Across the United States, millions of people struggle with some form of alcohol abuse, leading to serious repercussions for their health and professional wellbeing. If you’re worried that a member of your workplace has an alcohol problem, it can be difficult to know what to do to help. Scheduling alcohol testing is vitally important to getting your employee the help they need and maintaining a safe, healthy working environment. Find out more about this issue, and what you can do about it, in the following guide.

How Can Alcohol Abuse Impact the Workplace?

In professional environments, alcohol abuse often results in higher rates of absenteeism, lower productivity, reduced workplace morale, a higher risk of injuries and property damage, and unexpected costs for employer-provided healthcare packages. Alcohol abusers are thought to be four to eight times as likely as other employees to have unexplained, unauthorized, or frequent absences.

Even when an employee is present at their assigned workstation, their reflexes and cognitive faculties can be impaired due to alcohol misuse. Since alcohol is known to negatively affect the areas of the brain controlling communication, memory, speech, and judgment, it can lead to lost time, productivity, and a much higher risk of damage to valuable equipment and injuries.

Common Signs of Alcoholism

Alcohol abuse can have a wide range of effects on the body and an individual’s appearance and behavior. For example, you may notice an individual shaking uncontrollably, frequently missing deadlines and forgetting tasks, or appearing preoccupied or unfocused during the work day.

Other signs include neglecting their appearance and dress, falling asleep on the job, bloodshot eyes, or a smell of alcohol on the breath or on clothing, particularly at the start of the day or after lunch or other breaks. You may also notice or receive reports of an employee avoiding supervisors, missing appointments, or taking unexplained absences such as excessive sick days or on Mondays, Fridays, and on payday.

What You Can Do

It’s important to never ignore the signs when you or a colleague worry that an employee may be struggling with alcohol abuse. If you decide to address your concerns with your employee in person, try to speak and behave non-judgmentally, don’t accuse them of anything, and stick to discussing those incidents which have given you cause to be concerned.

If necessary, it may be beneficial to ask your employee to submit to voluntary alcohol testing. A positive result may indicate the need to take further administrative action, such as a mandatory leave of absence, or to recommend the next stage of treatment in order to help your employee recover.

If you need professional alcohol testing for an employee, turn to Affinity Industrial Medicine in Monroe, LA. They specialize in workplace drug and alcohol testing, available 24/7, as well as physical exams and other services. Call (318) 812-7559 or visit them online for more information.