As most Australians are employees at some time in their lives,
the workplace provides an ideal venue for implementing strategies
to reduce the consequences related to excessive alcohol use.
Comprehensive workplace alcohol policies have the potential
to reduce alcohol-related incidents, accidents and absenteeism,
and increase productivity and workplace morale, providing a
safe and healthy work environment.
To develop and implement an effective workplace alcohol policy,
the following points should be considered:
Consultation with staff and management is important, it provides
an opportunity for those involved to determine mutually acceptable
goals and procedures.
A policy must apply to all employees regardless of status.
The use of a generic alcohol policy is unlikely to be effective.
A policy should be relevant to the culture of the organisation.
An alcohol policy must not only state rules about consumption,
it should also indicate if the workplace is a ‘dry’
site or whether it allows some alcohol use and the circumstances
under which it may occur.
An effective alcohol policy should contain:
| - |
instructions and procedures for dealing with an intoxicated
worker(s) |
| - |
designated person responsible for dealing with an intoxicated
worker(s) |
| - |
information on treatment and counselling interventions
such as Employee Assistance Programs (EAP’s) |
| - |
disciplinary actions as a result of intoxication in
the workplace. |
If appropriate, workplace drug testing should be considered
particularly if it improves the safety and productivity of staff.
An explanation for drug testing and consequences of a positive
result must be included in the policy.
Effective implementation of a policy needs to be gradual and
informed. Change that is imposed too quickly within the workplace
can result in resistance and a delay implementation.
A variety of communication channels and strategies, that are
appropriate to the organisation, should be used to effectively
publicise the policy.
Roles and responsibilities need to be clearly explained in the
policy both for individual employees with respect to alcohol
use in the workplace, and for managers or supervisors who are
responsible for ensuring a safe environment. Information about
roles and responsibilities must be disseminated to all staff.
Staff training sessions are ideal for educating employees about
policy requirements.
Evaluation assesses if a policy is doing what it set out to
do for example is it reducing alcohol-related harm? It ensures
those responsible for a safe workplace are accountable and it
provides important information for predicting future policy
success or failure.
(Information taken from IP Communications (2001) Drugs
and work: Responding to alcohol and other drug problems in Australian
workplaces).
If you would like further information and assistance
on how to develop an alcohol policy for the workplace
Worksafe is responsible for the administration of work safety
and health laws. WorkSafe undertakes a wide range of regulatory
activities as well as industry and community awareness programs. |
