First of Free Four-Part Series to be Held on Jan. 29 at The Gathering
The current state of alcohol and drug abuse in the workplace is the first topic in a free four-part breakfast series offered to business leaders in Shawano and the Menominee Indian tribal community. Invited are business owners, corporate executives, human resources personnel, and managers from businesses of any size.
Attendees will hear from Julia Sherman of the University of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Alcohol Policy Project, and Capt. Tom Tuma of the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department, both of whom will talk about alcohol and drug abuse at the state and local level. Business leaders will have the chance to share and ask about their experiences with drugs and alcohol in the workplace.
The breakfast series is funded by the ThedaCare-led Shawano-Menominee Community Health Action Team (CHAT) and Vision 2017 and organized by the Wolf River Region Coalition for an Alcohol and Drug Free Workplace. According to Kathy Franklin, Ed.D., a consultant to Shawano County Economic Progress, Inc. (SCEPI) in planning the quarterly workshops, $38 million dollars in lost productivity in 2013 is attributed to alcohol and drug problems in the workplace in Shawano and Menominee Counties alone.
“As we strive to recruit new workers to this area, we must work together to keep our existing workforce healthy. We need to support our employers who are responsible for safety, productivity, and quality at their businesses, in addition to employees who risk job loss due to their problems with alcohol and drugs,” said Dennis L. Heling, Chief Economic Development Officer, SCEPI
The event is on Thurs., Jan. 29, from 8-10:30 a.m. at The Gathering at 2600 E. Richmond Street in Shawano. It is free and registration is required at www.thedacare.org/employerworkshops or call (715) 526-5839.
Future workshops will be scheduled on a quarterly basis. Topics will include signs and symptoms of alcohol and drug use; best policies and practices for the workplace; resources for employers; and support for employees in need.
ThedaCare™ is a community health system consisting of seven hospitals: Appleton Medical Center, Theda Clark Medical Center, ThedaCare Medical Center-New London, Shawano Medical Center, Berlin Memorial Hospital, Wild Rose Community Memorial Hospital,and Riverside Medical Center in Waupaca. ThedaCare also includes ThedaCare Physicians, ThedaCare Behavioral Health, and ThedaCare At Home. ThedaCare is one of the largest employers in Northeast Wisconsin with more than 6,803 employees. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
