Current Workplace Solutions for Alcohol: High Cost, Low Impact

EAPs (Employee Assistance Programs)

EAPs’ uptake rates are only around 5-7%, meaning 93-95% of employees choose not to use them. The main reasons are concerns around:

• Stigma (worry about being judged if they seek help)

• Confidentiality (fear their privacy won’t be protected)

• Low awareness of what EAPs can support with

• Accessibility (buried in HR portals, long wait times, and inconvenient service formats)

• Doubts about relevance (scepticism about whether it actually works)

Basically, employees have low trust that their use won’t be leaked to the employer, and many use generalist call-handlers or counsellors who follow a script, and who have no training and lived experience with addictions, making their advice shallow and often unrelatable.

Although it is estimated that US employers save $3-5 for every $1 invested in EAPs (ResearchGate), this figure could be higher if the uptake were to increase. However, employees don’t use EAPs because they don’t trust them or see their value.

We aim to help with a particular problem instead of offering another tick-box program, based on research and lived experience, from people who have lived and done it. It makes our program discreet, self-directed, coaching-based support — complete with clear medical disclaimers and privacy assurances — all the more appealing as a trusted alternative.

Rehabs

Rehab sounds like a solution, but the results don’t hold up. Around 40–60% of people relapse within 30 days of leaving inpatient treatment, and up to 85% relapse within the first year (Arms Acres). It’s also extremely costly — often tens of thousands — and employers rarely cover it. Participation usually means time away from work.

The bigger issue is that rehab removes people from real life. Inside, everything is controlled: no alcohol, no pressure, strict routines. Once they’re back at work or at home, the old triggers return, and most fall back into old patterns.

Our approach is designed for the real world. Using ACT techniques and drawing on lived experience, we teach people how to navigate everyday situations — such as colleagues inviting them for drinks, family gatherings, and work stress — without slipping. It’s affordable, confidential, and practical, making it a better fit for employees and employers alike.

Clinical Treatment Doesn’t Beat Natural Recovery

Rehab isn’t the only clinical route employers might think of. Outpatient programs, detox clinics, and hospital-based treatment are also common. But the results aren’t encouraging. In an eight-year follow-up of severe cases, 95% of individuals relapsed at some point. The study showed that outcomes from clinical treatment were no better than the natural progression of addiction without intervention (George E. Vaillant).

Vaillant's conclusion was that “There is compelling evidence that the results of our treatment were no better than the natural history of the disease.”

AA and the 12 steps

Another widely known option is Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). While it’s free and accessible, the results are modest. Critics point out that only 5–8% of participants achieve long-term continuous sobriety and remain active members.

AA’s spiritual foundation also doesn’t work for everyone. The emphasis on a “higher power” can be off-putting, and many people don’t want to commit to attending meetings indefinitely. For employees who value privacy, flexibility, and practical tools, the model feels outdated and unrealistic.

Coaching and Therapy

Many employees turn to therapy or life coaching for support, but these services often miss the mark when it comes to tackling alcohol-related challenges. A key barrier is that most therapists aren’t trained specifically in addiction care. Instead, therapy tends to focus on general mental wellbeing, not on managing relapse triggers, cravings, or real-time coping strategies needed for high-risk situations (APA).

What’s more, a meta-review on psychosocial therapies for substance use disorders found that while some treatments show moderate benefit, the overall effectiveness is far from strong—particularly when compared against doing nothing (ScienceDirect).

All this means that unless therapy is addiction-specific and delivered by trained professionals, it often falls short for employees struggling with alcohol. General coaching or wellbeing therapy may feel supportive, but it rarely equips them to handle real-world temptations—like after-work drinks, stressful deadlines, or social gatherings. Both options are expensive and often require time away from work.

Why a Different Approach Is Needed

These insights reinforce a key point: Existing supports for alcohol addiction often fail when it comes to trust, accessibility, or long-term effectiveness. That’s precisely where our lived experience-based, privacy-first, motivational course fills the gap. It offers a discreet, employee-led alternative that complements—but doesn’t replace—professional detox—if the employee chooses they need one.