The Impacts Of Alcohol Abuse In The Workplace

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The Implications of Alcohol Abuse in the Workplace

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THE IMPLICATIONS OF ALCOHOL ABUSE IN THE WORKPLACE 2

The Implications of Alcohol Abuse in the Workplace

Alcohol abuse in the workplace imposes significant implications on distinct levels

such as to the individuals and the group involved in the substance abuse, the organization

and the society at large. Persons under the influence of alcohol in the workplace have a

higher likelihood of causing disastrous accidents that may result in premature mortalities.

They are also subject to high rates of absenteeism, work place mishaps and tardiness.

Groups that venture in and or promote alcohol abuse in the workplace have an unsettling

effect on other employees and likely to diminish their morale. Such groups are catalysts

of loss of proficiency and substandard decision making as well as involvement in illegal

pursuits at work. An organization whose employees are victims of alcohol abuse is prone

to a drastic decline in productivity, mismanagement, escalated turn-over rates and a poor

reputation. Alcohol abuse is a primal cause of societal complexities such as family

disintegration, conflicts, propagation of antisocial conducts and unemployment. Indeed

alcohol abuse is a catastrophic force that tumbles down an organization from its core and

extends the harm down the hierarchy from the individual to the societal level.

Alcohol has an overarching influence on individual victims who abuse it within

the workplace. For instance, after use implications of alcohol abuse can result in memory

lapses, diminished coordination and perception, and fatigue that may propagate lateness

at work and affect the individual’s performance (Siglow, 2013). Alcohol abuse has also

been linked with workforce absenteeism and tardiness which may culminate to the

workforce loss of income and additional expenses on the source of the absenteeism such

as ailments (Bacharach, Bamberger & Biron, 2010). Since alcohol abuse leads to

drowsiness, individuals under alcohol influence are likely to mishandle workplace

THE IMPLICATIONS OF ALCOHOL ABUSE IN THE WORKPLACE 3

equipment resulting to unprecedented accidents that may cause fatal injuries and

mortalities (Dry, Burns, Nettelbeck, Farquharson, & White, 2012). Such employees may

face law suits for workplace negligence. Despite, they may as well undergo disciplinary

procedures from their organizational administration and end up wasting valuable time

away from the working premises. Within this disciplinary phase, they are easily

predisposed to binge drinking and end up distressed. Also, individuals who abuse alcohol

are prone to health complexities such as stomach upsets, diarrhoea, and headaches. In this

regard, they may be forced to utilize their income on health insurance and in paying their

medical bills. An extended over indulgence in alcohol abuse at work may result to the

individual’s misconduct that may lead to job termination.

A group of alcohol abusers at the workplace are likely to create intense havoc. In

this regard, they are easily pre-occupied with acquiring and abusing alcohol while

undertaking their career tasks and hence affecting their attention and concentration.

According to Ramchand, Pomeroy, & Arkes, (2017), Such drift of focus may lead to

damage of workplace appliances and personal injuries. Also, if such group operate within

firms that manufacture flammable products (such as petroleum products), smokers within

the group can cause fire outbreaks that may result in untold losses and possible workforce

fatalities (Anderson, 2017). Also, such groups are prone to diminished efficiency and

productivity at work and hence likely to face retrenchment. In addition, a group of

alcohol influenced employees can easily result to workplace conflicts that can result in

violence and unwarranted fights can be a source of injuries both to oneself and others

(McFarlin, Fals-Stewart, Major & Justice, 2001). Also, alcohol abuse is a key drive to

reckless decision making. Also, other employees working with the alcohol influenced

THE IMPLICATIONS OF ALCOHOL ABUSE IN THE WORKPLACE 4

group are prone to stress and depression imposed on them by the non-cooperative group.

Such employees may be forced to undertake more workload since their fellow alcohol-

influenced colleagues are slovenly performing or expressing tardiness. In scenarios where

the organizational management is inclusively taking part in the alcohol abuse, judgment

impairment may lead to subordinate employee mistreatment and victimization which may

affect the organizational productivity negatively. An atmosphere of low morale is likely

to descent and spread in the entire firm emanating from the slovenly conduct of the

alcohol abusing group. Such groups may as well propagate illicit undertakings in the

workplace premises such as selling alcohol and other drugs to their fellow workmates

transforming the entire employee’s team into alcohol and drug abusers as well.

Alcohol use and abuse at work can have far-reaching implications to the overall

organization. Intoxicated employees are a prime source of mismanagement that can

jeopardize the operational activities within an organization. Mismanagement can as well

result to workplace confusion, employee distress and diminished motivation (Milios,

2015). An amalgamation of these factors is a recipe for low productivity and efficiency

within an organization and may result to a decline in profits and dividends. Also,

employees working under managers who abuse alcohol may opt to resign and seek

employment elsewhere, and this may result to high turn-over rates. Employees’

resignation may trigger loss of competent and productive workforce and directly result to

low profits. The organization may be forced to recruit new workforce and consequently

incur training and replacement expenses. Also, having employees who abuse alcohol at

work can disintegrate workplace relationships. Since alcohol impairs cognitive reasoning

and judgment, lack of professionalism may mushroom within the organization and create

THE IMPLICATIONS OF ALCOHOL ABUSE IN THE WORKPLACE 5

employee-employer tension that are unnecessary and uncalled for. All these subsequently

results to poor productivity. Also, firms with a workforce that abuse alcohol are more

predisposed to incurring loss of time as the employees recuperate from after-use alcohol

effects. Also, since courtesy and effective communication are essential aspects in the

running of any organization, alcohol influenced employees are likely to breach these

aspects and display unruly and disrespect conduct to the clients. As such, the clients are

subject to seek alliances and services elsewhere and this may result to a poor brand image

and the eventual business failure and closure.

