© 2005 Behavioral Health Research Institute of the Southwest
612 Encino Place NE / Albuquerque, NM 87102 / 505.244.3099 / www.bhrcs.org

THE WORKSITE:
Concealed Enemy, Hidden Opportunity

The cost of worksite substance abuse

• Drug-using employees use almost ten times more sick leave than non-drug-using employees.
• Small business employees are twice as likely to use illicit drugs.
• Billions of dollars annually are drained from businesses because of substance-abuse related accidents, absenteeism, reduced productivity, and theft.

Intervention at the worksite

• Printed material: Cutting Back, a Guide to Reduce Your Drinking Risk; “WISE Tips” one-page flyers; individualized health-risk appraisals.
• Videos: wellness themes interspersed with messages about coping without using alcohol and drugs.
• Supervisor training: two-hour training sessions explaining policies and procedures about substance use and abuse with emphasis on recognizing troubled employees and getting them help.
• Health coaching: one-on-one counseling with employees, sponsored by the wellness program.

A healthier, more productive workforce

• Employees at Proctor & Gamble who participated in a health promotion program had 30% lower health care costs.
• At a local Albuquerque area Medical Center, Project Wise, an ongoing program, was introduced in 1998.
• Early results indicate that risky drinking decreased following the intervention of Project Wise.

The Behavioral Health Research Center of the Southwest (BHRCS) presents:

WorkERgonomics:
A Holistic Approach to Worker Health

When Pat left for home after work one day last month, the manager had no idea that Pat would spend the next 3 months on disability, suffering from depression. In fact, companies are little aware that mental health problems, stress, and unhealthy lifestyles among their employees cost them billions in real dollars each year.

The facts speak for themselves. Fifty-three million Americans—one in five—experience some type of mental disorder each year, according to David Satcher, US Surgeon General, whose Report on Mental Health was released on December 13, 1999. And what’s more, a disproportionate share of the costs fall upon businesses. Why? Because adults under age 45 are likely to be in the work force and they are the population with the highest proportion of the most common mental health problems, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.

Recent studies have demonstrated the huge costs of emotional disorders borne by businesses. Employers pay more than $3,000 for each depressed worker alone. Substance abuse also takes a toll. Alcoholism accounts for 500 million lost workdays each year. About 7% of full-time workers use illicit drugs and 7% are heavy drinkers. A study conducted in Albuquerque, NM, found that in addition, over 20% of a group of workers completing a health risk appraisal were risky drinkers, drinking 5 or more drinks at a sitting at least once in the past 30 days. For each employee who misuses alcohol or drugs, companies lose an estimated $7,261 per year. Estimated losses from mental health problems don’t include the hidden costs, caused by lowered productivity of both the depressed worker and the temporary worker hired to fill in over the ill person’s absence.

BHRCS presents WorkERgonomics as a concept in employee behavioral health that goes beyond the usual employee assistance and wellness programs. Ergonomics is defined as "design factors, as for the workplace, intended to maximize productivity by minimizing operator fatigue and discomfort."

BHRCS:
DWI RESEARCH SPEAKER SERIES