Alcohol in the Workplace - Frequently Asked Questions
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Alcohol in the Workplace
The US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) estimates that nearly 14 million Americans abuse alcohol or are addicted to alcohol. It’s estimated that alcohol in the workplaces costs between $33 billion and $68 billion per year due to lost productivity, auto accidents on the job, medical claims and similar costs. Absenteeism among people abusing alcohol runs 4 to 8 times higher than among non-abusers. And there are many more accidents and on the job injuries around alcohol abusers with some of those injuries affecting non-drinking employees. More men than women are usually involved in alcohol use on the job, and more often, younger workers rather than older ones. Companies with a greater proportion of younger workers, especially male ones, may want to be particularly alert for this problem.
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DOWNLOAD NOWIndustries found to be most affected by alcohol or drug abuse in the workplace were:
- Legal occupations
- Food preparation and serving
- Building and grounds maintenance.
Why is it important to insist on a drug-free and alcohol-free workplace?
A drug-free and alcohol-free workplace is the healthiest, safest and most productive place to work. Employee illnesses, accidents, absenteeism and productivity are all affected by substance abuse. The City of London Substance Abuse Partnership estimates that alcohol-related illness and absences cost businesses in the city more than 2 billion pounds each year. Coworkers may be injured in an accident caused by a drug-impaired or alcohol-impaired colleague and workplace violence can occur more frequently when employees have substance abuse problems. The Substance Abuse Partnership estimated that one in four workplace accidents had alcohol as a contributing factor, and that drug abuse contributed to more.
Since 77 percent of the nearly 20 million current U.S. substance abusers are employed, productivity is affected in many companies.
A program to create a drug-free workplace provides a way to strengthen communities by offering people trapped in substance abuse a way out of their problem and back to productivity. A drug-free workplace program should offer: a written policy, access to assistance, employee education, supervisor training and drug testing.
What is an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)?
This is a confidential service to help employees deal with any personal issue that might affect their productivity, including substance abuse. It may be a service provided by a department in the company or may be offered by a vendor contracted by the employer. An employee suspected of drug or alcohol abuse may be referred to an EAP who has the time and the job of focusing on the employee’s problems and enabling the person to get back to work as soon as possible. An EAP can help an employer reduce accidents, sick leave and absenteeism.
I am an employee with a drug or alcohol problem. What should I do?
If available, review your employer’s Workplace Policy for their position on medical leaves or substance abuse treatment. If there is no policy, ask your Human Resources department about medical leaves or if an Employee Assistance Program is available in your company. The best thing you can do is, if it is not too late, seek help before your work deteriorates badly and you are seen as a liability. Find out from HR if your company will hire you back after your medical leave under a Return-to-Work Agreement. (See next FAQ.)
Contact a Narconon counselor to learn how we can help you recover from addiction and get back to work.
What is a Return-to-Work Agreement?
When an employee violates a workplace’s drug-free/alcohol-free policy, and temporarily leaves employment for an alcohol or drug rehabilitation program, he or she may be rehired under a Return-to-Work Agreement. This document states the expectations the employer and an Employee Assistance or medical professional have of that employee. It also states what will happen if the expectations are not met. The terms of such an agreement generally require the employee to abstain from substance abuse and assign financial responsibility for any further drug treatment to the employee alone, but the agreement does offer both the employer and the employee an alternative to dismissal from employment.
Are there some occupations that are more prone to drug or alcohol abuse than others?
The highest prevalence of illicit drug use is found in accommodations and food services and construction. An estimated 17 percent of accommodations and food services employees abuse drugs, along with 14 percent of construction workers. The highest levels of alcohol abuse were found in construction (16 percent), installation and repair personnel (15 percent), and arts, entertainment and recreation (14 percent). Employees often affected by heavy alcohol use and also working in a hazardous environment are workers in mining and excavation.
In the UK, the professions most plagued by alcohol abuse are bar and pub employees, caterers, entertainers and hairdressers/barbers. Male seafarers and construction workers also have higher than average risk of dying due to alcohol-related problems.
