Many employees find it impossible to get away from their desk or find the time to take breaks during the workday. A survey conducted by a human resources consulting firm found that only a third of workers take a lunch break while 65% of American workers eat at their desks or fail to take a break at all during their shift. Due to the demands and pressures employees face on a day-to-day basis, workplace stress is not uncommon.
Such pressure and stressors can result in increased health related problems causing employees to engage in risky behaviors such as alcohol use to cope with work related pressures. Such behaviors can result in many consequences to both the employee and the employer.
Employee alcohol abuse has become a growing concern within the workplace. Although employees may engage in risky behavior such as drugs and alcohol for many reasons, workplace stress and pressure are oftentimes the cause for such behaviors.
As a result, employers are challenged in finding approaches that can deter employee alcohol abuse to foster a safe workplace environment.
Benefits of Scheduled Breaks
Although there will always be work to do, employees need a break within their day to decompress, reenergize, and be able to effectively handle work related problems. When employers implement scheduled breaks within their staff work schedules, employees are better equipped to fulfill their job responsibilities. It is important employers appropriately implement scheduled breaks to ensure policies are not misused and employees are given the opportunity to take advantage of scheduled break policies to be most effective on the job.
Evaluating current practices can be beneficial in enforcing company guidelines which can be helpful to both to the employee and the employer. Here are some of the top benefits commonly associated with scheduled breaks within the workplace:
- Enhances productivity.
- Facilitates creative thinking which enhances performance and reduces mental exhaustion.
- Fosters positive morale within the workplace and encourages job satisfaction.
- Useful in helping employees rejuvenate and break away from day-to-day pressures.
- Promotes effective coping and stress reducing techniques.
- Encourages healthy living and employee wellness.
There are many implications of employee alcohol abuse in the workplace. From tardiness to turnover, employee alcohol abuse can be detrimental to business operations. When employees partake in risky behaviors, employers become more vulnerable to risks that can become very costly.
Many creative and simple approaches can be implemented that can prove to be very effective. Through preventative measures such as incorporating scheduled breaks, employers can be proactive in the detection of employee alcohol abuse. Ultimately, scheduled breaks can assist in deterring employees from engaging in the use of drugs and alcohol.
