Workplace Alcohol Consumption

Workplaces usually deal with a lot of challenges due to employees’ conduct which interfere with their working performance output.  Among the problems faced in the workplace is the excessive alcohol intake. Problems associated to alcohol intake and drugs may be as a result of social factors, personal, family or work associated situations, or as result of a blend of all those elements. Alcohol intake in addition to extending adverse health impacts it also negatively affects the well being of workers; it also may cause work-associated problems such as a weakening in job performance. Alcohol intake by particular workers also causes problems to other workers since he might cause disturbance or conflict.  

Alcohol in work places

Whilst the elimination of alcohol usage is highly desirable past experience has indicate plenty of challenges in dealing with alcohol intake in workplaces. Workplaces require putting up policies to help the employees with alcohol intake problems. Workplace programs towards preventing and decreasing alcohol associated problem amongst staff possess significant potential due to a number of reasons (Bauer & Erdogan, 2012). For instance, the actuality that the staffs spend lots of time in workplaces, supervisors and coworkers have the chance to notice a developing alcohol problem. Additionally employers are capable of using their influence to motivate staffs to seeking help for alcohol intake problems (International Labour Office, 1996). Over time however workplaces have started to neglect the task of dealing with alcohol intake programs: alcohol intake has begun to be taken as a usual problem with the supervisors lightly dealing with it. The decrease in workplace attention towards alcohol problem shows the urgent need for creating as well as sustaining a policy for maintaining alcohol interventions in workplaces (Dronet, 1999).  This article will illustrate the opportunities workplaces offer for preventing alcohol-associated issues along with various programs available that workplaces could adopt.

Workplace prevention opportunities

The workplace offers a number of potential opportunities for executing alcohol abuse deterrence programs, they include (Roman & Blum, 2014);

• Full-time staffs spend a considerable amount of time at work, heightening the probability of exposure to preventive programs provided via the workplace. The possibility that drinking problem evidence might be visible is also very high.
• Work occupies a very important function in employees’ lives. Since many of the employees have roles in their family and community which rely on them to maintain their employment status in addition to the prestige that tags along, the association amongst employer and employee possesses an extent of leverage. Therefore, the employer has the right to demand sufficient levels of job performance. Thus if the employee infringes the requirement the employer may withdraw some privileges such as pay to motivate the employee change their behavior
• The majority of the employees are adults asking the workplace a perfect setting to contact a huge population.

Primary as well as secondary prevention within workplace  

Workplace programs comprise of primary in addition to secondary prevention. The primary prevention strategies are aimed at preventing the alcohol problems from arising whereas the secondary prevention aims at reducing prevailing problems or difficulties (Slavit, Reagin, & Finch, 2010). Researchers have indicated that workplaces over stresses on secondary prevention at the expense of primary prevention. Primary prevention is mainly cost-effective as compared to the expensive secondary prevention. The prevention of alcohol consumption is hindered by the fact that adults are allowed by the law to consume alcohol. Thus employers are rarely positioned to prevent staffs from initiating alcohol intake as an off-job practice (Roman & Blum, 2014). All together employers require staffs to undertake their jobs properly without disrupting or endangering fellow workers activities.

Alcohol problems within the workplace may be identified through several events: firstly, the association of drinking practice with performance output problems, for instance, poor-quality work pattern, problem of work attendance or interaction issues with employees Secondly, employees admission that they have alcohol intake problems and that they require assistance. Thirdly, coworkers may confirm that a particular individual has an alcohol intake problem.  

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)

This is the mainly prevalent intervention utilized in addressing alcohol problems.  The EAPs possess varying features which set them apart from prevention strategies utilized in other settings (Safework, 2010). The objective of EAPs prevents employment loss as well as assuring employed individuals the continuity of their careers. EAPS thus prevent the dire consequences brought about by the employee’s job loss. The EAPs are implemented in a number of ways through referrals.

EAP referral routes

Self-referrals: within the initial development stages of the EAP researchers have proposed that it would be ideal to primarily attract self referrals. Significant levels of referrals would boost the program’s credibility through demonstration of consumer confidence (Roman & Blum, 2014). Researches where EAPS have been implemented indicate self referrals numbers were rising day by day. Employees joint the EAP program due to the fact that it is provided by the employer, they are assured of confidentiality and it extends professional help (Bauer & Erdogan, 2012). Informal referrals: this route is prompted through significant social interaction between employer and employee. About 80 percent of referrals are usually takes this route (Hseni, 2009). Though originally EAPS were developed to take the route of formal referrals, informal referral is mainly preferred by employers as well as employees. Its only limitation is the absence of official records of a staff’s EAP referral. Formal referrals: this route is taken when external intervention is needed. Such referrals are usually initiated by supervisors following a detection of deteriorating job performance which may not be explained by the work conditions. Employers are required to contact EAP staff prior to taking any action to ensure conformity of workplace rules (Roman & Blum, 2014). The supervisor is supposed to first confront the employee demanding an explanation along with presenting evidence poor work performance to the staff. If the employee fails to change then they are referred to the EAP.   

