Alex Olson April 2013 Alcohol in the Workplace Its not a question whether alcohol has been a part of society. However, the question of how alcohol is affecting society is of concern.
According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 16,000 people died in 2010 due to alcohol induced liver disease and over 25,000 deaths occurred with alcohol being a factor. The topic of alcohol is not ignored, but people are still influenced to participate despite the known risks. Alcohol is a part of many different aspects in our daily lives, but this paper is going to mainly focus on what role it plays in relation to the workplace.In the research-based book, Alcohol at Work, the authors explain the presence and use of alcohol in the European Union and voyages through different topics relating to dealing with alcohol abuse in the workplace. Topics from the book that will be analyzed are the following: the problem with alcohol, alcohol policies in the workplace, and workplace testing. 1.
The Problem with Alcohol Book Summary: Alcohol both directly and indirectly affects communities and the workplace. Different cultures, regions, and people consume different amounts of alcohol for different reasons.This book specifically studied the amount of alcohol consumption in the European Union and distinguished relationships between alcohol-related indicators like liver cirrhosis, accidents and murder, suicide, coronary heart disease. According to the book, about 4. 2% of males and 2.
1% of females die from alcohol-induced liver cirrhosis and, as expected, there is a clear link between drink-driving and automobile accidents. In addition, there are correlations between alcohol and the amount of absenteeism, accidents in the workplace, and financial costs.For example, alcohol limits a person’s ability to function normally when on the job. The book references North American agricultural accidents and the positive correlation with it being induced by alcohol. Even though there are limitations to the data that is presented, there are still correlations that are of concern for employers.
Analysis: Alcohol is a huge part of society, but the health effects are often overlooked. In addition, some people are often oblivious to the notion that alcohol could adversely affect their lives in reference to health, work, and personal lives.In particular, alcohol affects a person’s ability to work proficiently. It comes at no surprise that heavy drinkers are more likely to be sick and have worse intra-workplace relationships (Ames, Grube, and Moore, 1997, p. 37-47 as cited in NIAAA). Employees who have these behaviors are less likely to perform their job well and employers are likely not going to hire people with a history of alcohol abuse in the workplace.
People who abuse alcohol may not only be affected in the workplace, but also their personal life and potentially their future.2. Alcohol Policies in the Workplace Book Summary: This section focuses on the need to enact a policy regarding employee use of alcohol but it does not solely focus on one group of people. The workplace is not only affected by the people who abuse alcohol, but problems can also arise from people who are not dependent on alcohol. This is supported by Goplerud: It’s often assumed that people with alcoholism cause the majority of workplace problems related to alcohol.However, there are nearly 100 million light and moderate drinkers in the workforce.
.. and their drinking patterns can also result in..
. tardiness, absenteeism, or poor performance. (Groplerud, 2005, p. 3 in Tobutt, 2011, p. 61) People too often think about the extremists and are willing to believe that their contribution to the alcohol problems is not as significant.
However, people are still participating in the problem and that is why it is necessary to create alcohol policies in the workplace. There is no clear line to draw when it comes to alcohol in the workplace but it is necessary to make sure employees know where their company stands on alcohol responsibility. By making policies, employers are clarifying what they expect from their employees.In return, the employers can expect any employee to approach them if they are having problems with alcohol.
Analysis: Overall, workplace policies regarding the use of alcohol are generally important to create expectations for employees upon hire. However, the question of where to draw the line. Companies that enact zero tolerance alcohol policies are very authoritative and expect employees to follow the rules. Jamieson Human Resource Consulting referenced a scenario where a man was ultimately fired for having smelled of alcohol the day after he had been drinking (2012).The policy blatantly said: “…no employee shall report to work bearing the smell of an alcohol beverage…” (Jamieson Human Resource Consulting, 2012). Even though the employee did not appear to be drunk, the employer had grounds to have him fired for breaking workplace policy.
Some may argue that this rule is too extreme and that people shouldn’t be fired on the basis of what they do in their personal lives or whether it affects job performance. However, the employer clearly stated its expectations so it was clearly the responsibilty of the employee to abide by the contract he entered.Employers are able to have whatever policies they desire if within the bounds of the human rights legislation (Jamieson Human Resource Consulting, 2012). Employers should not be responsible for having policies that its employees would consider fair because companies have certain goals that they believe will be best achieved in certain conditions.
