According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, on the job deaths from drug- or alcohol-related causes have grown 25% annually since 2012. That’s a serious concern. Even worse, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says that 116 people died every day in 2016 from an opioid overdose, and over 2 million people had an opioid-use disorder.
Research has now also indicated a striking relationship between the opioid epidemic and workers who leave the workforce and workers who are a part of growing absenteeism and presenteeism problems in the workplace. And while most employers report that they want to and would help employees struggling with addiction, many simply suspend, reprimand, or terminate them.
