Missouri businesses are facing challenges recruiting and retaining workers. At the same time, Missouri also continues to experience high incidents of people of working age who are facing addiction and substance use issues, and ultimately leads to fewer people participating in Missouri’s workforce. Join us in this discussion to explore the linkages between these issues and to discuss how the benefits of Recovery Friendly Workplaces offers solutions to these challenges.
Recovery Friendly Workplace fosters a workplace culture that promotes employee safety, health, and well-being through strategies that provide support for managers and employees, including reducing stigma and providing recovery resources relating to the challenges surrounding substance use disorders.
Each year addiction costs the United States more than $400 billion in lost workplace productivity (HHS, 2016). 20.3 million Americans are suffering from substance use disorder (SAMHSA, 2018), and 80 percent of individuals who use alcohol or illicit substances are employed and never get the needed help (NIOSH, 2019). Workers with a current substance use disorder miss an average of 14.8 per year, compared to an average of 10.5 days for most employees (CDC, 2019).
It is estimated that addiction (opioid and substance use disorder) costs Missouri $34.5 million every day, and $12.6 billion in a year (MHA, 2016). Costs associated with overdose deaths accounted for 96 percent of the total economic burden of opioid use disorder. In 2018, more than three Missourians lost their lives to an opioid overdose each day (DHSS, 2018). Missouri’s opioid epidemic impact is multidimensional and multi-generational, affecting people across all demographics.
States, corporations, and organizations across the country are working together to combat the economic impact of this crisis by supporting employees affected by substance use disorder by creating environments where all employees thrive. Learn more about how to become a Recovery Friendly Workplace at recoveryfriendlymo.com.
Benefits of participation
- Learn more about what it means to be a Recovery Friendly Workplace
- Connect with a network of businesses and organizations interested in creating supportive, safe environments where all employees thrive
- Together we can impact the economy and workforce by supporting employees affected by substance use disorder and on a journey to recovery
Recovery Friendly Workplace is a joint effort between Community Health Engagement and Outreach and Labor and Workforce Development.
This work is supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Rural Opioids Technical Assistance Grants program [grant opportunity #: 1H79TI083259-01].