White House Hosts Roundtable Discussion with Business, Labor, and State Government Leaders in Recognition of National Recovery Month

Washington, D.C – This week, in recognition of National Recovery Month, the Biden-Harris Administration hosted business, labor, and state government leaders at the White House to highlight the adoption of recovery-ready workplace policies across the country. President Biden declared September as National Recovery Month to recognize the more than 21 million Americans in recovery from substance use disorder, celebrate their contributions, honor the loved ones who have supported them on their recovery journeys, and reaffirm our commitment to making sure every American has the resources they need to recover and thrive.

Senior Biden-Harris Administration officials were joined by more than a dozen leaders representing businesses, unions, and associations who are in the process or have recently been certified as Recovery-Friendly Workplaces and are leading efforts to support recovery in the workplace. From construction and trade associations, to flight attendants and autoworkers, to computer tech companies and manufacturers, the leaders joining from across the country today reflect the diverse range of employers helping build a more recovery-ready nation. The participating leaders discussed the benefits of developing recovery-ready workplace policies, the impact of the policies within their organizations, and their recommendations for other employers.  

Senior Biden-Harris Administration officials were also joined by leaders from three state government initiatives working to promote the adoption of recovery-ready workplace policies in their state. Leaders from Colorado, Kentucky, and New Hampshire highlighted that supporting employees and addressing substance use disorder affects every corner and community across our country. That’s why President Biden made this issue a key priority of his Unity Agenda for the nation.

“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring that every American has the resources they need to recover and thrive,” said White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director Dr. Rahul Gupta. “With tens of millions of Americans in recovery from substance use disorder, we know that employers play a critical role in supporting the recovery journey. We are grateful to the business leaders joining us at the White House today to highlight the critical work they’re doing in their communities to both support individuals in recovery and strengthen their organization. We call on all employers to join our whole-of-society efforts to be a more recovery-ready nation.”

Educating and preparing workplaces to more effectively address substance use disorder and support employees who are on their recovery journey is a critical part of President Biden and Vice President Harris’ whole-of-society efforts to address the opioid and overdose crisis. In 2023, over 30 million Americans with substance use disorder were employed, and of these individuals, nearly 80 percent worked full-time. Additionally, for those working to recover from substance use disorder, employment is often essential to achieving and sustaining recovery. Recovery-ready workplace policies encourage a healthy and safe environment where employers, employees, and communities can collaborate to create positive change, eliminate barriers for those impacted by substance use disorder, reduce stigmatization of people with substance use disorder and mental illness, and promote treatment and recovery services.

Last year, the Biden-Harris Administration unveiled new resources to equip businesses and state leaders with tools to expand employment opportunities for the tens of millions of Americans struggling with substance use disorder or in recovery and issued a call-to-action for employers to be part of the whole-of-society efforts to develop a more recovery-ready nation. The White House also joined Republican New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu in announcing the creation of the National Recovery-Friendly Workplace Institute, which modeled its standards and certification criteria based on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Recovery-Ready Workplace Toolkit. At the federal level, ONDCP has become a recovery-ready workplace, and is working with interagency partners on implementing recovery-ready workplace policies across the executive branch. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to continuing to strengthen our whole-of-society efforts to build a recovery-ready nation.

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