Workers Significantly Affected By Co-Workers' Drinking Habits

Australian workers are significantly affected by other people's alcohol drinking and at a
considerable cost, according to a study published in the Medical Journal of Australia.



Caroline Dale, from Epidemiology and Population Health at the London School of Hygiene
and Tropical Medicine, and Michael Livingston, from Turning Point Alcohol and Drug
Centre, Melbourne, conducted a study to estimate the cost of extra time worked by Australian
workers due to their co-workers' alcohol drinking.



Mr Livingston said that around a third of Australian workers have experienced negative
effects from their co-workers' alcohol drinking, with 3.5 per cent of workers reporting having
to work extra hours to cover for others.



"Our findings show that the experience of having a heavily drinking co-worker is common in
the Australian workplace," Mr Livingston said.



"The cost of alcohol use in the workplace is multifaceted and considerable, and can be caused
by a reduction in the productive workforce from premature mortality or morbidity,
absenteeism due to alcohol-related sickness, and reduced productivity while at work."



Mr Livingston said that, on average, those workers who reported working additional hours in
the year because of their co-workers' alcohol drinking habits worked an additional week
annually, costing the Australian economy $453 million.



"Among those who had to work extra hours because of co-workers' alcohol drinking the
burden was considerable," Mr Livingston said.



"The large annual cost we estimated at the population level of $453 million for extra hours
worked because of co-workers' alcohol drinking is comparable to estimates of the cost of
alcohol-attributable absenteeism in Australia.



"We did not attempt to attribute economic costs to the harms to workers whose work
performance was negatively affected by the alcohol drinking of their co-workers, or whose
health and safety were put at risk through accidents or close calls, although they are likely to
be substantial.



"While our estimate of the cost to co-workers of alcohol use by heavily drinking colleagues is
large, it may represent the tip of the iceberg."



The Medical Journal of Australia is a publication of the Australian Medical Association.



The statements or opinions that are expressed in the MJA reflect the views of the authors and do not represent the official policy of the AMA unless that is so stated.



Source:

Mr Michael Livingston

Australian Medical Association