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ALCOHOL, DRUGS and PREVENTION in the WORKPLACE

ALCOHOL, DRUGS and PREVENTION in the WORKPLACE. Conference Pompidou Group / Council of Europe Strasbourg , 14 May 2012 Jean-Michel MILLER Research Manager Eurofound / Dublin. European Social Charter.

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ALCOHOL, DRUGS and PREVENTION in the WORKPLACE

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  1. ALCOHOL, DRUGS and PREVENTION in the WORKPLACE Conference Pompidou Group / Council of Europe Strasbourg, 14 May 2012 Jean-Michel MILLER Research Manager Eurofound / Dublin

  2. European Social Charter • The European Social Charter guarantees the fundamental freedoms and rights of every day, such as: • • “policy for preventing illness with, in particular the guarantee of a healthy environment;” • • “elimination of occupational hazards so as to ensure that health and safety at work is regulated by law and guaranteed in practice;” • “promotion of joint consultation, collective bargaining, conciliation and voluntary arbitration;”

  3. My presentation • Eurofound Comparative Analytical Report / Research Question. • Data sources. • Key findings / extent of the problem. • Reasons / consequences. • Approaches. • Testing. • Prevention. • Final considerations.

  4. Eurofoundwork • Alcohol and drugs a reality at the workplace. • Identify main sources of information. • What is the real extent of the phenomenon? • How to deal with it: • - types of legislation / agreements. • - preventive action programmes put in place. • Definition. • Methodology: Comparative Analytical Report.

  5. Information sources • European level. • EMCDDA; Pompidou Group. • Surveys: • - General reports. • - Workplace surveys. • - Alcohol / drugs at the workplace related questions in surveys.

  6. Key findings • Between 5 and 20% of workers addicted to alcohol or at risk of being so. • Information on drugs at work is scarcer; prevalence levels appear lower. • Alcohol and drug consumption amongst workers differs by economic sectors (Construction, HORECA, transport appear particularly hit by this problem). • The higher the levels of education, the less likely are people in the workforce to drink. • Canabis seems particularly consumed among young workers; cocaine higher prevalence among highly qualified.

  7. Extent of the problem ES: alcohol and drugs are highly consumed among Horeca and Construction workers ; 18.8% and 18.1% of the workers in the HORECA and construction sectors, report having consumed cannabis over the last 12 months. PT: 25% of the construction workers declared to drink alcohol during the working time in 2007. FR: 10% of French workers report that the consumption of alcohol at work is part of the organisational culture. This perception is higher in agriculture and transport where 23% of workers report the link between alcohol and organisational culture. • AT – Health sector SE - Media

  8. Reasons (1) • Work-related reasons: • - Tough physical / uncomfortable working conditions. • - low level of satisfaction at work. • - irregular working time. • - low social support from colleagues and superiors at work. • - mobbing and stress at work. • - …

  9. Findings of theEuropean Working Conditions Survey (2010) • The proportion of workers performing monotonous tasks has increased to 45%. Work has not become intellectually more challenging. • One in three workers carry heavy loads at least a quarter of their working time. The extent to which workers are exposed to physical hazards remains largely unchanged. • People with a good balance between work and non-working life are healthier than those whose work demands do not fit well with their family and social commitments. They are nearly twice as likely to report good health. (In total 82% of European workers are satisfied with their work-life balance.)

  10. Findings of theEuropean Working Conditions Survey (2010) • A quarter of workers in Europe do not think they will be able to do the current job at the age of 60. Another 16% would not want to. • The proportion of workers with a temporary contract has risen. 2010: 14% in the EU 27.

  11. Reasons (2) • Social/personal reasons: • - “High” social tolerance towards alcohol / drug consumption. • - Cultural patterns more “prone” to alcohol/drug consumptions. • - “Easy” accessibility to these substances. • - Existence of an alcohol family background. • - …

  12. Consequences (1) • Negative consequences for the workers themselves and the companies they work for. • Higher sick leave / short-term absenteeism, reduced performance, lower productivity, labour conflicts and bad working environment, higher number ofwork accidents, loss of reputation, damages on equipment / products, low quality services. …

  13. Consequences (2) ES: 15-25% of total labour accidents due to problems related alcohol. • UK: the HSE estimates that up to 14 million working days are lost each year due to alcohol-related problems in the workplace, costing British industry an estimated of 2.67 billion EURO each year. • NO: costs of reduced quality / efficiency estimated at 1,12 billion Euro / year.

  14. Approaches • Majority of European countries have some kind of general legislation or agreements intended to prohibit, regulate or prevent the consumption of alcohol and drugs at the workplace. • Disciplinary: limitations to alcohol or drugs use at the workplace are foreseen in the Labour Codes. • Preventive: regulations of alcohol and drug use are included in H/S at work laws, so that the responsibility of preventing alcohol and drug consumption at the workplace lies with the employer. • Difficult to categorise countries.

  15. Regulation / agreements • In a few countries general preventive laws establish regulations of alcohol / drug use at the workplace. • In a reduced number of countries collective agreements between the social partners prevail for regulating alcohol / drugs consumption at work. • Special regulations for alcohol / drug consumption regarding sensitive sectors and occupations (transport, construction, health, education …) have been elaborated.

  16. Testing • Testing: control and avert alcohol and drug use at the workplace. • Important differences in national legislations on testing practices (rights and obligations of workers, conditions under which the tests can take place, type of tests, monitoring, communication / access to the results, consequences of positive tests …). • Topic of great controversy in the EU countries: • - Health / Safety considerations. • - Rights to privacy.

  17. Prevention • Many actors. • Examples: • - Information campaigns. • - Education / training. • - Counseling services. • - Research. • Sensibilisation campaigns (workers / trade union negotiators).

  18. Final considerations • Alcohol / drugs at the workplace = reality. • Good, accurate up to-date data necessary. • Observatories. • Development of indicators: improve comparability / data on alcohol and drugs + health, injuries, harm. • Research: Work place reality. • Latest available technology (knowledge / affordability). • Further work.

  19. ALCOHOL, DRUGS and PREVENTION in the WORKPLACEConference Pompidou Group / Council of EuropeStrasbourg, 14 – 15 May 2012 • Many thanks for your attention! • jmm@eurofound.europa.eu • www.eurofound.europa.eu

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