Spotlight Q&A: The National Safety Council

Q: September is National Recovery Month and Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Why is this an important opportunity for employers to think about their role in supporting workers’ mental health, well-being, and recovery?

A: On average, workers in the U.S. spend a quarter of their time in the workplace. Employers have an opportunity to play a pivotal role in safeguarding and championing health and safety through implementing solutions and providing resources tailored to their work environment. Just as employers provide workers with the tools, training, and resources needed to perform their jobs safely, they can also help create pathways to support, recovery, and resilience. By reducing stigma, encouraging open conversations, and connecting employees with appropriate resources, employers can help workers thrive both on and off the job.

Q: What role can the workplace play in supporting employees, and what misconceptions can prevent employers from providing that support?

A: Through education, supportive policies, access to resources, and a culture that prioritizes psychological safety, employers can help workers seek support, access treatment, and sustain recovery. For many people, work provides structure, purpose, connection, and financial stability, all of which support overall well-being and recovery. One of the biggest misconceptions is that employees will automatically use available resources if they need them. In reality, stigma remains a significant barrier. When leaders openly communicate support, work to reduce stigma, and demonstrate that seeking help is a sign of strength rather than weakness, they create an environment where employees feel safer accessing the support they need.

Q: What does a recovery-ready workplace look like in practice? How can employers create a culture where employees feel comfortable seeking help?

A: The Department of Labor’s recently updated Recovery-Ready Workplace Toolkit is a great model for building a recovery-ready workplace in practice. Building recovery programs within organizations can focus on four primary areas: prevention and risk reduction, training and education, hiring and employment, and treatment and recovery support. In fact, the National Safety Council followed this framework to help us become a certified Recovery Friendly Workplace. While there are a lot of opportunities for impactful programming, employee education is one of the most important factors to reduce barriers associated with stigma. Also, having naloxone on hand in case of an overdose emergency is an essential safety provision.

Q: Managers are often on the front lines in these situations. What should they know about recognizing and responding when an employee may need support?

A: Managers don't need to be trained counselors, but they should feel confident starting a conversation when they notice changes in an employee's behavior, attendance, performance, or general well-being. There are courses available to train supervisors on “reasonable cause” to help them gain confidence. A supervisor’s role is not to diagnose or treat a suspected condition. Instead, they should listen without judgment, express care and concern, and create a safe space for employees to talk. Just as importantly, supervisors should act as a "warm handoff" to available resources, such as human resources, an employee assistance program, or medical and behavioral health professionals. By approaching these conversations with empathy and curiosity rather than assumptions, managers can help employees feel supported and connected to the help they need.

Q: How can workplace accommodations help employees experiencing mental health or substance use challenges stay at or return to work and succeed in recovery?

A: Workplace accommodations are key to helping employees stay at work or return to work successfully after time away, and also maintain their recovery. Accommodations provide practical support for individual needs. They might include flexible scheduling for treatment or counseling appointments, temporary job modifications, phased return-to-work plans, and more. This is especially important for employees in safety-sensitive roles, as accommodations can support workers and workplace safety by accounting for treatment needs, including medications for opioid use disorder. When employers provide these supports, they demonstrate that employees do not have to choose between their health and their job. This not only improves recovery outcomes, but also performance, productivity, and engagement.

Q: Speaking of safety, how can employers balance safety concerns with a supportive approach?

A: A supportive approach strengthens safety by encouraging employees to seek help early, access treatment, and engage in recovery before challenges affect their health or performance. Rather than relying on punitive or zero-tolerance approaches, employers can adopt fair-chance and recovery-supportive policies that focus on helping employees get the support they need while maintaining clear safety expectations. Access to treatment, recovery supports, and workplace accommodations significantly reduces the risk of impairment. For safety-sensitive roles, employers should rely on individualized assessments and objective safety considerations guided by medical professionals rather than assumptions or stigma. This approach helps organizations protect safety and advance well-being.

Q: How does the National Safety Council help employers address these issues?

A: The National Safety Council helps employers turn awareness into action by providing practical, evidence-informed resources that address the connections between worker well-being and workplace safety. Through our Workplace Wellbeing Hub, organizations can access actionable tools and guidance on topics such as mental health, substance use, fatigue, impairment, and psychological safety. NSC also supports employers through our Respond Ready Workplace initiative, which provides resources on naloxone and overdose preparedness. Beyond resources, we conduct research and convene stakeholders across industries to address complex workplace safety challenges. Central to this work is helping employers identify and address well-being-related risks before they become safety risks, supporting safer workplaces and healthier workers through a “Total Worker Health” approach.

This Spotlight Q&A was featured in EARN's September 2026 Newsletter.

EARN is fully funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy under Cooperative Agreement No. 23475OD000002-01-00 with Cornell University's Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability, in the amount of $11,000,000.

The content in this newsletter does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.