Corona has changed a lot - including in the world of work. On the one hand, the twist to remote work is beneficial. On the other hand, it promotes loneliness and isolation among employees - this is the observation of Dagmar Rümmler, who has been a works council member and addiction officer at DERTOUR Deutschland in Frankfurt for many years.
Dagmar Rümmler
Dagmar Rümmler takes care of colleagues who are at risk of addiction or are experiencing increased psychological stress - and bring it to her attention. "In our role as addiction officers, we are only allowed to take action if we are explicitly approached by those affected or colleagues," she says. "You learn this very early on in your training as an addiction officer. And it's the right thing to do. After all, we're not the police!"
Facing up to the issue is usually a huge challenge for those affected. "Many people find it incredibly difficult to admit that they have serious problems," says Dagmar Rümmler from her many years of experience. "I feel so sorry for them! I then say to them: 'Get employed! Come and talk. And if you realise you can't do it anymore: it's not a shame! It's not bad at all. Some colleagues even apologise for the fact that they were or are ill."
A decisive fear criterion: worries about the job. "Especially when it comes to psychological stress and perhaps resulting medication dependencies, the thought is often: if I don't work properly for a longer period of time, I'll lose my job."
Rümmler is convinced that the fear of losing one's job due to prolonged absence is unfounded at DERTOUR Deutschland: "We have a very social employer. I experienced it first-hand years ago when I was off work for almost a year and a half due to a severe slipped disc. I was worried about all sorts of things back then. But never about my job."
„Not only is the path to illness often a long one. But also the way out of it.“Dagmar Rümmler Nevertheless, Dagmar Rümmler is campaigning for more understanding, especially for "just" psychological problems among employees. "Although the topic of 'burnout' is no longer just dismissed as a fashionable illness - it is now far too present for that - there is still often an attitude that the person will be fit again after a few weeks' rest. But it's not just the road to this illness that is often a long one. But also the way out of it. It's much more than just being a bit overworked, overtired and unfit."
The topic of addiction is a very broad one, says Dagmar Rümmler. "Smokers, for example, are usually looked at askance these days and labelled 'addicts' in unison. A glass of wine in your hand is a natural part of many occasions - it's more noticeable if you don't drink. Unfortunately, alcohol is and remains a socially accepted and practised drug."
But even if no explicitly named addiction problem has landed on her desk so far: conversations are often sought. "Many colleagues simply need an ear. Especially when it comes to psychological stress. Then I listen and offer help. It's usually not seen as necessary. But weeks later, the person sometimes comes back to me with a thank you: it was good just to be able to talk about their worries. At the very latest then I remember why I think this job is so important!"
Claudia Kottke-Kynast, Chairwoman of the Works Council for the East region at toom Baumarkt DIY store and company addiction officer for toom employees since 2012, tells us why it is so important that the topic of addiction is finally no longer taboo .
Look instead of looking away, speak up instead of remaining silent, act instead of shrugging your shoulders: In our second part of the mini-series, Andreas Heimhöfer and Ines Popp, two of our experienced company addiction officers, report on how colleagues and senior managers can support those affected by addiction.