The rising opioid crisis has made its way into several places, including at work. Workplace opioids are a serious danger, and should be treated seriously. Therefore, it’s important to know what you can do to help avoid or prevent misuse…
Workplace Opioids: Prevent Misuse
Educate employees
One of the biggest factors behind workplace opioids is a lack of information. Many workers are unaware of just how dangerous these pills are. As a result, when they get a prescription, they don’t know what to be aware of. This ends up increasing their chances of developing an addiction.
Due to this, it’s important to make sure they know the risks. Many workplaces are now providing handouts about the risks of opioids. Plus, doctors are also doing more to raise awareness. This can help injured workers find different, safer ways to manage their pain.
Healthy workplace culture
A healthy culture also helps prevent workplace opioids. There’s a lot of different factors behind opioid addiction. Aside from injuries, stress and feeling unsupported are also common. If an employee experiences this in the workplace, then it could encourage them to lean on opioids for relief.
However, having a good workplace culture goes a long way. For starters, it’s good to minimize any chances of injury as best as possible. Then, encourage employees to take breaks and have areas to de-stress when needed. Having a good focus on teamwork is also good for making workers feel like they have support.
Support those struggling
What happens if someone appears to be hooked on workplace opioids? Some places might think being strict is the way to go. In reality, being supportive and helping those who are struggling is much more effective. Not only will you help someone with their current addiction, but you’ll also further improve the workplace culture in the process.
Make sure that any help you provide is kept private, out of respect for the worker. A combination of both medical and mental health resources has shown to be very effective in helping those with an addiction. Also, having more lenient medical leave policies can help give workers time to recover and avoid taking pills to try and come back to work faster.