Opioid crisis having sizable impact on workplaces: survey

Hartford, CT — Two-thirds of employers in the United States are or will be affected by the opioid epidemic, according to the results of a recent survey.

Researchers from The Hartford insurance company surveyed 500 human resources professionals and 2,000 workers nationwide in August. Among the HR group, 67 percent said their organizations “are impacted by opioid use today or will be in the future,” and 65 percent reported that opioid addiction is having a financial impact on their company.

Among the workers, 76 percent said they are ill-prepared to help a co-worker dealing with an opioid addiction, while 64 percent of the HR professionals reported the same.

Fewer than 1 in 4 HR professionals (24 percent) and only 18 percent of employees felt “very or extremely confident” they could detect the signs of opioid addiction. Nineteen percent of both groups felt the same way about knowing how to reduce the risk of opioid addiction.

The researchers said these results should encourage employers to provide addiction education resources and implement consistent policies and procedures to mitigate prescription drug misuse among workers.

“Now is the time for the business community to join in a united effort advancing addiction prevention, treatment and recovery,” Christopher Swift, chairman and CEO of The Hartford, said in a Nov. 27 press release. “All of us – companies, citizens and communities – must work together to overcome this crisis.”