Substance-Use Disorder at the Workplace: Alcohol Dependence

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Impact on Work Performance
Reasons for Concealing
Overall Analysis
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Some of the established mental disorders in the population require medical attention and psychiatric treatment. One common thing about mental disorders is that they affect the performance of individuals and their interaction with others in society.

However, not all mental disorders are as serious as to necessitate treatment. In fact, some of them go unnoticed. Victims of mental disorders may even choose to conceal them for a particular reason.

At the workplace, the presence of employees with mental disorders may affect the overall performance of the organisation due to the effects of the condition. As a result, most employees have adopted a number of measures to deal with mental disorders.

This strategy has however ensured that the employees do not reveal their conditions. This paper focuses on substance-use disorders as one group of mental health disorders as categorised by 2007 ABS National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. It puts more focus on alcohol dependence in the workplace and its effects.

Impact on Work Performance

Substance use disorders as stated in 2007 ABS National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing “involve the harmful use and/or dependence on alcohol and/or drugs comprising Alcohol Harmful Use, Alcohol Dependence, and Drug Use disorders” (ABS 2007).

These disorders are said to affect the psychological and physical functioning of the user, causing impaired judgement or impaired behaviour (ABS 2007). The environment of the person concerned affects the mental disarrays. To begin with, they are not in most instances organic.

The patients are said to lose their sense of control of substance use thus resulting to dependence.

Dependence as explained in the 2007 ABS National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing “is a maladaptive pattern of use in which the use of alcohol or drugs takes on a much higher priority for a person than other behaviours that once had a greater value” (ABS 2007).

It continues to state, “The central characteristic of dependence is the strong, sometimes overpowering, desire to take the substance despite significant substance-related problems” (ABS 2007).

The WHO estimates that most drinkers and people who are most likely to suffer from a drug or substance-use disorder such as alcohol dependence are those in the working ages (Mangione et al. 1999, p. 269). Alcohol dependence in particular is prevalent among the working population.

Some surveys conducted on the condition found out that more than 15% of workers included had reported to work with hangovers besides using alcohol within the workplace.

There are many effects of alcohol dependence on the performance of an individual at the workplace. These are individual specific depending on the line of work that the individual is involved.

One of the ways in which alcohol dependence influences the workplace is the reduction in the efficiency and safety at the workstation (Head, Stansfeld & Siegrist 2004, p.222). When a person is alcohol dependent, there is a high likelihood that he or she will be taking the substance at the workplace, or will take breaks to do so.

After consumption, most of them have a higher likelihood of committing mistakes due to errors in judgement besides being prone to occupational injuries and accidents (Roman & Blum 2002, p. 54). The effects of alcohol consumption at the workplace are immediate since any quantity has some adverse effects.

Most countries have existing regulations of alcohol use within various industries that are known to be high risk thus doing the testing for drug dependence before employment (Roman & Blum 2002, p. 54).

The after-effect of using the drug, otherwise known as hangovers, brings about another effect that alcohol dependence may have on the functioning of an individual at the workplace. The condition can affect the performance of employees and even their attendance at the workplace.

Most of the workers reporting to have gone to work with a hangover said that they had difficulties paying attention and that their pace of work was reduced (De Lorenzo-Romanella 2011, p. 79). This revelation means that their output for that day was significantly reduced and hence the overall output of the company.

A common effect of alcohol dependence at the workplace is the poor attendance that is reported for these patients (Roman & Blum 2002, p. 56). Alcohol has many recognised side effects. A worker who uses the drug is highly likely to suffer from one or more of the conditions occurring due to its use.

The conditions may necessitate the admission or seeking of medical attention hence forming one of the major reasons why alcohol dependants miss the workplace. Thousands of hours are lost in a single year worldwide because of sickness and absence related to alcohol dependence (De Lorenzo-Romanella 2011, p. 79).

The presence of psychological and medical problems in a person who is alcohol dependant is reported to lead to impaired performance at the workplace, which costs the company in terms of output (De Lorenzo-Romanella 2011, p. 82).

As Roman and Blum state, “Dependence may be associated with drinking or being under the influence of alcohol at inappropriate times and places, deterioration of skills, and interpersonal difficulties” (2002, p. 56).

The skiving from the administrative centres due to to alcohol exploitation and reliance is reported to cost the UK’s financial system about £1.5 billion every year (Roman & Blum 2002, p. 54).

Most of the workers who are alcohol dependent are reported to change work at a higher rate than the average employees, with most of them dropping out of work or even succumbing of the effects of the disorder.

The result of deaths and work loss from alcoholic dependence is said to rob the economies world over of precious revenues and people who would otherwise be productive (De Lorenzo-Romanella 2011, p. 79). Another effect of dependence is the distortion of the organisational culture in many of the organisations.

