What recovery-friendly workplaces can do before an employee reaches a crisis
Work offered routine, independence and stability — the kinds of support that can help sustain recovery. Yet Ashley also learned how quickly a workplace could become another source of instability. She recalls losing an early job after her recovery became known.
Years later, when asked what she would say to that employer now, Ashley didn’t talk about anger or retaliation.
“I’d educate them,” she said.
That response speaks to a problem Cheryl Brown Merriwether has spent years working to address: many employers simply don’t know what recovery support should look like in the workplace.
Merriwether, a longtime human resources professional helping advance Florida’s Recovery Friendly Workplace initiative, says some of that uncertainty stems from how HR professionals themselves have been trained.
“We are not counselors. We are not therapists,” she said.
Traditionally, HR professionals are taught to protect privacy, follow policy, manage risk and focus on job performance. While those responsibilities remain essential, Merriwether says they can leave managers uncertain about how to respond when an employee struggles with substance use or works to maintain recovery.
Her goal isn’t to turn supervisors into clinicians. Instead, it’s to put the human back into human resources.
Building a Culture of Support
Creating a recovery-friendly workplace begins with leadership making a deliberate commitment to support employees affected by substance use and recovery.
From there, Merriwether encourages employers to examine the resources they already have — policies, benefits, employee assistance programs and wellness initiatives — and identify where additional support may be needed.
That might mean updating workplace policies, improving communication between supervisors and employees, providing training or helping workers understand what resources are available both inside and outside the organization.
Equally important is creating an environment where employees feel safe asking for help before a problem becomes a crisis.
Too often, Merriwether said, employers discover someone is struggling only after something has gone wrong. A missed deadline, performance problem, accident or other incident may trigger disciplinary action before anyone recognizes that an employee needs support.
By that point, the opportunity for earlier intervention may have passed.
Recovery-friendly workplaces aim to change that approach by making education and support available before problems escalate.
UPCOMING VIRTUAL HR TRAINING
The Cost of Doing Business: The Bottom Line on Addiction
Join Cheryl Brown Merriwether and Live Tampa Bay’s Employer & HR Committee to explore how workplaces can better respond to addiction and support recovery.
Tuesday, October 20 | 1–2 p.m. ET
Focus on Performance, Not Assumptions
However, supporting employees doesn’t mean supervisors should attempt to diagnose substance use disorders or act on suspicions.
Merriwether cautions that behaviors traditionally associated with substance use can have many explanations.
For example, an exhausted employee may be caring for a sick child. Someone who appears distracted could be managing an illness, medication, stress or another private concern.
Additionally, as remote work becomes more common, supervisors may not even observe the behaviors they were once trained to recognize.
Instead, Merriwether recommends focusing on observable job performance while educating managers about appropriate ways to respond when an employee indicates they need help.
The goal is to address legitimate workplace concerns without making assumptions about someone’s personal circumstances.
Just as importantly, supervisors need to know where employees can find assistance.
Connecting Employees to Resources
Although many organizations offer health benefits or employee assistance programs, Merriwether says employers are often less familiar with recovery resources available in their communities.
Peer support organizations, transportation assistance, housing programs and other services can play an important role in helping someone establish stability.
People with lived experience can also help bridge that knowledge gap.
For instance, employees who have navigated recovery may know which community organizations provide support, how those services operate and what practical assistance exists beyond traditional clinical treatment.
By understanding these resources, employers can help connect employees with support without assuming responsibility for providing treatment themselves.
The Business Case for Recovery-Friendly Workplaces
Beyond the human benefits, Merriwether wants employers to recognize the financial implications of substance use and recovery support.
Substance misuse can contribute to absenteeism, reduced productivity, workplace accidents and employee turnover.
To help organizations understand those costs, Merriwether incorporates tools developed by the National Safety Council into her employer training sessions. These tools allow businesses to estimate the financial impact substance use may have on their own workforce.
For employers who initially view recovery as a personal matter outside the company’s responsibility, that information can offer a different perspective.
After all, organizations invest considerable time and resources in recruiting, training and retaining employees.
Supporting recovery can also mean protecting that investment and retaining experienced, capable workers.
From Awareness to Action
These principles will be explored in a two-part training series Merriwether is leading with Live Tampa Bay’s Human Resources Committee this fall.
The October 20 session will examine substance use disorders, their effects on workplaces and why employers should understand the issue.
The November 17 session will shift from awareness to solutions, exploring recovery-friendly workplace practices, policies, organizational culture and practical ways employers can support workers seeking or maintaining recovery.
Together, the sessions are designed to help HR professionals and employers move beyond uncertainty toward informed, supportive workplace practices.
For Merriwether, the message is straightforward: creating a recovery-friendly workplace isn’t something employers should fear or view as another burden.
“It’s a solution to a problem that many employers either do not know they have or do not know how to address.”
For employees like Ashley, that education can make the difference between a workplace that becomes another obstacle and one that becomes part of the support system recovery needs.
