Tech leaders are turning to painkillers and alcohol to cope with stress, survey finds

Substance use issues in the US have worsened during the Covid-19 pandemic, and a new report sheds light on the prevalence of alcohol and drug use among tech leaders.

Nearly one-half (48%) of tech leaders use controlled substances every day or nearly every day, according to a survey by All Points North and Censuswide. About one-third (32%) of respondents reported consuming controlled substances to perform better and cope with long hours and high stress. The survey drew upon responses from 501 tech leaders at the director level or higher.

Anxiety about layoffs and advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) were cited as factors fueling increased substance use among the workers surveyed.

Given these findings, HR leaders may consider investing in training so that managers can spot warning signs among employees struggling with substance use, as well as looking into wellness programs that are preventative in nature, Philip Hemphill, APN’s chief clinical officer, told HR Brew.

Mixing medication with work. One-half of tech leaders surveyed qualified as heavy drinkers, consuming three to seven alcoholic drinks per day.

Some 31% of respondents said they’d increased their alcohol intake due to stress regarding layoffs, while 28% increased their intake due to stress regarding AI. Almost 220,000 tech workers have been laid off so far this year, according to Layoffs.fyi, by firms including Meta, Google, and Amazon. At the same time, tech companies have invested heavily in AI, sparking concerns that workers will be replaced by new technologies.

In addition to alcohol, 45% of tech leaders reported using painkillers such as Codeine, Vicodin, and other morphine derivatives, while 34% reported using stimulants such as amphetamines like Adderall.

Some leaders’ substance use patterns are intersecting with their workdays: 34% said they’d consumed alcohol or controlled substances less than one hour before work at least once within the past three months, while 28% reported consuming alcohol or controlled substances at work.

Substance use issues are particularly prominent among workers in technology, finance, and law, Daniel Angres, medical director at Chicago’s Positive Sobriety Institute, told Bloomberg in May. These industries tend to have fewer safeguards for workers, like drug testing or access to therapists, than sectors such as healthcare, he said. Addiction specialists told Bloomberg their programs were over-enrolled, as remote and hybrid working arrangements had allowed employees to shield substance use habits from colleagues.

Spotting warning signs. For years, tech firms’ HR departments have invested in benefits, such as unlimited PTO and mental health days, intended to boost workers’ well-being. But “those interventions aren’t really suited” to employees who may be dealing with substance use disorders, Hemphill told HR Brew.

“Trying to manage this in the workplace has become overwhelming,” he said. If organizations are concerned about high levels of substance abuse among their staff, they may consider bringing in professionals to train upper-level managers to identify “warning signs” that employees may be struggling with substance use, Hemphill suggested.

Should organizations invest in wellness programs that are preventative in nature, they may be able to get ahead of issues tied to substance use, as workplace behavior is often one of the last things that’s affected. “If you can offer…some ways of early intervention, then you can help people before it comes to the workplace,” said Hemphill.

Correction 07/19/23: This piece has been edited to update the list of painkillers from the APN report.