Mental health is more than just a personal matter. When employees are battling mental health issues, including addiction, it affects their job satisfaction, productivity, and safety. It also significantly impacts organisational success.
In Thailand, where conversations around addiction are often actively avoided, it’s all the more important for employers to address addiction as early as possible, reducing threats to employees’ health and happiness, and the future of their organisation.
What Addiction Means in the Thai Workplace
Addiction falls under the same umbrella as anxiety, depression, OCD, and all other mental health diagnoses. Affecting behaviour, cognition, and function, it’s an illness that is just as deserving of treatment and support as any other.
In Thailand, millions of people are using drugs. The southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala nad Narathiwat have the highest rates of drug addiction, with 80% of residents wanting the government to step in and resolve this issue.
When addiction creeps into workplaces, it affects not only the drug user, but also their colleagues and employers. On average, employees are working 16 hours extra due to their colleagues’ alcohol use, which translates to a loss of 1.8 billion Thai baht.
Staff members that are engaging in addictive behaviours are more likely to take days off, experience a lack of motivation, struggle to get along with their coworkers, and fail to meet targets.
Without sufficient support in the workplace, addiction is more likely to worsen. For some, there is no option but to go to alcohol rehab for up to one month, for an alcohol detox and an intensive therapy programme. The more employees reaching this stage, the more vulnerable the business will become.
Why Addiction and Mental Health Matter in Thai Business
42.7% of Thai employees suffer mental health problems at some time. With such a pressing issue only growing within the workplace, it’s time for employers to understand the dangers of neglecting mental health discussions.
On one hand, employees who feel unsupported at work may be unable to commit to their job, whether that means struggling to stay present at work, or not showing up at all. This scenario often leads to low employee satisfaction and high turnover, leading to a loss of profit and a threat to the company’s reputation.
Many people with mental health issues manage to keep up with their career. In fact, according to Dr Jennifer Chavanovanich, deputy dean of Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Psychology, 27.5% of Thai workers facing psychological distress continue to work. This is for five key reasons: feeling irreplaceable, having urgent tasks to handle, worrying about performance evaluation, facing financial challenges, or believing they should attend work as they could still function.
When an employee with an addiction or other mental health challenge decides to keep working, employers should be cautious. It’s not a time to celebrate their drive, but rather a time to consider their needs and ensure they are receiving adequate support at work.
Untreated addiction isn’t likely to resolve itself. If employers don’t step in and protect both their staff wellbeing and their finances, addiction can lead to:
- High error rates
- Safety incidents
- Elevated turnover and recruitment costs
- Reduced productivity
- Increased absenteeism and presenteeism
Stigma and Cultural Barriers in Thailand
Thai culture is often at odds with the concept of sharing our pain and reaching out for support, particularly at work. Many feel they mustn’t show too much of themselves at work, in order to save face and demonstrate respect for the workplace hierarchy.
Unfortunately, this is often an obstacle for employees getting the help they need and deserve. As staff opt for silence, their addiction thrives, and eventually leaves them with no choice but to quit their job, perform poorly, or risk being dismissed.
Addressing addiction in the workplace is both a moral and strategic decision. It ensures staff can prioritise their health above all else, but it also exposes early risks, allowing employers to take action and protect their assets.
Practical Strategies for Employers
1. Educate employees
The first step to empathy is education. If all staff are aware of the effects of mental health and addiction, they can look out for one another in the workplace, and extend a hand when needed.
Those who are dealing with addiction themselves may not even understand that it is an illness, and may be unaware of symptoms. Sharing this information could save lives.
Education can happen through a variety of methods, but it’s advisable to start with formal training for managers and workshops for employees.
2. Write flexible policies
Flexibility is key when it comes to protecting employees’ mental health. Staff members are not robots.
If they are struggling with something like addiction, they need adaptations such as: phased returns after addiction treatment, flexible working hours, and paid sick leave.
3. Offer long-term support
In the early days, people often receive plenty of support. It’s the later stages of recovery that are neglected, as people slowly forget about the issue, or feel they have done enough to help.
Employers can offer long-term support to ensure their teams can stay in work permanently, without burning out. This might look like scheduling weekly check-ins or establishing relapse prevention programmes at work.
4. Recommend resources
Many Thai employers already offer free private therapy for their staff, but to ensure support is not vague, it’s best to recommend suitable resources for recovering employees. Before recommending any resource, check that they is regulated.
Partnering with local charities is a great way to equip staff with expert information and guidance on staying sober. There are also plenty of addiction-focused apps, and therapists who specialise in addiction, that can guide employees through their recovery journey.
5. Reduce stigma
Change only requires one individual. As an employer, if you decide to be open about mental health, and challenge harmful stereotypes, you can start a chain of empathy that extends all the way across the company.
Simple changes to the way we describe addiction, such as referring to it as an “illness” or “disease”, and using the term “people with addiction” instead of “drug addicts”, helps everyone better relate to drug users, as opposed to “othering” them.
Sharing statistics can also be a helpful way to reduce stigma. When people realise how common mental health struggles are, they may feel more comfortable engaging in the topic, and expressing empathy.
Benefits of Supporting Mental Health and Addiction Recovery
Supporting mental health and addiction recovery at work is beneficial for wellbeing, but also business outcomes.
It can lead to:
- Higher morale
- Low turnover
- Improved productivity
- Reduced healthcare costs
- Enhanced employer reputation
General attitudes to addiction in Thailand can be negative, so employers who are openly non-judgemental of addiction will stand out, and attract equally empathetic employees.
Conclusion
Thai workplaces are increasingly impacted by high rates of mental health issues, including addiction. Ignoring this issue will only reflect poorly on organisations, whereas implementing practical strategies can create healthier employees and more robust businesses.
When staff members feel safe to seek support, challenges can be addressed when they are still minor. Such risk mitigation is crucial for teams to thrive, not only in the near future, but in the long term.