What signs should be looked for when determining if an employee has a drug or alcohol problem?
What Would an Employer Look for in Determining if an Employee has an Alcohol Problem?
- Employee is often late or missing from duty without adequate reason
- He or she uses excessive amounts of sick leave
- There is a tell-tale pattern of absences, such as right after payday, Mondays or Friday afternoons
- The person seems to have a remarkable number of emergencies that call him or her away from work, such as household repairs, family crises or auto repairs
- The person’s work shows careless or sloppy work or assignments are incomplete.
- Deadlines are missed or quotas are not met
- Any poor performance or attendance is answered with constant excuses
- Note: Long-term projects may enable the employee to mask their poor performance for a longer period of time.
- Co-worker relationships may become difficult
- Employee may manifest argumentative, confrontational or evasive behavior, especially after absences.
- Employee may avoid contact with co-workers and particularly supervisors
- Financial problems may become evident due to creditor calls at work, employee requests for advances or reports that employee is trying to borrow money from other employees.
A supervisor can detect the use of alcohol during working hours by looking for the following:
- An odor of alcohol on the person or breath, unsteady walk, slurred speech
- Bloodshot eyes
- Too-frequent use of mouthwash or breath mints
- Shakiness or tremors
- Avoidance of meetings, co-workers or supervisors, especially after a lunch break
- Sleeping on the job
It should be noted that many of these can also be signs of illness or other problems. So the first step in handling is an employee interview to determine what can be done to help them achieve better productivity.
Employers Devise Alternative for Employees Who are Abusing Alcohol or Drugs
Alcohol is the most frequently abused drug in the world. As such, it is to be expected that it would have the greatest impact of all types of substance abuse on the workplace. In the US, after studies showed the damage done by ignoring this problem, private companies and government agencies began to develop effective ways to deal with the matter.
http://www.opm.gov/employment_and_benefits/worklife/officialdocuments/
At one time, companies who found that their employees had alcohol or drug problems had limited choices or guidelines to use in dealing with the situation. They could fire the employee or try to keep him or her on the job which had liabilities if the employee created problems for clients or other personnel.
As Alcohol-Free and Drug-Free Workplaces gained importance, the US Department of Labor began an initiative which is now guided by SAMSHA under their Division of Workplace Programs. They promote ways that employers can monitor drug and alcohol abuse n the workplace and encourage safety among employees. Such steps as ensuring designated drivers or alternative transportation were provided for workplace parties and encouraging non-alcoholic alternatives at any employer-sponsored events were among the recommendations. Employers are also recommended to look into Employee Assistance Program (EAP) vendors. EAP vendors offer a variety of services to employees, such as financial advising, personal counseling and referrals to addiction services. In the case of substance abuse, EAPs are intended to help employees make wise choices if they, a coworker or a family member has a problem with alcohol, prescription or illicit drugs. EAP services are confidential and are intended to help the employee remain productive.
If an employee makes a choice to seek addiction treatment help, this matter is covered by health confidentiality laws passed by the federal government.
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With the use of an EAP, a valuable employee can be retained by the company, but problems can be referred out of the workplace before there is a serious impact on the company or the employee. More employees have a way to find someone who can advise them, rather than not knowing where to start to eliminate the alcohol problem.
Narconon Can Help Employees or Employers Resolve the Situation by Offering an Effective Solution
All that is wanted by an employer or an EAP is that an employee can go back to work and do his or her best. So some employers who want the best for their employees have turned to Narconon alcohol and drug rehab centers located throughout the U.S. and around the world. Narconon specialists enable those who have a problem or are faced with decisions about alcohol abuse or use of illicit drugs to find the help and information they need. In their long-term, residential alcohol treatment programs, Narconon helps those who have lost control of their drinking to take control of their lives and their careers once again. With productive employees back on the job, sober again after graduation from the Narconon rehab program, everyone wins.
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