Non-dependent drinkers were intermediate, with 5.4 episodes on average. The bottom line for American corporations, the researchers said, is that companies are ignoring the largest source of their alcohol-related problems. It tests conventional wisdom and offers insight into the nature of the harms caused by alcohol in the workplace. Others agreed, but some cautioned against management preachments that intrude into employees' personal lives, lest that produce resentment rather than behavioral change. But you shouldn't cross the magic line that separates the workplace from what people do in their private time, or you'll get a backlash.
Nobody likes to be told what to do.
Another reason why heavy-handed management pronouncements might not work, the study suggests, is that managers do more than their share of daytime drinking with adverse consequences on their own productivity. When we tell them about the negative consequences of their drinking and suggest simple things people can do to cut down, people tend to get the point. To learn more, click on link at the top left. Return to the AOD Home Page or the Student Affairs Home Page.