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Governor Chris Sununu Announces Nationwide Launch of Recovery Friendly Workplace, Rhode Island Joins the Movement
Concord, NH - Today, Governor Chris Sununu joined with business leaders, recovery advocates, and state officials in announcing the nationwide launch of Governor Sununu's Recovery Friendly Workplace Initiative. Governors across the country are invited to engage employers and empower workplaces to provide support for people recovering from substance use disorder. Rhode Island is the first state to join New Hampshire in the movement to create a Recovery Friendly Workplace structure.
In calling on other states to join New Hampshire in this groundbreaking effort, interested states will have website domains, logos, and regulatory framework guidance provided to them.
"Recovery Friendly Workplaces are an opportunity for the Governors across the Country to help change the culture around addiction in their states by engaging employers in being a proactive part of the conversation," said Governor Chris Sununu. "We can provide tools and resources to open access to treatment. Importantly, businesses increase productivity and profitability by promoting evidence based practices that reduce the health and safety consequences associated with unaddressed substance use in the workplace."
"We're working hard in Rhode Island to change negative public attitudes about addiction, and I'm proud to be part of this initiative," said Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo. "It will require state, local and community leaders to step up and commit to helping people on the pathway to recovery. We're also going to help employers be a part of the solution by creating a recovery-friendly culture and moving the conversation about addiction into the workplace to give people a better chance at a fresh start."
Greg Williams, Executive Vice President of Facing Addiction said of today's announcement, "We know that 70% of people suffering from addiction are employed. We stand in strong unity with Governor Sununu's and Raimondo's efforts to engage employers and, together, we urge other governors across this country to use their platforms to encourage employers to create environments that are open and conducive to supporting recovery."
From the original launch on March 1st, 2018, the list of early adopters has more than doubled in New Hampshire. Harvard Pilgrim HealthCare and the New Hampshire Hospital Association are a part of 16 additional companies who have signed on as early adopters, joining the 12 original organizations like the State of New Hampshire, Walmart and Turbocam. With these 28 early adopters, the total number of employees who work for a Recovery Friendly Workplace is now roughly 26,000 people.