Alcohol's Impacts in the Workplace: It's Here to Stay

Alcohol and other drug policies are the norm in most workplaces these days. But, it isn’t until we dig deeper into the subject matter that we discover how rife the societal problems are--particularly associated with alcohol--as they are manifested throughout the workplace.

Ryder et al quotes the National Expert Advisory Committee on Alcohol (NEACA 2000b):

“Between 50% and 80% of all costs that arise from alcohol use (not exclusively acute use or intoxication) is borne by industry [i.e. the workplace], exceeding even those costs incurred by the health sector.”[1]

The above quote indicates that alcohol exacerbates safety issues in the workplace, and that in reality it’s a massive problem. Think of the direct costs and impacts on the health sector; the most visible area affected by the results of alcohol use and misuse.

The safety issues related to alcohol use in the workplace are not the same as those of just driving.

“A person’s ability to perform a routine, relatively unskilled task can be unaffected up to a BAL [Blood Alcohol Level] of 0.1 mg/ml, twice the legal drink driving level. But when the task requires decision making, is more complex, or has not been well practiced by the worker, then performance can be affected at much lower levels of consumption.”[2]

This tells us that there are complexities to the issues around impairment due to alcohol use that are not easy to reconcile.

Anyone who’s ever been intoxicated could probably vouch for how effective they could be doing well practiced, routine tasks.

The last quote bears the holistic consideration that doesn’t seek to exclusively highlight alcohol as the single cause of the problem:

“Understanding harm within industry requires a consideration of all aspects of the public health model, not just alcohol itself.”[3]

In other words, we must also be attentive to the ‘softer,’ less visible environmental factors that permeate the culture of an organisation such as the effects of shiftwork, poor or inadequate supervision, collusion and work colleague cover-ups, low job satisfaction, and the stress involved in the work.[4]

The workplace will be affected by generally any adverse societal issue. If it’s present in the home, it’s just as likely to be present at work.

Alcohol will be a problem in the workplace as long as it exists as a drug of pleasure in society. The workplace is simply a microcosm of wider society and the same educational and enforcement paradigms are required.

s

ENDNOTES:
[1] David Ryder, Alison Salmon & Noni Walker, Drug Use & Drug-related Harm: A delicate balance (Melbourne, Australia: IP Communications, 2001), p. 164. This quote is from a Collins and Lapsley study undertaken in 1996 and is taken to be generally indicative.
[2] Ryder et al, Ibid, p. 165. This is quoted from the WA Chamber of Mines and Energy, 1996.
[3] Ryder et al, Ibid, p. 165. This is quoted from the WA Chamber of Mines and Energy, 1996.
[4] Ryder et al, Ibid, p. 165.