promote better employee health and health outcomes. These programs can be structured according to the financial and human resource capabilities of the business.
Sample activities and policies include:
- Offering health benefit packages that include substance misuse supports
- Hosting alcohol-free work activities
- Developing a return to work policy for employees who seek treatment