HERSHEY’S HABITS: ADDICTION IN THE WORKPLACE

By: Johnny Thompson, Camiel Petterson, Alex Raboisson and Samuel Drewes

This simulation illustrates the difficulties that people suffering from drug addiction encounter in the workplace. It aims to demonstrate the disadvantage that drug addicts find themselves in at the workplace due to their dependence on substances upon which their productivity relies on.

In this simulation, participants are working at a Hershey’s Kisses factory. There is a catch however: Despite the workplace culture being extremely opposed to addiction, some of the employees are addicted to skittles. These employees must keep up their addiction or risk suffering from withdrawal symptoms which would impede on their production of the Kisses.

This simulation uses an assembly line format in which employees can continuously survey each other. If one begins to falter in their work, the employee next to them will notice something wrong with their work. Not only does this put more pressure on the addict as another employee’s work is dependent on theirs, they must also hide their addiction from their co-workers as they might judge them and potentially even get them fired because of this.

OBJECTIVE

This simulation is designed to illustrate the difficulties that people with drug addiction encounter in the work place. Participants are first brought into a narcotics anonymous support group in which they hear the story of a young man’s unsuspecting fall into drug use.  They are then brought into their new workplace – the Hershey’s factory floor – where they begin wrapping Hershey’s kisses. Not all is as it seems however: A number of employees struggling with addiction try to hide their habit and stay productive under tough competitive circumstances and the fear of judgement.

LEARNING GOALS

Content:

• The effects of social exclusion as a primary cause and exacerbating factor of addiction
• Understanding the need for a different approach to talking about drug addiction

Insights Gained:

• Drug addiction can have severe effects on an individual’s ability to function in the workforce
• The secrecy and self-stigmatization due to the competitive environment and illicit connotations of substance use
• Theft can be an employee’s last resort when increasing demands from addiction and personal circumstances cause them to seek alternatives

A detailed package for distribution is currently under development.

– Struggle in the City Team