Alcohol & Health
Treatment
Helping Alcoholics
In this article
Medically Reviewed by Annamarie Coy, BA, ICPR, MATS
Most people do not consider it normal to drink before work.
Especially if you work the first shift and are drinking alcohol in the morning.
This is a sign of alcohol abuse.
“Normal” drinking varies from person to person.
The US Department of Health and Human Services defines “moderate” drinking as one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.
Health experts define heavy alcohol use as more than three drinks per day for women and four drinks per day for men. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines heavy alcohol consumption as drinking five or more days a month.
For some people, any consumption of alcohol is abnormal.
This includes people who are:
The important thing to remember is that what might be normal for one person isn’t normal for another. One drink is safe for some people, while others cannot even consume that much.
For most people, no. Alcohol does not enhance work productivity.
It actually makes them less productive and causes struggles with fulfilling responsibilities. Drinking or being drunk on the job can also harm your reputation.
Some people might argue that if your job requires a lot of social interaction, a drink helps them feel more relaxed and at ease.
If your job requires socializing in settings in which you might normally drink, it’s important to clear with your employer whether or not this is acceptable.
Drinking alcohol before work produces a variety of effects and poses dangers such as:
In many cases, people who consume an alcoholic drink before work drink alone. This indicates their drinking is not for social reasons, but instead because they want to alter their physical condition.
Yes. However, it might surprise many people to know there are laws governing drinking habits and termination. These laws affect how an employer can respond to an employee with a drinking problem.
Employers have the legal right to discipline workers for performance issues related or unrelated to drinking.
For example, if someone is habitually late for work, they can be terminated. It doesn’t matter if they’re late because their alarm clock doesn’t work or because they were drinking.
Lateness is the reason for termination, not the reason causing the lateness.
Employers can terminate someone if their actions stemmed from drinking. However, it is illegal to terminate someone for being an alcoholic.
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) or alcoholism is a disease. Employers cannot fire someone for having the disease of AUD any more than they can be fired for having cancer, depression, or any other disease or disability.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) offers protection to those with disabilities, including AUD. But it applies differently to alcohol addiction and the illegal use of drugs.
Alcoholism is generally considered a disability because it is an impairment that affects the brain and neurological functions.
Under the ADA, employers can require employees with addictions to meet the same standards of performance and behavior as other employees.
But they must also grant requests to take leave to enter a rehab program.
Regarding the initial question, yes, someone can be fired for drinking on the job. Employment laws protecting those with AUD do not protect you when you drink at work.
In most cases, yes.
People who choose to have a bloody Mary or mimosa with brunch aren’t alcoholics because of that choice. Third-shift workers who end their workday early in the morning with a drink might not be either.
However, someone who regularly drinks in the morning, especially before their workday, has a problem with alcohol.
If you are drinking in the morning to deal with stress, anxiety, or self-medicating, it’s a sign of alcoholism.
Many alcoholics wake up and begin drinking as soon as possible. If they don’t drink, they’ll think about where they will get the first drink of the day.
This inability to control drinking is the problem. Many describe alcoholism as a thinking disorder.
People with alcoholism never stop thinking about where, when, and how they can drink. They’re physically and mentally addicted to alcohol. Some describe it as being “in love” with drinking.
In these cases, when someone is drinking or thinking about drinking first thing in the morning, it is likely a sign of alcoholism.
Treatment options for alcohol abuse and addiction include:
Inpatient treatment — provides round-the-clock support and lets you focus entirely on recovery and sober living.
Intensive outpatient care — provides access to individual and group therapy for several hours each day without removing you from your normal life.
Outpatient treatment — provides access to therapy approximately once a week.
12-step programs — provides camaraderie and support in a group setting with other recovering alcoholics.
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) — provides pharmaceutical support for treating addiction.
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