Alcoholism in the Workplace - Coursework Example

Oli Rodriguez Ms.Gorman MGT 1007 July 9, Alcoholism in the Workplace Alcoholism in the workplace is an activity which leads to job impairment, reduced public safety, and many other social problems that are harmful for both the employers and the employees (NIAAA). Workplace culture and alcohol availability are the greatest factors that affect alcoholism in the workplace. Every one of us is very well acquainted with the hazardous effects of alcoholism. Job-related hazards lead to poor performance at work, which may lead to poor career profile. Both the company and the worker are affected. Hence, workplace alcoholism must be controlled through proper means. This paper intends to discuss some effects of alcoholism in the workplace, along with some strategies that managers may use to encounter this issue. Workplace alcoholism affects the work environment negatively because it can motivate non-drinkers to start drinking. This is also called peer pressure. Those who do not drink may be influenced by their friends who drink, and may begin to indulge in alcoholism. Since job performance becomes impaired due to drinking, productivity decreases, and, eventually, the organization suffers. The drinkers have negative social relations at work, since they are not able to maintain healthy relations properly. As they often feel sick, they are often not present at the workplace, and this worsens their reputation. Drinking alcohol raises the alcohol level in the blood, so the person may not be able to think clearly. Therefore, he or she makes frequent mistakes in his or her work, makes errors in judgment, and is more prone to accidents. Thus, both work attendance and work performance are affected. The workplace culture becomes negatively affected, since absenteeism increases and the quality of work performance decreases. Job persistence also decreases. McFarlin and Fals-Stewart (17-21) conducted a research on 280 participants employed in a large company in Northeastern U.S. to determine the relationship between workplace alcoholism and absenteeism. They stated in their research that, “A significant relationship was found between alcohol use and workplace absences; workers were, roughly 2 times more likely to be absent from work the day after alcohol was consumed” (17). This clearly shows that workplace alcoholism has a direct influence on a worker’s job performance and attendance. Alcoholism is a challenge for employers since the overall work environment is disturbed. Poor interpersonal relations resulting from alcoholism are dangerous for job productivity, since they may cause a psychological stress. Issues raised due to alcoholism include: (1) increased sickness absence, (2) inability to work, and (3) premature deaths of people of working age. To explain these issues, let’s do some literature review. To explain sickness absence due to alcoholism at work, Bacharach, Bamberger and Biron (334) conducted a research on a random sample of urban transit workers. They stated in their research that, “we found that the frequency of heavy episodic drinking over the previous month is positively associated with the number of days of absence recorded in the subsequent 12-month period.” They also stated that the way alcoholism was consumed was more important, such as binge drinking had a more disastrous effect than non-frequent drinking. Inability to work due to alcoholism is explained by a research conducted by Greenberg and Grunberg (83-102) who used a sample production of workers from union, non-union and other mills. They found that worker who drank showed work alienation, low job autonomy, lack of participation in work-related tasks, poor decision-making, and job dissatisfaction. All these factors contributed in their inability to work. As far as premature deaths are concerned, statistics show that, “More than a quarter of workplace accidents involve workers who have been drinking and up to 14 million working days are lost every year through alcohol abuse alone” (Precision Screening). One strategy that companies use to overcome these challenges is to implement proper alcohol policies to eliminate the chances of alcoholism in the workplace (Verstraete 147). Such policies are stated with the job advertisements, or are present in the companies’ policies, so that the candidates know before applying and getting selected that they will have to conform to the alcohol policies if they want to stay on the job. Non-conformation leads to penalties and fines. Due to such policies, it has been seen that workplace alcoholism has reduced. The company can even have a total elimination of alcohol policy, under which no drinking candidate is to be selected. For this, at the time of selection process, drug testing is conducted to know whether or not the candidate is alcoholic. Second strategy is to practice health promotion programs that make sure, if alcoholism is allowed, that the drinkers act sober in the workplace and do not have any health problems. These programs help the workers know about the health hazards of alcohol, and so, they are able to make their own choice regarding how and when to drink. These programs also help them develop healthier interpersonal relationships at work. Drinkers may get motivated to reduce their alcohol consumption. The main objective of such programs is to bring about a positive change in the attitude of drinkers. An advantage of alcohol policies is that it eliminates the risk of alcoholism, which is beneficial in terms of job performance and attendance. When workers do not drink, they are able to perform better, concentrate properly, and make wise decisions about their work-related tasks. A disadvantage is that it also eliminates the chances of hiring many qualified candidates who drink. If a knowledgeable candidate fails the drug test, he is not eligible for the post, and thus the company loses a qualified candidate. This may affect the quality of staff. Furthermore, an advantage of health promotion programs is that they help the drinking employees stay in proper health because they learn how to behave well, how to balance their drinking attitude, and how to be a somber employee; but, the disadvantage is that they do not stop them from drinking. Hence, some employees may think it right to drink at the workplace, provided they behave properly. Proper behavior does not minimize the health related hazards of alcoholism. However, these strategies are successful if implemented and maintained properly. The key is to create awareness among employees regarding the negative effects of workplace alcoholism. I believe that employees should be given proper training regarding how to keep their workplace culture healthy; one of the importance aspects of this training is how to avoid alcoholism at work. I am strongly against drinking at the workplace and I would strongly recommend the implementation of alcohol-related polices. Drug testing should be conducted regularly, especially during the selection of candidates, so that the workplace may be kept clean of drinkers. Workers should be seriously committed to work and should limit such activities as drinking to their personal lives. I strongly oppose workplace alcoholism also because it is harmful for work relationships, since the drinker is not able to think clearly and behave as a normal person. This aspect is harmful for the overall workplace environment. Therefore, workplace alcoholism should be properly controlled through the use of special policies, motivational health programs, and drug testing. Works Cited Bacharach, Samuel B., Bamberger, Peter, and Michal Biron. “Alcohol Consumption and Workplace Absenteeism: The Moderating Effect of Social Support.” Journal of Applied Psychology 95.2(2010): 334-348. doi: 10.1037/a0018018. Greenberg, Edward S., and Leon Grunberg. “Work Alienation and Problem Alcohol Behavior.” Journal of Health and Social Behavior 36(1995): 83-102. Print. McFarlin, Susan K., and William Fals-Stewart. “Workplace Absenteeism and Alcohol Use: A Sequential Analysis.” Psychology of Addictive Behaviors 16.1(2002): 17-21. doi: 10.1037/0893-164X.16.1.17 NIAAA. “Alcohol and the Workplace.” About.com: Alcoholism. About.com, 2012. Web. 9 Jul 2012. . Precision Screening. “Why Screen Your Employees for Substance Abuse?” Precision Screening Medical Services. N.p., 2012. Web. 11 Jul 2012. . Verstraete, Alain. Workplace Drug Testing. USA: Pharmaceutical Press, 2011. Print. Read More