In addition to the ethics of placing an alcohol policy, the effectiveness of such policies are something to consider. Some studies show that a wide-range change of alcohol use is actually due to socioeconomic factors that have evolved over the years.In particular, alcohol use behavior has changed in the southern European Mediterranean countries: “... decreases were largely consequent on urbanisation [urbanization], shifts to factory and service work, and changes in family structure and destructuring of meals, supported in more recent years by increased health consciousness and alcohol policies” (Anderson, Chisholm, and Fuhr, 2009, p.
2237). However, despite the studies showing changes in alcohol consumption behavior, alcohol policies including initiatives for the employees have proved effective.For example, the use of Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) have encouraged employees to seek help from their employers because of their personal issues and have found roads to recovery (Worksafe, 2005, p. 6).
Employees are encouraged to take responsibility for their issues when there are resources for their recovery. Overall, alcohol policies in the workplace set expectations for employees and offer the best chance for success by incorporating programs such as EAPs. 3. Workplace Testing Book Summary: Alcohol affects the workplace in many ways that many people may not directly connect.For example, the book mentions: “decreasing output and quality, absenteeism, social problems in the workplace, sickness and accidents” (2011, p.
95). When these problems become noticeable, the question of workplace alcohol and drug testing surfaces. Even though testing employees for drugs and alcohol is popularly known, sometimes employers assume and do not consider what other factors may play a role in workplace deficiencies (i. e.
behavioral health problems). Also, unions and employees have spoken against the use of testing because there is not clear whether testing increases productivity in the organization.Despite disputes, according to the text, there are three main reasons to test employees if suspected. They are: (1) company performance, (2) social responsibility, and (3) employee medical reasons. Employers can justify administering tests for their own sake and for the community and employee sake as well.
Analysis: There has always been a looming controversy about testing for drugs and alcohol in the workplace.However, studies have shown that employees who are tested for drugs and alcohol in the workplace are 3. 6 times more unlikely to be involved in a workplace accident, 5 times less likely to file worker’s compensation, and 3 times less likely to be late for work (National Institute of Drug Abuse as cited in Danko, 2009). Essentially, people who are employed at organizations that require drug testing are less likely to be involved in negative situations in the workplace. In addition, it would be hard to believe that employers would want anything different than their businesses to be free of behaviors that deter productivity.However, studies have shown that even though a person can be fired for testing positive for, in this case, drugs, it does not mean that the behavior is going to change (Koch, 1998).
In essence, workplace drug and alcohol testing may be effective in removing people who are breaking workplace policies, but enacting these tests does not necessarily help better society. Workplace testing has also been known to be considered unconstitutional.According to the University of Tennessee electronic library: ..
. the Fourth Amendment, the due process clause and the equal protection clause of the Constitution prohibit certain practices and procedures in connection with the testing of employees. Local government employers can be held liable for monetary damages when an employee’s constitutional rights have been violated as a result of drug testing. (2013) Protecting employees from being tested for drugs or alcohol is supported by the constitution, but many employers are still able to utilize testing in the workplace.In fact, employers are defending their beliefs by saying that drug tests: “.
.. protect your business from the impact of drug and alcohol abuse” (Zaleski, 2010). The constitutionality of workplace drug and alcohol testing is an ongoing controversy and the argument will continue to occur.
Conclusion In conclusion, alcohol is a very influential in many aspects of life. Alcohol has been associated with many problems in society such as traffic accidents, suicide and murder, and reduced quality and performance at work. People who drink alcohol can have affects on personal life, work life, and the community.Even though many consider heavy alcohol consumption to be adverse on the workplace, there are many instances where people who consume little alcohol and show negative behaviors at work.
This is why it is important for employers to clearly set expectations for their employees when it comes to alcohol use. Employees are free to require any behaviors that abide by human rights legislation and I believe they should do so because a business needs to be productive and sustainable. However, there are instances where employers believe they have the right to override the fourth amendment in the workplace.Personally, I do not believe this should be lawful because employers should not be able to invade the privacy of its employees. However, the controversy over drug and alcohol testing’s constitutionality and its effectiveness will continue to be discussed in society. Overall, alcohol is an ongoing topic in all facets of life and society continues to consume it despite the known effects.
Problems with alcohol at work have been measurable, but it is up to the employer to decide how to deal with them through processes like testing, workplace policies, or other procedures.
