Alcohol Abuse in the Workplace

According to the United States Department of Labor, alcohol abuse in the workplace is a serious matter---not surprising when you understand that one out of every 10 people has an alcohol dependency problem. Furthermore, an astonishing one out of every three workers between the ages of 18 to 25 are reported to be binge drinkers, which will greatly impact their performance at work.

Most-Affected Occupations

• As of 2010, the most common occupations affected by alcohol abuse include food preparation workers, waiters, waitresses and bartenders, construction workers, transportation and material moving workers.

How to Identify an Alcohol Abuser

• Some symptoms to look for that may indicate the use of alcohol in the workplace include:

  Personal Appearance: Often, signs of alcohol use appear in the way people dress---especially in a working environment. If the working environment is of a corporate setting, and the employee arrives inappropriately dressed, a disconnect exists between the employee and the work environment. Other signs include alcohol on breath, bloodshot eyes, bad body odor or the lack of change in attire on a day-to-day basis.

  Personal Conduct: Often when people are using alcohol, they exhibit symptoms that go along with it, such as slurring, impaired vision, lack of eye contact and impaired listening ability.

  Time Management: Arriving late to work consistently, calling in sick or constantly leaving unauthorized for two hours or more are strong indications that a person may have an alcohol dependency that can interfere with the workplace.

  Judgment Skills: When drinking becomes a problem, it becomes increasingly difficult for the abuser to properly address situations. Some signs of impairment in the workplace include constant forgetfulness of tasks at hand, becoming overwhelmed by small issues and overreacting to reasonable performance expectations.

  Productivity: Alcohol abusers may have problems completing work tasks. Other indications include not showing up for an increased workload and appearing unrealistically upset with any workload change.

Steps to Take

• "Alcohol abuse," otherwise known as the mental health issue called alcoholism, is a sickness as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

  Employers who have gathered considerable evidence that someone in the workplace is abusing alcohol on the job should address the issue by having the appropriate authorized person question the possible alcohol abuser immediately. The employer should disclose to the alcohol abuser the observed tendencies displayed that are unacceptable and let the alcohol abuser know that he can get help with no penalty. However, the employer should also remind the employee that the situation will not go unresolved due to the potential harm it can have on the employee or others. Alcohol abusers should know that if they refuse to get help with the problem and the tendencies they display are not immediately removed, the issue must escalate to a more serious consequence---for example, immediate dismissal.

Solution

• Alcohol dependency is a growing mental health issue. Increased public and workplace education can help prevent accidents and deaths.

  The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse discusses ways to solve alcohol abuse within the workplace, such as creating alcohol awareness through educating employees.

For More Information

• Resources for workplace alcohol abusers include Alcoholics Anonymous, drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs and counseling options. Check local phone directories and newspapers for additional resources.