Recovery Friendly Workplaces with Eliza Zarka
- Feb 26
- 5 min read
By Jamelia Hand MHS CADC CODP I
I once worked with a corporate client that had a star senior leader. For anonymity purposes, let’s call him “Jim”. Jim’s performance was solid and reliable. There were no red flags (on paper). However; as I continued my assessment, I learned that there was more going on behind the scenes. Through discussions with executives, I learned that Jim’s life was in constant triage mode. He had a partner in active addiction. Their kids were absorbing the stress and sleep was almost nonexistent.
Jim showed up every day, so the system read “fine.”
Until it wasn’t...
That gap between his presence and his actual wellness is exactly what recovery friendly workplaces are built to address. Not by turning jobs into treatment centers; rather, acknowledging reality and responding with intention.
This and other examples drove me to a high-alignment conversation with Eliza Zarka, Program Director at the National Recovery Friendly Workplace Institute. We recently engaged in a heart-to-heart. What stood out most was how grounded her framing was. She brought a compassionate and clear-eyed truth about what employers are already dealing with. Allow me to share some of what resonated with me about our discussion.
This movement started because employers were already impacted
According to Eliza, the Recovery Friendly Workplace (RFW) model launched in New Hampshire in 2018. It did not start as a branding initiative. It started because employers were losing people, productivity, and stability, and pretending substance use was not part of the picture was not working.
New Hampshire now has more than 400 engaged businesses representing roughly 90,000 employees. That level of adoption only happens when something actually solves problems.
As Eliza put it plainly, “Recovery friendly workplaces don’t bring the problem to the workplace. They bring the solution to a problem that already exists.”
As interest expanded beyond state borders, the National Recovery Friendly Workplace Institute was created to support national and multi-state employers and to complement, not compete with, state-level programs. Employers needed consistency, not another silo.
Obtaining RFW certification is intentionally doable
One thing Eliza emphasized is that the national certification framework is designed to support progress, not perfection and is built around four pillars:
Culture
Hiring, retention, and advancement
Benefits
Education and awareness
Employers earn points through achievable actions across these areas. There is no “gotcha” moment or hidden trap, employers seeking certification are being viewed based on their strengths. As a former state regulator, I can't tell you how refreshing this is.
Peer support is strongly encouraged and rewarded, but not mandated. That distinction matters. As Eliza shared during our conversation, organizations need room to build capacity without being forced into models they are not ready to sustain.
The ROI Conversation
This work delivers results that leadership teams understand.
Certified employers have reported:
Reduced turnover costs
Increased use of EAPs before issues escalate
Fewer crisis-level incidents, including ER visits and suicide hotline calls
Overall improved retention and workforce stability
One example Eliza shared was Thermo-Kool, a small manufacturer in Mississippi, which reported more than one million dollars in cost savings within a year of implementation.
That outcome reframes the conversation quickly. This is not about being “nice.” It is about being operationally smart.
Policy clarity is where strong programs stand out
According to Eliza, the strongest RFW’s are not the ones with the flashiest messaging. They are the ones with the clearest policies.
Recovery friendly and drug-free workplace policies are not in conflict, even in safety-sensitive roles. People in recovery are protected under the ADA. Active substance use is addressed through established workplace policy.
As she explained, confusion is usually the problem, not the law.
Clear policy, clearly communicated, protects employees and employers at the same time.
Leadership is the real accelerator
One of the strongest points Eliza made was about leadership visibility.
Executive-level allyship is not optional if this work is going to last. When leaders openly champion recovery friendly practices, and in some cases disclose their own recovery, it sends a signal that policies are real and support is safe to access.
She also noted that early momentum often comes from internal champions. Frequently, those champions are employees in recovery who raise their hands before HR has everything formalized. When leadership listens instead of reacting with fear, those moments become the foundation for sustainable systems.
Where organizations stumble
Even well-intentioned employers can miss the target when building a RFW. Common missteps can include:
Announcing recovery friendly participation before training and response pathways exist
Underestimating how much education HR and leadership actually need
Over-monitoring employees who disclose recovery out of stigma or liability fear
Eliza was clear that over-monitoring does real damage. It erodes trust and reinforces the very stigma these programs are meant to reduce.
The framing that stays with you
Several things Eliza said deserve to be repeated, because they cut straight through workplace myths:
“Recovery friendly workplaces don’t bring the problem to the workplace. They bring the solution to a problem that already exists.”
“Presence does not equal wellness.” THIS was my favorite quote in our conversation… Showing up does not mean someone is okay, especially when family impact and stress are involved.
And one line that applies far beyond recovery work: “Train people well enough that they can leave. Treat them well enough that they stay.”
That IS culture. Everything else is just policy language.
Here is the bottom line.
Substance use, recovery, and family impact are already present in your workforce. Ignoring that does not make your organization safer or more productive. It just delays the cost.
Recovery friendly and recovery ready workplaces are not about lowering standards or adding complexity. They are about clarity, clear expectations, clear policies, educated leaders, and systems that respond before people hit crisis.
At Vantage Clinical Consulting, we help organizations operationalize this work in a way that actually holds up. No over-medicalizing or performative gestures. We implement practical, durable systems that support people and protect the business.
This work is not extra credit anymore. It is workforce readiness.
You can design it intentionally, or you can inherit it through disruption.
One Year Later...
I have a habit of checking back in with my clients. Not just to ask how the policy rollout went or whether the training stuck. I ask about people.
So about a year later, I asked about Jim.
There was a pause. Then they said, “You’ll be glad to hear this. His wife is in recovery.”
He’s still working there. Same role and standards, but an entirely different energy.
He didn’t have to hide. He didn’t have to wait until everything exploded. He used the EAP before things hit crisis. Their Chief Operations Officer actually had a daughter in recovery and he knew how to have the conversation with Jim without turning it into an interrogation. He was an advocate and helped HR to understand what recovery actually means.
At one point, Jim stated that “I didn’t think I could do this and keep my job.”
That’s the part that sticks with me.
So many people assume it’s one or the other. Recovery or employment. Health or stability. Honesty or safety.
It doesn’t have to be.
Recovery was already at work. This time, the workplace responded in a way that made it possible for him to stay, get support, and keep contributing.
That’s what this is about.
Not lowering workplace standards.
Not rescuing people.
Just responding differently.
And sometimes, that difference changes everything.
If this resonates, you may also want to read:
This is not a one-blog topic. It’s a leadership conversation.
And if your organization is ready to move from intention to implementation, Vantage Clinical Consulting can help you design recovery friendly systems that protect both your people and your performance.
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