Alcohol Use While Working

Can you perform your job while intoxicated? Are drinks at lunch OK? One drink, two, what’s the limit? Do you have employees who show up for work intoxicated from alcohol? 

While researching this topic, there was actually little information available. The Federal government has done studies, but the information is years old. Research conducted by private entities was found. However, I’m always skeptical of how the data is presented when the ones doing the research have a specific point they are supporting. It does make one wonder why there is not current research. Is there an issue at all? Or is there not a strong popular opinion against alcohol consumption while working?

In my previous profession, the inherent duties to be performed, and the employer’s policies, prohibited alcohol use on duty. While performing my duties, I would often come across people drinking in the middle of the day. When this would happen I always wondered how they could perform their jobs effectively.

So how does alcohol use affect the safety of the workplace? Here are some of those government statistics: The Occupational Safety & Health Administration reports that between 10 and 20 percent of workplace fatalities involve alcohol or other drugs. The Department of Labor reported in 2007 that 8.8 percent of employees reported heavy alcohol use. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 80 deaths related to alcohol use in 2010. When you consider that there are, on any given day, 140 million people employed in the United States, 80 deaths doesn’t sound significant. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports alcohol misuse associated with high costs to employers including absenteeism, poor work performance, turnover, accidents, and increased health care costs. An estimated cost of $134 billion due to lost productivity.

Some may say that an employee’s self indulgence is between them and the employer. But how does one employee affect their coworkers? Safety and productivity come back into to play.  A drunken employee puts his coworkers at risk of injury and the workload is sometimes unfairly distributed to others due to sluggish performance or absenteeism.

What is considered drunk? There are legal limits established for driving, but do those limits transfer to the office? This question goes back to my opening remarks on what amount is too much and what the employer establishes in policy. It goes without saying that alcohol use during the performance of some jobs, by the very nature of the function being performed, would be ill advised. Some employers allow some alcohol consumption during lunch hours while some have a zero tolerance policy for alcohol consumption during work hours. Regardless of the job function, there are employers who have strict policies in place that prohibit the use of alcohol while at work. On the other hand, some establish permissive policies, not regulating the use of alcohol but providing assistance programs if the employee is caught.

As you have read this blog, there have been a lot of questions asked. The views on this subject vary widely, both from the employee’s and employer’s point of view. As with any workplace situation, the employer must be in control. Providing for a safe and healthy work environment, while providing guidance and support for their employees.