Easy self-assessments could reduce absence due to alcohol misuse drastically
Don Shenker, director of the Alcohol Health Network (AHN), has written an article for Personnel Today about alcohol misuse and ways to prevent it. He sets the scene by quoting Government statistics, which estimate that up to 17 million absence days per year can be attributed to alcohol misuse. This amounts to £7.3 billion per year and causes 40% of all accidents at work. These figures do not take into account those employees who – for fear of jeopardising their continued employment -under-report their alcohol use.
Shenker quotes several studies that have proven a link between alcohol consumption and the number of sickness absence days but mentions that “hangovers and pulling ‘sickies’ are simply the outward manifestations of drinking too much.”
Only one in three know the alcohol guidelines
One part of the problem is that although the majority of heavy drinkers are of working age and in employment, it is not always obvious to them or others that their drinking is affecting their health and subsequently their employment. Only one third of men and half of women know the correct alcohol guidelines for their gender.
It is, of course, rare to find staff drinking while on duty, at lunch or at work. However, off-duty drinking after work or between shifts can still affect an employee’s ability to perform well, as well as affecting their health.
A CIPD survey in 2007 found that only half of employers had alcohol policies in place, and some employers have attempted to raise employee awareness through providing more information on alcohol units and recommended drinking guidelines to their employees via leaflets, posters and information materials. These are important but, on their own, probably not enough to change long-standing drinking behaviours during employee leisure time.
Self-assessments could reduce alcohol misuse
Shenker suggests an approach of providing alcohol risk assessments to all employees, preferably before problems emerge. Contrary to assumptions, once heavy drinkers are made fully aware of the health impact of their drinking, they are more likely to moderate their intake. There is good evidence of this type of approach being effective in the medical setting and it is suggested that it could be equally effective in the workplace.
The approach is quite simple. Using a risk-assessment sheet, individuals are asked questions about their drinking and given feedback and advice based on their score. The greatest benefit of this approach would come from encouraging staff to self-assess their drinking and taking appropriate action before an alcohol problem becomes a problem. Rather than someone assessing you, you can accurately assess yourself.
Shenker further states that whether the alcohol assessment comes from a health professional or is undertaken privately by employees on the internet makes little difference. That means the intervention would be very easy for employers to implement without needing trained advisors to provide the feedback based on the results.
If you’d like to implement an alcohol awareness campaign including an online self-assessment for employees, get in touch!