The presence of alcoholic dependence among some employees creates a situation of non-cooperation between them, thus reducing their combined output. The argument means that results in any organisation are not as would be otherwise expected if there were no alcoholic-dependent employees.

Alcoholic dependence also affects the characters of the employees involved. Some may adopt unsocial behaviours such as theft at the workplace. Since most of those affected may not be able to fund their habits, they end up robbing the company property and finance to propagate the disorder (Barney et al 2009, p. 61).

This case has poor results since the organisations usually end up losing millions in this form. Despite these effects of the condition, most of the employees affected are not detected at the workplace. The following section evaluates why the employees choose to conceal the condition from their colleagues and employers.

Reasons for Concealing

As stated above, the alcohol dependent employees are only detected after several years of successfully concealing the condition from their superiors and the workmates. The disorder has several known interventions that the employees may be aware of although most of them decide to keep it as a secret.

A common characteristic of these employees is that most of them are not aware that they have a problem. They therefore do not seek medical attention or help from other individuals and professionals (Roman & Blum 2002, p. 54).

Most of them have the insight that the consumption of alcohol in general may be offensive to other people. They generally keep it a secret.

Another reason why the employees conceal the problem is due to the perceived consequences of the act should their employers find out (De Lorenzo-Romanella 2011, p. 79).

The main fear of most of the employees is that, upon realising that they have a problem, the employer may decide to terminate their employment hence affecting them in a number of ways.

It is a common practice in many organisations to discharge employees from their duties once they are found to be consuming alcohol or taking other drugs in the workplace (De Lorenzo-Romanella 2011, p. 82).

Many countries have legislation against the consumption of alcohol and other drugs at the workplace, with the penalties being very stiff.

In some of the industries, the functions are so sensitive that, once an employee is caught to be under the influence of alcohol, he or she is charged in a court of law (De Lorenzo-Romanella 2011, p. 83). Alcohol dependence in these areas may therefore pass unnoticed since employees will do everything to conceal it.

Alcoholic-dependent employees are successful at concealing the problem from their relatives and close friends. Thus, the discovery of the same at the workplace would mean that everyone else knows (De Lorenzo-Romanella 2011, p. 82).

This case may be another reason that the employees conceal the problem as it may have grave consequences on their social life. In cases where the employer has found such employees, a common option is to quit their job rather than risking their close associates knowing of the problem.

This step is however not a common reason for the concealing of alcohol dependence disorder, as most of the employees are well known in the society.

Another reason why employees conceal the problem is due to the previous experiences in organisations where they managed to reveal the problem to their employers. In this case, most of the alcohol-dependent patients may have been warned of dire consequences should they be caught again while drinking at the workplace.

A second time would mean that they now face the full consequences of the act besides being discharged from their job. The costs of seeking treatment and rehabilitation from alcohol dependence are high in most countries.

Most of those affected are unable to afford the standard medical attention for the mental disorder (Roman & Blum 2002, p. 54). Since most of those affected know that they will have to seek help when caught, they choose to conceal their problem to save on the much-needed money.

Another reason that the alcohol-dependent individuals are able to conceal their problem successfully is due to the poor interaction between the managerial staff and employers with their employees.

In such cases, the management has no measures in place to detect the presence of alcohol dependence within its workforce (De Lorenzo-Romanella 2011, p. 83).

Another reason for successful concealing of the problem in most of the cases is due to the perception that most of the patients have that they will be stigmatised after the discovery.

In most of instances where employees have been found to be alcohol dependent, they reported that the employers often found ways of ensuring that they are laid off at the slightest of opportunity (De Lorenzo-Romanella 2011, p. 84). However, this case is against the practices in most of the countries

In some countries where stringent laws exist, drug dependence attracts financial penalties that may warrant arrest and prosecution (De Lorenzo-Romanella 2011, p. 82). In these countries, people suffering from alcohol dependence may be afraid of being detected due to the nature of the punishments.

Others argue that the reason that the alcoholic-dependant people in the workplace choose to conceal their problem is to allow themselves to manage their problem privately (Roman & Blum 2002, p. 54). In these kinds of cases, the patients are aware of the problem that they are suffering from.

They try to institute measures on their own. This strategy however in most cases is not possible. The victims end up not succeeding only to be caught eventually (De Lorenzo-Romanella 2011, p. 82).

According to Roman and Blum, most of people suffering from alcohol dependence or dependence of any other substance have no insight into their condition (2002, p. 54).

The other reason that most of the workers suffering from alcohol dependence conceal their problem from their colleagues and employers is because they are not able to make a connection between the problem and the workplace. Employees tend to think that the matter is a private one requiring no other party to intervene.

Hence, the employer should not know. Most of employees with this reasoning are likely to be the ones to reveal the problem to their employers, as compared to those who conceal it based on the need to continue working at the same place (Roman & Blum 2002, p. 54).

As Roman and Blum state, most of employers are ill-equipped to recognise drug dependence at the workplace hence paving the way for employees to go unrecognised (2002, p. 57).

