A study commissioned by Face It! shows that every dollar spent on substance abuse treatment and recovery in South Dakota delivers over $8.00 in benefits, the majority going to employers. These gains benefit employers because those in recovery:

• Are 50 percent more likely to be employed;
• Take 60 percent fewer days of leave; and
• Spend half as many days per year in the hospital

…compared to those who never get help.

In the Sioux Falls area, each person receiving treatment reduces the community costs of their alcohol problem by almost $14,000, with approximately half the savings realized through higher employment and reduced absenteeism.

Research shows other significant benefits to addressing alcohol and other drug problems in the workplace:

• Addiction treatment costs less than replacing an employee.
• Reported job problems, such as incomplete work, absenteeism, tardiness, work-related injuries, mistakes and disagreements with supervisors are cut by an average of 75 percent among employees who have received treatment for substance use disorders and are in recovery.
• Addressing addiction in the workplace leads to improved job performance, motivation and morale and increased overall customer satisfaction, and a commitment to treatment for employees in need helps reduce accidents, absenteeism, employee theft and fraud, insurance claims and workers compensation costs.
• An overwhelming majority of HR professionals surveyed (92 percent) agree that an effective treatment program increases employee productivity.

Tool: Use the Return on Investment Calculator to learn what your business can save in healthcare costs by supporting treatment and recovery from alcohol problems.