Companies used to fire the employee whose drinking got out of hand. Now many have found ways to save the worker his livelihood and themselves money.

They’re Rehabilitating the Alcoholic Worker (Condensed from The Wall Street Journal)

A Texas oil refinery worker came to work York’s Consolidated Edison. Other concerns are with a hangover one morning and turned the working closely with such community groups as wrong valve. The oil he wasted cost the Chicago’s Portal House and the Houston company about $50,000. Committee on Alcoholism. The highly competent supervisor of a Industry’s problem centers on an large utility company’s motor fleet began estimated two million alcoholic workers out of a disappearing on drinking binges. Cost to the total U.S. alcoholic population of five million – up company of resulting foul-ups: an estimated one million in the past five years, according to $4000 per binge. the National Council on Alcoholism, the central A large Midwestern manufacturer was clearing-house for information on this subject. pleased at the pickup in business after hiring a Absenteeism of these workers because of new chief executive. Before long, however, alcoholism will this year cost employers more business slacked off. Investigation showed that than double the time lost through strikes in 1957. the new executive had taken to heavy drinking, Alcoholism’s impact on an individual impairing his judgment and damaging the company and its workers often is much greater company’s standing with customers. than management may suspect. In 1956, for These men were alcoholics, whose example, the Norton Co., a Worcester, Mass., excessive use of alcohol to meet the ordinary abrasives and grinding-machine manufacturer, demands of living caused them serious made a survey of 33 employees with known problems on the job as well as home. Their drinking problems. They were skilled workers cases illustrate why there is growing concern with an average of 16 years’ service apiece. over alcoholism in industry. Eleven of the men were in an acute stage of “Whether management likes it or not – alcoholism and on the verge of being and there is much to tempt us to shun the discharged. They averaged 45 days of lost time subject – we must combat the increasing per year, at an annual cost to each man of more menace of alcoholism,” says James F. Oates, than $700. The findings spurred Norton to help Jr., chairman and president of Equitable Life the workers in cooperation with Alcoholics Assurance Society. A big reason: alcoholism’s Anonymous. direct cost to industry is estimated to be in The corporate cost of excessive drinking excess of one billion dollars annually. includes such things as increased accidents, the Nearly all companies used to treat expense of replacing trained workers and the excessive drinking among workers as a moral reduced output and higher work spoilage from a problem that was better left alone. If an disturbed drinker. “Our biggest problem is the employe’s drinking got out of hand he usually so-called half-man – the alcoholic worker whose was fired, not helped. But as companies have effectiveness is off 50 percent or more from become aware of the high cost of alcoholism in normal,” says one company personnel chief. their plants and offices, many have started “His mistakes may not be spectacular, but he tackling the rehabilitation problem head-on. doesn’t get much done.” Some have set up their own programs for directing and rehabilitating alcoholic Companies are sometimes shocked to employes. They include Eastman Kodak, learn that as many as three per cent of their Western Electric, Allis-Chalmers, du Pont, workers are alcoholics. That’s because many Chicago’s Commonwealth Edison and New management men still stereotype an alcoholic

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as a skid-row bum. These workers may present Allis Chalmers a few years ago a fairly normal appearance. estimated that its alcoholism program, now 11 Discovery of “hidden” drinkers is a major years old, was saving the company some part of most company programs. Seldom will $80,000 yearly just in reduced absenteeism. workers tip off the company about a colleague’s Among workers treated there, the absentee rate excessive drinking. And usually the inroads of has been cut from 8 to 3 percent and the firing alcoholism on a worker’s efficiency are made at rate has been slashed from 95 to 8 percent. such a slow pace that supervisors may miss the An Allis-Chalmers worker with a drinking signs. (Researchers say that most alcoholic problem may be referred to the company’s fullworkers have a history of 10 to 15 years of time alcoholism counselor (an A.A. member) by increasingly heavy drinking before their illness a friend, his foreman, a court or the plant interferes with their vocational life.) Supervisors hospital. During the rehabilitation program the at Consolidated Edison are trained to watch for employee is helped by members of the clues: consistent tardiness or absenteeism on company’s industrial relations department, which Mondays and frequent early departure on includes a psychologist, a psychiatrist, an Fridays; unexplained disappearance from the attorney, welfare workers and a “problem job; recurrent accidents; unexplained changes in counselor.” an employe’s work habits or personality. In 1952 New York’s Consolidated Edison Unions, too, have stepped up their spent $25,000 to help set up a consultation clinic efforts to help detect and rehabilitate workers for alcoholism at New York University’s Bellevue with drinking problems. “thousands of union Medical Center – the first clinic devoted solely to counselors across the country are trained to the alcoholic in industry. Impressed by its value, recognize alcoholics and to refer them to the 18 other concerns have referred alcoholic proper agencies,” says Leo Perlis, director of workers to this clinic. AFL – CIO Community Service Activities. In About 85 percent of the problem drinkers Birmingham, Ala., seven companies and 17 discovered by Con Edison supervisors are unions have joined their efforts to help alcoholic willing to go to the clinic. Others join A.A. or workers. place themselves under care of their own Companies with alcoholism programs physicians. Visits to the clinic cost the patient $2 generally are enthusiastic about the results. Du each, and active treatment usually runs from six Pont claims it’s program has been “successful months to a year. Treatment consists mainly of beyond our expectations.” Some companies individual psychiatric therapy, group report the rehabilitated alcoholic often out- psychotherapy in which about 12 patients may produces his fellow workers, perhaps out of a discuss their problems, treatment with such sense of gratitude for being helped. drugs as disulfiram (Antabuse), referral to A.A. “We feel that we have salvaged some in some instances, and hospitalization for acute valuable employees by treating alcoholism as a cases. disease and, as with any illness, paying wages As Andrew B. Holmstrom, vice-president during treatment,” asserts Volley B. Leister, at Norton, says ‘ “Our rehabilitation programs personnel director of Chicago’s Commonwealth have decreased lost time, improved morale and, Edison. His company uncovers about 15 most important, we know we have helped out alcoholics a year, refers them to its medical many a home.” department, where treatment is determined on an individual basis.

Source: Reader’s Digest, August 1958

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