Givens Highland Farms is now designated as a Recovery Friendly Workplace in North Carolina, indicating the nonprofit senior living organization’s support of health, wellness and team member safety at work and home.

The Recovery Friendly Workplace Program helps companies and organizations create a culture that breaks down the stigma often associated with the disease of addiction, substance use, and recovery. Availability of training, facilitation and employee assistance are among the criteria for workplaces earning the designation.

“The bottom line is that supporting recovery efforts is good for us, as a workplace and employer, while being beneficial for each individual, their families, and the overall community,” said Christian Grunder, vice president of HR for Givens Communities. “A core value for Givens is ‘people passionate’ and aiding someone in their recovery journey is an example of that.”

Employer participation in the recovery program connects staff with the means to build a workplace that provides an environment conducive to the journey of recovery. The benefits include:

• Increased productivity
• Reduced absenteeism
• Healthier, happier team members
• Better retention, less turnover

According to the Recovery Friendly Workplace Program, one in two people are affected by substance use personally or through the use of loved ones. Being a Recovery Friendly Workplace establishes avenues for action if an employee shows signs of concern. Ultimately, a team member in recovery saves their employers on average $8,500 per year.

The U.S. Department of Labor states that adoption of recovery-ready workplace policies can help reduce the costs associated with turnover, productivity losses, health service utilization, and injury or accident risk due to substance-related impairment.

The National Safety Council reports that people in recovery “often have a high degree of self-awareness, resilience, compassion, dedication and understanding,” and research further indicates that they also have lower rates of absenteeism than the average employee. By facilitating the hiring of people in recovery, workplace policies can help employers tap into a dedicated and reliable pool of prospective staff members.

For more information on Givens Highland Farms career opportunities and designation as a Recovery Friendly Workplace, go to https://givenscommunities.org/careers/

A video on the significance of Recovery Friendly Workplaces from second chances partner Learning-To-Lead: