Shatterproof is a national nonprofit organization passionately devoted to confronting and ultimately reversing the United States’ addiction crisis. It does so through a multifaceted strategy focused on reducing stigma, reforming treatment systems, and providing transformative workplace education programs. At its core, Shatterproof’s mission seeks not only to address the medical and behavioral aspects of substance use disorder but also to reshape the cultural narratives and institutional structures that allow addiction to thrive unchecked.
In a thoughtful conversation with Business Insider correspondent Reed Alexander, Nicole Fox, the organization’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications, shed light on the complexities of addiction in professional environments. Drawing from her direct experience working with corporate partners, Fox emphasized that addiction within companies often manifests in subtle, unexpected ways. This as-told-to interview, edited for clarity and brevity, uncovers how deep-seated misconceptions about addiction obscure its presence in white-collar workplaces.
Fox began by challenging the conventional imagery that society attaches to addiction — imagery often shaped by sensationalized media portrayals. Contrary to public assumption, not every person living with a substance use disorder exhibits visible dysfunction or a dramatic decline in performance. Many maintain an outwardly stable lifestyle, often meeting or even surpassing professional expectations. In corporate and financial sectors, such as Wall Street, addiction commonly hides behind productivity and ambition rather than absenteeism or disengagement. Employees who arrive before dawn and leave long after dark, or executives who consistently overperform, may be silently deteriorating emotionally and physically after hours, their struggles masked by achievement.
To reveal the financial implications of substance use on organizations, Shatterproof partnered with the National Safety Council to create a comprehensive substance-use cost calculator. The data it produces is startling: a company employing 45,000 people can expect to lose around $50 million each year to costs tied to turnover, absenteeism, and healthcare resulting from substance use disorder. Conversely, for every employee who enters and sustains recovery, the same organization could save approximately $8,500 annually — a figure that underscores both the economic and human incentives for supporting recovery-friendly workplaces.
Fox explained that meaningful change requires empowering managers and colleagues with the skills to engage in compassionate, constructive conversations centered on mental health. Addiction, she reminded, should never be regarded as a moral failing or a personal weakness. Instead, it is a reflection of larger cultural dynamics — a societal challenge demanding empathy and collective action rather than judgment.
Addiction is not external to the corporate sphere; it exists within every industry and at every professional level. Statistics reveal that one in six Americans — nearly 50 million individuals over the age of twelve — meet the clinical criteria for substance use disorder. Strikingly, approximately 70 percent of them are employed, meaning most workplaces already include people affected by addiction, whether acknowledged or not. Moreover, overdose remains the leading cause of death among adults aged eighteen to forty-four — a demographic that constitutes more than half of America’s active workforce. Framing addiction as a niche or isolated concern is therefore inaccurate; it represents one of the most urgent public health crises of our time.
To better understand societal perceptions surrounding addiction, Shatterproof conducted a nationwide study known as the Shatterproof Addiction Stigma Index. This survey analyzed public attitudes, prevailing beliefs, and the general knowledge base regarding substance use disorder. The findings revealed a dissonance between stated attitudes and actual comfort levels: while seventy percent of adults claimed they would be willing to have a coworker with substance use disorder, nearly half — forty-eight percent — hesitated to work closely with that individual. The reluctance deepened when respondents were asked if they would hire or report to someone with such a condition: fifty-five percent said they would not hire one, and sixty-seven percent were unwilling to have a supervisor in recovery. This discrepancy exposes a subtle but significant “not in my backyard” mentality, where people verbally support inclusion yet resist intimacy or proximity.
The contradiction between self-perceived compassion and actual behavior is, as Fox noted, profoundly revealing. Many people express acceptance conceptually — they may say they are open to working with someone in recovery — but impose caveats: so long as that colleague does not sit beside them, manage them, or appear to hold influence over their work environment. This gap between intellectual empathy and practical acceptance highlights how stigma quietly undermines workplace unity and healing.
High-pressure professional cultures frequently glorify exhaustion and burnout, masking symptoms that might otherwise signal distress. These environments not only conceal the warning signs of addiction but can also perpetuate it by normalizing unhealthy coping strategies. Alcohol consumption, in particular, plays a pervasive role. While society readily associates addiction with illicit drugs, problematic drinking often goes unnoticed because it is socially accepted — a default feature of client dinners, celebratory gatherings, and team bonding rituals. The normalization of alcohol in such settings lowers awareness and diminishes the perceived seriousness of misuse.
The fear of seeking help remains a major barrier to treatment. Approximately thirty-four percent of those needing care avoid pursuing it due to legitimate concerns that they might lose their jobs, homes, or even custody of their children. Fox stressed that these fears are not unfounded; stigma and punitive employment policies often make vulnerability financially or socially dangerous. Consequently, workplaces must foster psychological safety, assuring employees that asking for help will not jeopardize their livelihoods or reputations.
Importantly, Fox clarified that managers are not expected to become therapists or clinical experts. Instead, their responsibility lies in recognition — noticing subtle changes in behavior, such as unusual defensiveness, withdrawal, or altered communication patterns. By training managers to observe these shifts and providing clear procedural steps through Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and company benefits, organizations can create actionable systems for timely intervention.
Shatterproof’s experience demonstrates that the most profound results occur when leadership is authentically engaged. Senior executives play a pivotal role not only in shaping supportive policies but also in modeling vulnerability and empathy from the top. When leaders initiate what Fox calls “courageous conversations,” the cultural tone changes. In these initiatives, CEOs often address all staff members directly, sharing personal stories or reflections on how substance use disorder has affected them, while a Shatterproof representative helps guide and facilitate an open dialogue. Human Resources professionals remain present as allies, ensuring access to follow-up resources. The result is a collective moment of honesty and connection that dismantles stigma piece by piece.
Through these efforts, workplaces become environments of curiosity rather than judgment — places where education replaces fear and compassion outweighs assumption. The overarching message of Fox’s work and Shatterproof’s mission is clear: addiction is not a shameful personal defect but an urgent cultural challenge that demands acknowledgment, empathy, and systemic change.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/addiction-at-work-costing-corporate-america-millions-2025-11
