Workplace Substance Abuse: The Complexity of the Hazard at Work - with Candace Plattor

Substance abuse in Canada is not often talked about at work. But it is a major crisis in human suffering, harm and risk to safety, health and death by suicide. It touches virtually every workplace, every family and every friend group. And the cold, hard costs to the workplace of that suffering, harm and risk? A 2020 study by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) and the University of Victoria's Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR) reported the cost to people in Canada at $49 billion, with the largest portion in lost workplace productivity at $22.4 billion. Nearly 74,000 substance use-attributable deaths occurred in Canada in 2020, more than 200 deaths a day. In this episode host Kim MacDonald explores this workplace issue with special guest Candace Plattor who will help us break down the myths, stereotypes, and misunderstandings that many of us have built about what enabling, protection and caring looks like in today's workplace environment. The type of substance use can vary from an employee drinking alcohol during a workplace or business lunch to an employee affected by an addiction to opioids. Employers and employees can feel the impact through lowered morale, through the climate it can create or when the workplace has a culture of acceptance and not participating results in exclusion. If reducing harm and risk at work is our collective objective, Candace believes we first have to unlearn a lot of what we believe are the most helpful actions. She believes that the crisis requires a new level of workplace education to more accurately reduce risk and protect mental health and psychological health and safety. Candace discusses how to eliminate unintentional enabling, and support it all by specific actions and policies, including around some of the new drugs that workplaces now have on-site to save lives when someone has overdosed. Organizations have a non-negotiable responsibility for health and safety at work, and Candace has surprising advice for human-centred, caring leaders. Check out Candace's TedX Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VadN5wpk_-0 Love With Boundaries: https://lovewithboundaries.com/wp2022/