Workplace Alcoholism

Workplace Alcoholism is a growing problem. Alcoholism can affect people in all social and economic situations. The affects of workplace alcoholism can be found in both white and blue-collar jobs.

We see the common stereotype of an alcoholic as someone who is homeless and unemployed. That is not the case, in most cases it has been estimated that around 75% of alcoholics are employed full-time. That is a high figure.

Some studies in the workplace have suggested that alcohol has contributed to as much as 25% of all workplace accidents.

In addition to that, the lost productivity and absenteeism due to the alcohol abuse has been estimated to have cost the employers billions of dollars.

Alcoholism has the ability to affect everyone that works close to the alcoholic. After family members, work colleagues are the next people to be affected by an alcoholic and their drinking habits.

Where there is workplace alcoholism, it is most often the people that work with the alcoholic that will try and attempt to cover up for them. Which in turn makes working with them even more difficult. All it does is delay the consequences for the alcoholic. That is not helping them.

A person's decision to take alcoholic beverages is of course a private matter. Having said that, when their drinking begins to have an effect at work and on their work performance, and could potentially endanger those in that workplace. It is then the employer should be concerned, and has the right to become involved.

If you happen to be an employer or supervisor of a person with an alcohol problem, it is important to stay in that role when dealing with that person. Do not become emotionally involved.

It is not your job to diagnose the alcoholism or any other disease for that matter. Your role is supervising your employee and making a judgment call only as to their ability to carry out their job. If you judge they cannot, you must take action.

ALCOHOLISM PHYSICAL SYMPTOM

The following may indicate that a person has an alcohol-related problem:

 They smell of alcohol

 Being unsteady when they walk 

 Red or bloodshot eyes

 Falling a sleeping while doing their job

 Using mouth wash or mints frequently

 Being late regularly

 Use excessive amounts of sick leave 

 Careless at work or missing deadlines

 Not getting on with co-workers

 Being bad tempered and argumentative, especially in the morning

As the employer you have a job to do and if  you determine that alcohol is likely to be the problem with your employee, you will need to confront them with your findings. 

As you are doing this to help them, provide them with any information about any company support schemes that can help them deal with this problem. Maybe inform them of somewhere were they can go for help.

Be prepared for the employee to become angry, or deny that they have a problem, most alcoholic's will do this.

In the case of an employee who is unwilling to admit that they have a problem. You maybe able to point this problem out to family members who may be willing or able to step in and help as well.

Remember the role of the employer is not to be an enabler, but rather to help and support the employee at work and provide them with an opportunity to recover and keep their job open for them.

Having said that the employer is within their right to let the employee go, if their work is suffering.

Employers who do this should do so with a supportive gesture, indicating that when the employee is able to conquer their problem, they might have a second chance back at the company.

This provides the employee with an incentive for getting clean and better.