Our Wellbeing focus for July and August is Drugs and Alcohol.
Drugs and alcohol related problems can harm your health and cause disability and in some cases death. Drugs and alcohol can affect your behaviour and ability to carry out everyday activities.
Colleagues under the influence present an injury hazard to themselves and also place their colleagues in danger or in the difficult position of being expected to cover for unsafe work practices.
Co-ordination, motor control, alertness and ability to exercise judgement can become affected by alcohol and drug use. These safety risks are greater where people operate machinery, drive vehicles or plant, or rely on concentration to do their work and can result in:
- workplace accidents, injuries or damage to equipment
- increased absenteeism and reduced productivity
- poor teamwork or workplace relationships
- disciplinary or conduct problems.
Cemex Policy
Cemex has a zero tolerance policy on any drugs that could adversely affect work performance and/or Health & Safety. Testing positive for drugs or alcohol without a satisfactory medical explanation will be considered as gross misconduct and could lead to dismissal.
Disclosure of a drug or alcohol related problem due to an impending test is treated as a disciplinary matter.
Full details of our Drugs and Alcohol policy can be found here: Drugs and Alcohol Abuse Policy June 2021.pdf
Seeking Support
If you or someone you know is affected by drug and alcohol misuse (or abuse) it is important to seek support as soon as possible. If you think you have or think you may be developing an alcohol or drug related problem you should inform your Line Manager at the earliest opportunity. Cemex will, wherever possible, offer assistance with the rehabilitation of employees who are willing to face up to their addiction and commit to appropriate treatment.
Cemex offers all employees a free, confidential employee assistance programme (EAP) called Lifestyle Support. Available 24/7, it is run by a separate provider and not part of Cemex. The company does not receive any employee specific information. You can contact The EAP for confidential advice and support – by calling 0808 168 2143 or visit www.lifestyle-support.co.uk (Username: cemex Password: cemex).
If you or anyone you know is struggling with any kind of addiction, remember you’re not alone. There are many organisations that can help:
- https://www.actiononaddiction.org.uk/
- https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/addiction-support/drug-addiction-getting-help/
- https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/alcohol-support/
- https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/recreational-drugs-alcohol-and-addiction/support-for-drug-and-alcohol-problems/
- https://www.changegrowlive.org/advice-info/alcohol-drugs
- https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk/
- https://www.turning-point.co.uk/support-we-offer/drugs-and-alcohol
- https://alcoholchange.org.uk/
- https://www.talktofrank.com/
You can find a poster with all of these links in QR Code format in the download section of the UK News website: HERE. Please share this poster on all workplace and wellbeing notice boards.
For Managers
It is important to understand and recognise the signs of drug and alcohol misuse (or abuse).
To support you, you can find the latest Cemex Drugs and Alcohol Policy HERE: Drugs and Alcohol Abuse Policy June 2021.pdf. This Policy is designed to promote a culture in which drug and alcohol abuse is discouraged and to ensure that use of either drugs or alcohol does not impair the safe and efficient running of the organisation.
Some of the warning signs to look out for, that colleagues may be struggling with Drugs and Alcohol misuse are:
- unexplained or frequent absences
- a change in behaviour
- unexplained dips in productivity
- more accidents or near-misses
Next week we will be finding out more about psychoactive substances, sometimes known as legal highs.