How does addiction in the workplace affect safety and productivity? Read about warning signs of alcohol, drug and gambling problems, policy and managers.
A forklift operator who is often late on Monday mornings and visibly tired in the afternoons. A sales representative who never takes his eyes off his phone during the shift, asks colleagues for small loans and makes increasingly frequent requests for salary advances. A department manager who sits in her car for a long time after meetings and whose performance has dropped markedly in recent months. These pictures do not always point to addiction, but sometimes there may be an alcohol, substance or gambling problem behind them. Addiction in the workplace is a subject that most organisations either ignore or try to deal with only through discipline. Yet addiction is both a health problem and a direct occupational safety risk. In this article, for employers, HR managers, OHS specialists and factory managers, I look at the effect of addiction on working life, early warning signs, how to set up a policy and how managers should behave.
What Is Addiction in the Workplace? Alcohol, Substance and Behavioural Addictions
Addiction is a condition characterised by a person being unable to control the use of a substance or the continuation of a behaviour despite its negative consequences. From the workplace's point of view, three main headings stand out:
- Alcohol use problems: One of the most socially accepted and therefore most slowly noticed problems. It can show up at work as heavy drinking the night before a shift, coming to work hungover or secretly drinking during the shift.
- Substance use: Alongside illegal substances, the misuse of prescription medicines falls within this scope. Because of their effects on attention, reaction time and decision-making, they pose a serious risk especially in hazardous jobs.
- Gambling and betting addiction: With online betting and games of chance becoming accessible at any moment through smartphones in recent years, this has become an increasingly common problem in workplaces. Because gambling addiction leaves no physical trace, it is one of the types of addiction noticed latest; but it can have devastating effects on an employee's finances, mood and relationships.
Addiction is not a character flaw or a lack of willpower. It is a treatable health problem that develops through the interaction of biological, psychological and social factors. This perspective also shapes the organisation's approach: the aim is not to punish the person but to ensure safety and to open the way for the employee to get help.
Organisational culture also plays a decisive role in this picture. Team events that always end with drinks, environments where employees who "drink a lot" or "play big" are approved of with jokes, or shifts where betting slips are a common topic of conversation on match days can normalise the problem. Reducing the risk of addiction in the workplace requires not only focusing on the individuals who have the problem but also recognising the social norms that feed such habits. Small steps, such as making alcohol-free options natural at company events or managers not making jokes about betting and gambling, help the subject of addiction in the workplace to be discussed on a healthier footing.
What Does Addiction in the Workplace Affect? Safety, Productivity and Relationships
Addiction problems affect many areas of the workplace:
- Occupational safety: Operating machinery, driving or working at height under the influence of alcohol or drugs endangers the lives of both the employee and their colleagues. In Turkey in 2025, 766,039 workplace accidents and 1,931 deaths were recorded under Social Security Institution (SGK) category 4-1/a, and about 41% of the accidents occurred in the manufacturing sector (SGK Statistical Yearbook, 2025). We have no breakdown relating to addiction for the causes of these accidents, but every factor that affects attention and reaction time needs to be taken seriously in this picture.
- Absenteeism and presenteeism: Frequent lateness, short-term absences especially at the start of the week, and being at work but unable to work productively.
- Performance and quality problems: An increase in error rates, forgetfulness, missed deadlines.
- Working relationships: Angry outbursts, conflicts, loss of trust and tension within the team.
- Financial and legal risks: Especially with gambling addiction, borrowing from colleagues, wage garnishment and, in more serious cases, the risk of misuse of organisational resources.
Addiction often does not appear on its own; it can occur together with depression, anxiety, trauma or intense stress. In an environment where 66% of employees in Turkey say they experienced stress during much of the previous day (Gallup, 2026; 2025 data), some employees may begin to use alcohol, substances or gambling as a way of coping with stress. For this reason, addiction cannot be considered separately from psychosocial risks.
Early Warning Signs
The signs below do not on their own mean addiction and should not be used to make a diagnosis. But several of them appearing together and persistently may point to a change that should catch a manager's attention:
General signs:
- Repeated lateness and absence, especially at the start of the week or after payday
- Frequent unexplained breaks or long disappearances
- Fluctuations in performance, distraction and an increase in errors
- Sudden changes in mood, irritability or withdrawal
- Marked deterioration in appearance and self-care
Changes that may point to alcohol and substance use:
- The smell of alcohol, bloodshot eyes, slurred speech or impaired coordination
- Tremors, excessive sweating or visible exhaustion
- Increased failure to comply with safety rules
Changes that may point to a gambling problem:
- Constantly being busy on the phone during the shift, marked restlessness at match or results times
- Repeated requests for loans from colleagues, frequent requests for salary advances
- Unexplained anxiety about money troubles, secrecy and defensiveness
- Marked swings in mood after a win or a loss
For more on how gambling and betting problems begin in young people, you can look at the article on gambling addiction in young people; the same mechanisms work in adult employees too.
The Legal and Policy Framework
Article 4 of the Occupational Health and Safety Law No. 6331 states that the employer is obliged to ensure employees' work-related health and safety and must take into account an employee's suitability for the job from a health and safety standpoint when assigning tasks. Article 15 of the Law also requires the employer to provide health surveillance according to the risks employees are exposed to. An employee suspected of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs continuing to work in a hazardous task is an unacceptable risk for both the employee and their colleagues.
That said, testing, the processing of health information, confidentiality and disciplinary processes are legally sensitive matters. I recommend that you get an opinion from your legal department or a lawyer when preparing an alcohol and substance policy, from the standpoint of protecting personal health data and employment law, and that you involve your workplace doctor in the process.