EAP’s role in Relapse Prevention and Follow Up

Relapse prevention comprises of diverse range of interventions. Relapse is regarded as a kind of primary prevention strategy (Hseni, 2009). EAPs as well as workplaces occupy a very important function in relapse prevention. The opportunities for relapse prevention rely on the work nature in addition to accessibility for staffs who are attempting to maintain recovery (Roman & Blum, 2014). Follow up within the workplace since the employees progress is easily observable due to the fact that the report to work on a daily basis or regularly.

Complements to EAPs

Research has indicated that a majority of the employed individuals drink heavily when they are out of work. This leads to varying adverse consequences and problems. Among these problems are hangovers. Recent studies have showed that hangovers possess huge effects on work performance (Bauer & Erdogan, 2012). Hangovers impact cognitive as well as motor functions developing risks of negative judgment, injuries in addition to interpersonal conflict.  Thus, employers have legitimate reasons for motivating workers to change their alcohol drinking patterns indefinitely due to its effect.  The following programs are the complements to EAPs. Alcohol Education Programs: this method form the principal way of addressing staffs’ out of job drinking (Roman & Blum, 2014). These programs are carried out within the workplace. These programs are normally linked to the EAP or a health promotion plan or both. The objective of the alcohol education program is usually encouraging behavioral change.

Health promotion program: this program motivates staffs to adjust their drinking tendencies. Once health issues such as high blood pressure, gastric problems or weight are located during health risk survey undertaken within the workplace, the health worker in charge could suggest a decrease in drinking alcohol as a method preventing the primary symptoms (Roman & Blum, 2014). Peer intervention: employee alcohol education can train peers to extend assistance towards one another. The peer intervention programs may be greatly useful for countering the early behavioral problems (Safework, 2010). Though it is not applicable in all settings peer intervention is an additional complement of EAPs.

Risk Factors within the Workplace Environment

Research has examined a number of work-related factors which may contribute to the alcohol taking problem (Roman & Blum, 2014). In addition to EAPs and its complements employers require to also look at the following elements. Stress: studies have indicated considerable association amongst work place stress and heightened alcohol consumption levels. Employers could alleviate this by enhancing job satisfaction (Hseni, 2009). Alienation: alienation from work by employees has strongly been linked to alcohol taking tendencies. Worker alienation may be reduced through participative management

Conclusion

Alcohol problems are constantly impacting negatively on workplaces through reducing worker output as well as performance. The employers have a duty to adopt programs such as EAPs in addition to other supplements to eradicate alcohol usage.   Employers possess a duty to transform the lives of their workers to enable them live fruitful lives. Additionally, as indicated earlier terminating workers’ jobs is never a solution to dealing with alcohol problems. It is only through improvement of workplace environment that the drinking problem may be eliminated.  The primary prevention programs are the mainly useful in workplaces as such employers require to alleviate drinking problems way before they take place.  Primary prevention programs are usually very cost effective and mainly impactful.

References

Bauer, T., & Erdogan, B. (2012), Organizational behavior (1.1 ed.). Nyack,
NY: Flat World Knowledge.

Dronet. (1999). Workplace drug and alcohol abuse prevention programmes. Retrieved from http://www.dronet.org/avanzate/veneto/sospsico/upload/art053.pdf

Hseni. (2009). GUIDELINES ON DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING WORKPLACE DRUGS AND ALCOHOL POLICIES. Retrieved from http://www.hseni.gov.uk/workplace_drugs_and_alcohol_policies_-_guidelines.pdf

International Labour Office. (1996). Management of Alcohol and Drug-associated issues in the workplace. Retrieved from http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—ed_protect/—protrav/—safework/documents/normativeinstrument/wcms_107799.pdf

Roman, P., & Blum, T. (2014). The Workplace and Alcohol Problem Prevention. Retrieved from http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh26-1/49-57.htm

Safework. (2010). Guidelines for Addressing ALCOHOL & OTHER DRUGS IN THE WORKPLACE. Retrieved from http://www.safework.sa.gov.au/uploaded_files/drugsalc_guidelines.pdf

Slavit, W., Reagin, A., & Finch, R. (2010). An Employer’s Guide to Workplace Substance Abuse: Strategies and Treatment Recommendations. Retrieved from http://www.businessgrouphealth.org/pub/f3151957-2354-d714-5191-c11a80a07294