Drug and alcohol use issues affect more people than is commonly thought; however, the CIPD Managing Drug and Alcohol Misuse at Work report suggests this issue is not being adequately managed in the workplace. Only 30% of UK organisations provide guidelines for managers on how to deal with disclosure and how to signpost to support, and just 27% give information for employees about disclosing a problem with alcohol and/or drugs. This is despite the fact that managers are most often:  

  • the person an employee will disclose an issue to 
  • the person who may pick up that an employee is struggling 
  • the person who will be immediately dealing with an incident at work.  

The CIPD Managing Drug and Alcohol Misuse at Work report showed that, in addition, too few employers provide training for line managers on either recognising signs of stress (38%), or recognising the symptoms of drug and alcohol problems (26%). However, these investments in manager capability were rated highly in terms of effectiveness in helping prevent drug and alcohol misuse.  

Drug and alcohol use issues are significant health, safety and employee wellbeing concerns, and it’s important that employers have preventative and supportive measures in place in addition to a clear policy on drug and alcohol misuse and any necessary disciplinary procedures.  

This guidance therefore aims to help managers to effectively support and manage someone who is struggling with drugs and/or alcohol to get help, regardless of whether there is a need for performance or disciplinary measures, and start to bridge the gap in training provision that was highlighted in the CIPD Managing Drug and Alcohol Misuse at Work report.

This guide also outlines the importance of approaching the issue in terms of prevention. Line managers have a strong influence on the working culture and are ideally placed to be able to spot and address issues such as high workloads, long working hours and stress, as well as early warning signs of issues and knowledge of life events such as loss, grief or relationship breakdown, which can trigger a change in drinking or drug using behaviours, and signpost people to support if needed.  

On this page

To continue reading, log in or become a member

Affiliate membership offers instant access to CIPD resources without the need for assessments or study, or explore your options to become a professional member of the CIPD to demonstrate your commitment to the world of work.

  • Access to exclusive, up-to-date resources
  • Become part of a community to learn, debate and connect with other people professionals
  • Free access to a series of CIPD learning courses and a discount on the rest of our catalogue
Instant access Explore membership
  • Data

    Data hub

    Explore the evidence behind workforce trends

  • Webinar

    Empowering workplaces by championing women's health and reproductive health

    Watch our webinar to explore how organisations can create a work environment that supports employees throughout their career including in menopause and fertility challenges as well as with their menstrual health.

    Register now
  • Guide

    Learning and development for people professionals

    This guide provides a practical introduction to the role of an L&D function in an organisation. It offers support on the key steps to offering effective L&D, including creating a learning strategy, undertaking a learning needs analysis, designing learning interventions and measuring the impact of learning.

    For Members