Why is alcohol misuse a concern to an employer?
Alcohol abuse is a significant cause of employee absence and lost productivity and has a negative effect in the workplace. More organisations are becoming aware of the impact that alcohol has on their business and are looking at ways to combat the problems that can arise from it. Employers have a role and responsibility to safeguard their staff when they are in the workplace.
Costs of alcohol misuse in the workplace
Employees can be less efficient and even endanger themselves and the people around them if they have alcohol in their system. If they are in high-pressure jobs or working long and unsociable hours, the risks from alcohol can be even higher.
With up to 17 million sick days taken in the UK every year due to alcohol and around 200,000 people turning up to work every day with a hangover, it’s clear that businesses need an appropriate alcohol policy. The aim should be to help prevent alcohol misuse but also to support the people who need it.
What can businesses do?
Whether a large company or one of the borough’s many SMEs there are steps that you can take to help managers facilitate conversations about alcohol misuse and put in place support for employees.
Guidance for employers
Alcohol Concern provide information on support for alcohol issues in the workplace. They know that alcohol can affect your staff and the day-to-day running of your business. They can help you to develop a policy that suits you, equip you to start conversations about alcohol in the workplace and implement a plan that will result in reduced staff absences and increased productivity. Whether that includes employee screening or awareness raising they’re on hand to help.
Support for staff
DontBottleItUp supports people affected by alcohol misuse. The website allows people to complete a short test developed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to identify if they are at risk of harm as a result of their drinking, to access personalised advice online and, where appropriate, find out where to get face-to-face support locally.
Unlike some alcohol screening tests, this test has proven to be accurate across all ethnic and gender groups. The online test contains ten multiple choice questions on the amount and frequency of alcohol consumption, drinking behaviour and alcohol-related problems or reactions. On average, it should take only two minutes to complete and can be easily shared with all staff.