In cases where the employee is discovered to have a problem with performance at the workplace, the disciplinary measures put in place do not establish the cause of the problem, but generally punish the person irrespective of the cause of the poor performance.

This argument is one of the reasons why the condition passes unrecognised in most workplaces.

As Roman and Blum state, many reasons reveal why alcohol dependence may be concealed in the workplace, but the main reason is fear of job loss (2002, p. 54). For employers to succeed in dealing with the problem at their workplaces, they need to ensure that clear policies govern on the problem.

One such policy is the existence of labour organisations that ensure that employees with mental disorders get fair treatment once their problems are discovered. This strategy will reduce the chances of the alcoholic dependants concealing their problem.

Overall Analysis

Alcohol abuse or dependence is a serious mental condition requiring attention and treatment (Barney et al. 2009, p. 61). When an employee develops alcohol dependence, the productivity at the workplace is greatly affected with the overall output being reduced.

The conditions that exist in a workplace have been shown to initiate the problem in some employees thus aggravating it in those that already have it on employment. Some of the recognised effects of alcohol dependence may warrant dismissal of an employee from the workplace.

This case may affect both the running of the business and the individual’s social and economic performance (Munir et al. 2007, p. 276).

In the medical perspective, alcohol dependence is a type of medical condition classified under substance-use disorder by the 2007 ABS National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing (Roman & Blum 2002, p. 54).

The most common effect in the performance of employees is the attendance at the workplace where they skip work to attend to issues related to the disorder.

Some of the reasons for the absence at the workplace include seeking medical assistance for the conditions as well as other conditions resulting from the disorder such as liver cirrhosis. This situation has been shown to affect the workplace significantly, with many person-hours being lost as a result.

Some of the countries that are most affected are the developed countries where employees are able to afford the alcohol and maintain the habit. Billions of dollars are lost from the global economy because of the disorder. Despite the issue, many of the employees affected go unnoticed.

Some of the reasons why the employees conceal the problem from their employers and colleagues relate to the consequences likely to face them upon discovery. They include loss of work, victimisation, and loss of privacy.

In the contemporary workplace, employees should be allowed to seek medical attention once they are discovered to have the problem. A labour representative should accompany them at the deliberations with their employers if they so wish (Munir et al 2007, p. 276).

Once discovered, the employee should also be allowed to take leave to have the problem sorted with the terms of an ordinary leave (Roman & Blum 2002, p. 54). Organisations should also have a working guidance and counselling department to deal with the welfare of employees, which should ensure confidentiality.

Some of the other reasons for the concealing of alcohol dependence include the ill-treatment at the workplace. Managers and other people in the leadership of organisations should ensure that they take care of employees with such problems by according them the confidentiality that they deserve.

Training should also be given to the managers and employers on how to detect alcohol dependence at the workplace together with how to deal with it. It is not a common practice for managers to be taught such things. This case may reveal the reactions after discovery of a victim of alcohol dependence among their employees.

Conclusion

In conclusion, alcohol dependence is a common mental disorder in the class of substance-use disorders. It is increasingly becoming common among the working population in many countries. Alcohol dependence has some recognised effects on performance at the workplace.

Some of the recognised problems include poor performance, missing work, and the risk of accidents at the workplace. The employees with alcohol dependence often go unnoticed due to the effort they put in concealing the condition.

Some of the reasons for concealing have been advanced in the paper, with adequate recommendations on how this situation may be tackled.

References

ABS 2007, National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, Summary of Results, Cat No 4326.0. Web.

Barney, L, Griffiths, K, Christensen, H, & Jorm, A 2009, ‘Exploring the nature of stigmatising beliefs about depression and help-seeking: implications for reducing stigma’, BMC Public Health, vol. 9 no. 1, p. 61.

De Lorenzo-Romanella, S 2011, ‘Managing Hidden Illnesses that Impact on Performance and Absenteeism’, The Business Review Cambridge, vol. 19 no. 1, pp. 77-84.

Head, J, Stansfeld, S, & Siegrist, J 2004, ‘The psychosocial work environment and alcohol dependence: a prospective study’, Occupational And Environmental Medicine, vol. 61 no. 3, pp. 219-224.

Mangione, W et al. 1999, ‘Employee Drinking Practices and Work Performance’, Journal of Studies on Alcohol, vol. 60 no. 1, pp. 261-270.

Munir, F, Yarker, J, Haslam, C, Long, H, Leka, S, Griffiths, A, & Cox, S 2007, ‘Work factors related to psychological and health-related distress among employees with chronic illnesses’, Journal Of Occupational Rehabilitation, vol. 17 no. 2, pp. 259-277.

Roman, M, & Blum, C 2002, ‘The Workplace and Alcohol Prevention’, Alcohol Research and Health, vol. 26 no. 1, pp. 49-57.

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