Assistance, treatment and rehabilitation programmes

Pages17-19
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8. Assistance, treatment and rehabilitation programmes
8.1. Health character of alcohol- and drug-related problems
8.1.1. Workers with alcohol- or drug-related problems should be treated in the
same way as workers with other health problems, in terms of benefits such as paid sick
leave, paid annual leave, leave without pay and health-care insurance coverage, in
accordance with national laws and regulations or as agreed upon in collective
bargaining.
8.2. Job security and promotion
8.2.1. Workers who seek treatment and rehabilitation for alcohol- or drug-related
problems should not be discriminated against by the employer and should enjoy normal
job security and opportunity for transfer and advancement.
8.2.2. Exceptions to the principle of job security and promotion after the
disclosure of alcohol- or drug-related problems by workers to their employer may be
justified if the occupational health service (OHS) determines that an individual is no
longer fit for a given job. In such circumstances, however, the employer should assist
the worker to obtain access to counselling, treatment and rehabilitation.
8.3. Coordinating assistance to workers
8.3.1. Coordination of assistance by employers to workers who have alcohol-
and drug-related problems will vary according to the size and nature of the enterprise,
as well as according to national law, health-care and social security systems.
8.3.2. In the case of small enterprises, many of which do not have a health care
unit and some of which do not have an organized framework for the representation of
workers, employers should consider taking the following actions:
(a) identifying professionals and services which specialize in the counselling,
treatment and rehabilitation of alcohol- and drug-related problems in the
community and referring the worker to such professional assistance;
(b) identifying community-based organizations, including those of a medical and non-
medical character, as well as self-help groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
and Narcotics Anonymous (NA), that may be useful to workers in dealing with
their alcohol- or drug-related problems, and refer workers to such organizations;
(c) suggesting that the worker concerned contact his or her personal physician for
initial assessment and treatment, and helping the worker locate a medical doctor if
he or she does not have a personal physician.

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