The Covid 19 Pandemic completely changed the global work equation, with many corporate entities reverting to remote, hybrid work and paperless offices to cope with the new way of life caused by the pandemic.
According to research statistics published by Statista on April 9, 2021, the number of employees working from home five days or more a week in the US ballooned from 17% in the pre-covid time to a sizeable 44% during the pandemic.
Despite the gains made by work environment diversification through remote work and hybrid work environment, Arizona-based mental health treatment center Sierra Tucson’s study revealed a startling 21% of the US employees used recreational drugs while working from home this year.
An equal percentage reportedly used alcohol during regular workdays, while other remote-working employees used marijuana and other recreational drugs. Some three-quarters of the total number of employees who used recreational drugs stated they would miss using the drugs during the working days if their employers called them back to the in-person working environment.
While another study showed 57% work from home employees reported being very productive, the latest ST research revealed 22% of the interviewed employees have participated in work-related virtual calls while under the influence of marijuana, alcohol, and other types of recreational drugs.
The Sierra Tucson survey also revealed that 52% of the employees using marijuana reported increased consumption when working from home; additionally, 57% of marijuana users reported drinking more alcohol than they used to in the pre-pandemic times.
The Alarming Work from Home Drug Use: Here are some of the Reasons Revealed by the Study
Although a sizeable percentage of the remote workers used drugs while undertaking their regular tasks, it wasn’t for the same reasons. Some employees use drugs to relieve stress and cope with anxiety, loneliness, and depression, while others use drugs for recreational purposes.
“At least half, if not more than half, of the people [surveyed] were using marijuana to cope with stress, anxiety, loneliness, or depression—which are all four things that increased with the pandemic,” said Dr. Jasleen Chhatwal, the chief medical officer at Sierra Tucson.
The survey also revealed 59% of those using marijuana during WFH reported using it for recreation, with the trend common among family-aged men and adult women. Of 1011 respondents, 13% admitted to using the drugs for psychotherapy, with 42% of young adults and 46% of family-aged participants admitting to engaging in therapy many times than expected due to addiction and anxiety.
Potential Solutions to the Widespread Self-Medication among the Employees
According to Chhatwal, HR can help promote the mental wellness of the employees at work by offering an annual “wellness survey” to enable the organization’s employees to monitor their mental health over time and check on employees more frequently, especially when they when you know they’re going through unusual circumstances in their personal life.
Chhatwal also suggested the management should cover the costs for teletherapy applications such as Talkspace, BetterHelp, biometric tracking, and mindfulness meditation apps to help employees track poor sleep, anxiety, or depression symptoms.
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