Alcoholism and Workplace Performance: Evidence from Kerala, India

Abstract

The main aim of this work was to assess the influence of alcoholism on the workplace in Kerala, India. The study assessed the workplace consequences of alcohol addiction by comparing alcoholic workers with non-alcoholic workers across several indicators, including work incapacity, punctuality, wage loss due to misconduct, borrowing from colleagues, absenteeism, income loss resulting from absence, and job loss. A cross-sectional study was conducted where 210 alcoholic respondents were selected from various Alcoholics Anonymous groups through multi-stage sampling technique. The same number of non-alcoholic respondents with the same socio-economic background were also selected as control group. Statistical analysis was performed using binomial logistic regression and the Mann–Whitney U test. In this study, we observed a direct relation of alcohol addiction with the inability to work [Odds Ratio (OR) = 40.24], with not being punctual in work (OR = 7.7), and with payment loss due to misbehaviour (OR = 4.25). Similarly, the paper also revealed a direct association of alcohol addiction with monthly absence from work (U=36245.00) and with job loss (U =29706.50). Thus, alcoholism has led to a negative impact on the workplace compared to the families of non-alcoholics.