Alcohol abuse is a potent weapon that can have a ripple effect to impact the

outside world at the societal level. Employees who indulge in alcohol abuse are likely to

face retrenchment and add up to the unemployed lot of individuals in the society. Idle and

unemployed youths are a prime cause of drug and human trafficking. Unemployment has

also been listed as one of the top causes of crime both in the United States and globally.

Drug trafficking and crime are core potent aspects to cause tension in the society (Lorenc

et al., 2013). In addition, alcohol abusers are prone to unruly and antisocial conduct such

as the use of abusive language and vandalism. Antisocial conduct can lead to arrests, and

the culprits can be sent behind bars, leaving their families uncared for. Families with no

bread winners can end up as street children and sex peddlers which may predispose them

to sexual transmitted ailments and malnutrition. Alcohol abusers can also be involved in

casual fights and violence that can result in injuries and fatalities. Also, alcohol abuse is

an instigating factor in family disintegration as a result of constant conflicts that are

closely attributed to tipsy individuals (Siglow, 2013). Individuals under the influence of

alcohol are also prone to unprotected sex and or unwarranted sexual advances. These may

THE IMPLICATIONS OF ALCOHOL ABUSE IN THE WORKPLACE 6

predispose them to sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/ AIDS. Lastly, people under

alcohol influence and abuse are unlikely to maintain steadiness and proficiency at the

workplace and are likely to end up jobless. Joblessness is a prime cause of poverty within

the society. A society plagued with crime and unruly behaviour shoos away investors and

domestic tourists and thus indirectly impact the nation’s economy negatively.

In conclusion, indeed alcohol abuse is a catastrophic force that tumbles down an

organization from its core and extends the harm down the hierarchy from the individual

to the societal level. Individuals under alcohol abuse are likely to commit workplace

mishaps, cause fatal accidents and inflict injuries on themselves and others. They are also

prone to absenteeism and tardiness and mostly end up jobless. Organizations with a

workforce that abuses alcohol will experience productivity decline, lack of efficiency and

incompetent decision making which results in mismanagement. Such organizations reap

less dividends and eventually result in business failure. Within the societal framework,

alcohol abuse results in unemployment, anti-social behaviour, escalated drug trafficking

and crime. All these elements build tension and elevate poverty rates.

THE IMPLICATIONS OF ALCOHOL ABUSE IN THE WORKPLACE 7

REFERENCES

Anderson, P. (2017). Alcohol and the workplace. euro.who. Retrieved 20 April 2017,

from http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/191367/8-Alcoho

and-the-workplace.pdf

Bacharach, S., Bamberger, P., & Biron, M. (2010). Alcohol consumption and workplace

absenteeism: The moderating effect of social support.. doi.org. Retrieved 19 April

2017, from http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0018018

Dry, M., Burns, N., Nettelbeck, T., Farquharson, A., & White, J. (2012). Dose-Related

Effects of Alcohol on Cognitive Functioning. doi.org. Retrieved 20 April 2017,

from https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0050977

Lorenc, T., Petticrew, M., Whitehead, M., Neary, D., Clayton, S., & Wright, K. et al.

(2013). Fear of crime and the environment: systematic review of UK qualitative

evidence. BMC Public Health. Retrieved 20 April 2017, from

https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2458-13-496

McFarlin, S., Fals-Stewart, W., Major, D., & Justice, E. (2001). Alcohol use and

workplace aggression: An examination of perpetration and

victimization. Doi.org. Retrieved 19 April 2017, from

http://doi.org/10.1016/S0899-3289(01)00080-3

Milios, R. (2015). Buzzed at Work: The Effects of Alcohol and Drug Use on Workplace

Performance. Recovery.org. Retrieved 20 April 2017, from

http://www.recovery.org/pro/articles/buzzed-at-work-the-effects-of-alcohol-and-

drug-use-on-workplace-performance/

THE IMPLICATIONS OF ALCOHOL ABUSE IN THE WORKPLACE 8

Piotrowska, P., Stride, C., Croft, S., & Rowe, R. (2015). Socioeconomic status and

antisocial behaviour among children and adolescents: A systematic review and

meta-analysis. Doi.org. Retrieved 20 April 2017, from

http://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2014.11.003

Ramchand, R., Pomeroy, A., & Arkes, J. (2017). The Effects of Substance Use on

Workplace Injuries. rand.org. Retrieved 20 April 2017, from

http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/occasional_papers/2009/RAND_OP2

47.pdf

Siglow, J. (2013). Alcohol and its Effects on the Alcoholic as well as the

Family. Fisherpub.sjfc.edu. Retrieved 20 April 2017, from

http://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1115&context=ur

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