Since recreational cannabis was legalized across Canada six months ago, related workplace problems have mainly been notable by their absence. “It’s been a surprising lack of significant issues arising in the workplace,” said Angelo Tsebelis, president at Starseed Medicinal Inc., during a panel at Benefits Canada’s 2019 Benefits and Pension Summit in Toronto on Wednesday. This […]
More than half (60 per cent) of North American workforces said their employees are facing more mental health and substance abuse issues than they were two years ago, according to a new survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. The survey, which polled 190 U.S. and 88 Canadian employers, found 40 per cent of […]
Substance abuse can be a killer—literally—for employers in safety-critical industries. So what can they do about it?
Supporting an employee who is struggling with a substance addiction can be a huge challenge for many employers, and it is a challenge that’s not going away. Statistics Canada reports that one in 10 Canadians report symptoms consistent with substance dependency. The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse reports that substance abuse and addictions cost the Canadian economy $24.3 billion dollars in lost productivity.
For individuals who are dependent on alcohol and/or drugs, that dependency can be more than just a social issue—it can also can impact their performance at work. Drugs and alcohol not only affect people physically, but also mentally because their cognitive skills (e.g., decision-making skills) can become impaired, said Barb Butler, president of Barbara Butler […]