Addiction in the Workplace: A New Platform to Help SMEs Take Action

The goal is to identify problematic substance use at an early stage, to prevent addiction problems, and to support employees in maintaining their health and performance at work. The Sucht und Arbeitswelt website goes beyond alcohol and also includes illegal drugs, tobacco, nicotine products, and non-substance-related behaviours such as gambling. Managers, HR professionals, and actors in the field of Occupational Health Management will find information and practical resources on the new platform regarding addiction in the professional environment.

Addiction and the workplace are closely linked. Factors such as stress, performance pressure, or a consumption-promoting company culture can encourage problematic consumption. Conversely, problematic substance use or addiction can negatively impact work ability—resulting in absences, performance losses, increased turnover, or incidents up to and including accidents in the workplace.

The economic costs of addiction are estimated to amount to around 8 billion Swiss Francs per year in Switzerland. This includes business losses of 3.4 billion. They have good reasons to introduce a workplace addiction prevention program. 'However, the health of employees should not only be a priority for economic and legal reasons but also because of the company's social responsibility,' explains Lydia Paiva, Prevention Project Manager at Addiction Switzerland.

Many companies only address the issue of addiction in the event of a specific incident. A survey conducted in 2024, which covered over 40,000 companies in Europe, shows that less than a third of the participating companies in Switzerland reported applying preventive measures against addiction. There is still room for improvement in many companies when it comes to preventive measures for the health of their employees.

Understand, Prevent, React

The new platform suggests concrete courses of action for companies in three sections:

Understand: This includes information on risks, mechanisms, and consequences related to problematic consumption and addiction in the professional environment, as well as legal frameworks.

Prevent: Concrete preventive measures aim to identify issues related to problematic consumption early on, to support affected employees, and to prevent progression to more serious problems. A new guide helps companies analyze existing measures, tailor approaches to their corporate culture, and combine them effectively.

React: This involves concrete recommendations for action in the face of noticeable changes in everyday work. Videos with testimonials and practical examples support managers, HR professionals, trainers, and colleagues in dealing with difficult situations.

Additionally, the website offers resources for learners and a national overview of addiction counselling services that advise and support companies in prevention measures.

Funding and Support

The new platform has been financially supported by the Alcohol Prevention Fund and Health Promotion Switzerland. The development of the website was professionally accompanied by representatives from the following organizations: Federal Office of Public Health, Health Promotion Switzerland, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), Addiction Agency Zurich, Blue Cross Romandy, Blue Cross BE-SO-FR, HES-SO Valais, HR Swiss, Employees Switzerland, Unisanté, Akzent Luzern, Peerspektive.

Press Contact:

Monique Portner-Helfer

Media Spokesperson

mportner-helfer@suchtschweiz.ch

Tel. 021 321 29 74

Editor's note: Image rights belong to the respective publisher. Image rights: Sucht Schweiz