Work as recovery: Supporting employment during Alcohol Awareness Week

Kayleigh Gamblin, National Employment Lead at WithYou, provides a perspective on the role of work in recovery from alcohol issues during Alcohol Awareness Week.

For many people struggling with issues with alcohol, work can become a cornerstone of recovery that provides structure, purpose, and connection. At WithYou, I see this play out every day as our clients participate in our Individual Placement and Support (IPS) programme, which provides tailored support to help people find the right job. We understand that sustainable recovery can walk hand-in-hand with meaningful employment.

Work as a foundation for recovery

In December last year, a report from the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities found that there was a clear association between positive alcohol and drug treatment outcomes and successful employment. When I work with our clients on their career path, I see the rewards they reap from having a job. Employment provides structure to days and weeks, financial independence and stability, social connections, and a sense of purpose and achievement. It’s about rebuilding identity, confidence, and hope.

Bridging the gap between employer and client

Our IPS programme bridges the gap between recovery and employment, through specialised Employment Specialists who work directly with both clients and employers. This dual approach addresses the needs on both sides and ensures any issues that arise are dealt with swiftly.

For individuals in recovery, we provide skills assessment, job search and matching, employer engagement, interview preparation, unlimited workplace support, and intervention if needed.

For employers, we offer access to motivated candidates with the right skills, ongoing workplace support, and support in creating inclusive and recovery-friendly workplaces.

As a result, employers we work with say they have reduced staff turnover, and that they’re seen as fair and respected organisations in the community.

Building recovery friendly workplaces

It’s really important for employers to normalise talking about support for people struggling with alcohol use. By making sure that support is built into their policies and actively discussed by managers and human resources teams, they’ll ensure that when one of their employees is struggling, their manager feels confident in what to do to help them.

These policies could look like Employee Assistance Programmes, Occupational Health support, reasonable adjustments to reduce pressure at work, and time off for those needing treatment.

We recommend that the employers we work with promote support openly, with key messages regarding where to go for help and support – WithYou’s website has a directory for all services across England and Scotland.

Working together

Hiring people struggling with alcohol isn’t just a nice thing to do for others – employers we work with say they have reduced staff turnover, and that they’re seen as fair and respected organisations in their communities.

Recovery and work can actively strengthen each other. This Alcohol Awareness Week, WithYou is calling on employers and policymakers to recognise work as a recovery tool, which can change the lives of people across the UK.

Find out more about Alcohol Awareness Week on the Alcohol Change UK website here.