A good policy usually includes the following elements:
- Purpose: To ensure safety and to encourage seeking help.
- Scope and rules: Clear rules on the use of alcohol and substances in the workplace and during working hours, and practice at company events.
- Procedure where there is suspicion: Who will intervene, how and in what steps when an employee is suspected of being unable to work safely.
- Routes to support: The support offered if an employee asks for help of their own accord, principles of confidentiality, and arrangements for leave for the treatment process and for return to work.
- Training and communication: Announcing the policy to all employees in an understandable way and training managers on it.
The purpose of an addiction policy is not to catch the employee, but to create an environment in which it is possible to ask for help without putting anyone in danger.
How Should Managers Behave?
Managers are usually caught between two extremes: either they ignore the problem or they take a directly accusatory stance. Both attitudes make the problem worse. A more effective approach involves these steps:
1. Prioritise an immediate safety risk. If the employee cannot work safely at that moment, remove them from the hazardous task immediately and calmly, do not leave them alone and apply the procedure in the policy. Do not let the person drive home. If there are signs of a medical emergency such as clouded consciousness or difficulty breathing, call 112 (emergency services) at once.
2. Do not try to diagnose; describe what you have observed. Instead of saying "You have a drinking problem", use concrete, observation-based language such as "You've been late five times in the last month and there have been two quality errors; I'm concerned about you." Conducting the conversation around performance and safety reduces defensiveness.
3. Take care over privacy. Hold the conversation where others cannot hear, and share what is said only with those who need to know.
4. Point to a route to support. Give information about the organisation's confidential psychological support service, the workplace doctor or external counselling. Medical assessment may also be needed for addiction problems, so say that it is important to see a psychiatrist when necessary. You can find the different roles of a psychologist and a psychiatrist in the article on the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist.
5. Keep expectations clear. Offering support does not mean giving up expectations about performance and safety. Make clear what changes are expected and in what time frame they will be reviewed together.
6. Follow up and be consistent. One conversation is often not enough. Regular, consistent follow-up supports both trust and responsibility.
Most employees with an addiction, even if aware of the problem, avoid asking for help for fear of losing their job or being stigmatised. In a survey in Europe, 50% of employees think that disclosing a mental health problem would harm their career (EU-OSHA, 2022). This figure shows how hard it can be to ask for help with even more stigmatised problems such as addiction. For this reason, a policy that supports an employee's coming forward of their own accord allows the problem to be dealt with at an early stage.
Suppose that at a metalworking factory an experienced operator's Monday absences have increased in recent months and he has had a near miss. Instead of blaming him, the foreman invites him to a calm meeting, shares his observations in concrete terms and mentions the organisation's confidential support service. The operator does not acknowledge the problem in the first meeting, but a few weeks later he applies to the support service himself. Together with the workplace doctor, the organisation arranges the leave needed for the treatment process and a phased return-to-work plan. Temporarily keeping the operator away from safety-critical tasks during this process is also part of the plan.
How to Get Started in Your Organisation
Needs analysis: Absence patterns, workplace accident and near-miss records, disciplinary processes and the workplace doctor's general observations are assessed in line with principles of confidentiality. Confidential surveys measure employees' stress levels, trust in sources of support and perception of stigma.
Programme: A written alcohol, substance and gambling policy, a procedure to follow where there is suspicion, conversation and referral training for managers, awareness sessions for employees and confidential individual support are planned. In the World Health Organization's guidelines on mental health at work, the recommendation with the strongest evidence is providing managers with mental health training (WHO, 2022). For how confidential counselling services can be structured, see the article on the employee assistance programme, and for programmes suited to your organisation, the corporate services page.
Measurement: Use of the support service, absenteeism, workplace accident and near-miss reports, awareness of the policy and employee surveys are monitored at set intervals. The ILO lists absenteeism, turnover, use of support services and employee surveys among its monitoring indicators (ILO, 2026).
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I dismiss an employee I suspect of having an addiction?
Dismissal as a first reaction does not solve the problem and often leads other employees to avoid asking for help as well. If there is a safety risk, the employee must be removed from the hazardous task immediately; but an approach that then offers support and treatment options is more workable. For disciplinary and legal processes, be sure to take advice from your legal department.
Why is gambling addiction the workplace's concern?
Gambling addiction can lead to distraction, serious financial difficulty, borrowing relationships and severe psychological distress. This affects both the employee's job performance and relationships within the team. Intense debt and desperation can also pose a serious mental health risk.
Can we test employees for alcohol or drugs?
This subject is sensitive in terms of the protection of personal health data and employment law. If testing is planned, its scope, rationale, consent process and the confidentiality of the results should be determined with a legal specialist and the workplace doctor, and the policy should be announced to all employees in advance.
What should I do if an employee with an addiction problem talks about hopelessness or thoughts of self-harm?
Take this seriously, do not leave the employee alone and listen calmly. If there is immediate danger, call 112 (emergency services) at once; in non-emergency situations, help them reach a mental health professional and, when needed, a psychiatrist. If the organisation has a confidential support service, remind them clearly how to reach it.
Bu yazı genel bilgilendirme amaçlıdır; tanı veya tedavi yerine geçmez. Yaşadığınız güçlükler için bir ruh sağlığı uzmanına başvurmanız önerilir. Acil bir durumda lütfen 112'yi arayın.
Eda Erkan Alapala
Klinik Psikolog. İstanbul Kent Üniversitesi Klinik Psikoloji Tezli Yüksek Lisans mezunu; bilişsel davranışçı terapi, çocuk merkezli oyun terapisi ve çocuk-ergen psikoterapisi alanlarında eğitimlerini tamamlamıştır.
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