Alcohol Use Disorders
Most people with alcohol problems work - and the majority work full time. Among adults who currently have the disease of alcoholism, 75% work (59% work full-time and 16% work part time). An even higher workforce participation rate is found among adults who currently have alcohol abuse disorders: 82% are employed (66% work full-time and 16% work part-time).
Alcohol problems result in increased accidents, health care costs, absenteeism, and lost productivity. The good news is that alcohol problems can be effectively and inexpensively treated.
Tips for Employers
Screen for alcohol problems using the validated tool AUDIT.
Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)
1) How often do you have a drink containing alcohol?
2) How many drinks containing alcohol do you have on a typical day when you are drinking?
3) How often do you have four or more drinks on one occasion?
Encourage and incentivize health plans and EAPs to screen for alcohol problems.
Promote the use of employee assistance and health programs. Early intervention is key. Remind employees of the availability of resources for staying healthy and productive. Ensure that employees know how to access care confidentially and quickly by providing information on how to do so in multiple places and throughout the year. Heavily push these messages during times of stress, at the holidays, etc.
Integrate mental health educational messages in health communication strategies. Include content about alcohol use disorders in company newsletters, on the intranet and in other regular employee communication platforms.
Resources
The Alcohol Cost Calculator, developed by Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems, is an online tool that can help you estimate the prevalence of alcohol problems in your employee population.
AlcoholScreening.org is a free service of Join Together, a project of the Boston University School of Public Health.
Rethinking Drinking: Alcohol and your Health is a website and booklet that has been produced by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), a part of the National Institutes of Health. Rethinking Drinking provides evidence-based information, along with support for making a change.