Drinking Behaviors – An Example of Workplace Bullying
Drinking behaviors – an example of workplace bullying – seriously? Yes, seriously. In some cases, the cause of workplace bullying can be a coworker’s drinking behaviors – the kinds of behaviors a person exhibits when they’ve had too much to drink. But first, some background. 
Most people are acutely aware that bullying is a serious issue for children. But the idea of adult bullying – especially that occurring in the workplace – is an equally troubling issue and not as well understood.
The Workplace Bullying Institute’s 2017 National Survey, Workplace Bullying Institute’s 2017 Workplace Bullying Survey, defined workplace bullying as, “repeated mistreatment of one or more employees; abusive conduct that is: threatening, humiliating, or intimidating; work sabotage or verbal abuse.” While drinking and drinking behaviors are not cited in the survey, the outcomes of drinking and drinking behaviors often fit the definition of abusive conduct: threatening, humiliating, or intimidating, as examples. As you continue reading, you will see the connection.
Drinking Behaviors – What Causes Them?
It is not uncommon for the heavy consumption of alcohol to be condoned or outright expected as a part of a workplace culture, whether that be at the office-hosted holiday party; the celebratory evening out after signing a big contract; or the after-hours, “let your hair down” cocktail hour with colleagues.
But what happens when the amount of alcohol consumed changes people’s behaviors, in other words, when it results in drinking behaviors – secondhand drinking – the negative impacts of a person’s drinking behaviors on others.
Drinking behaviors are what happen when the ethyl alcohol chemical in alcoholic beverages changes the way a person’s brain works. These behaviors include:
- verbal, physical or emotional abuse, bullying
- physical assaults
- illogical, circular arguments; saying mean, hurtful things
- blackouts, not remembering what was said or done the night before
- driving while impaired, riding in a car with drunk driver, getting a DUI
- unprotected, unwanted, unplanned sex; sexual assault
You can imagine, and may very well have experienced, what it’s like to be on the receiving end of these sorts of drinking behaviors.
And given it takes the liver an average of one hour to metabolize (rid the body) of the ethyl alcohol chemicals in one standard drink, it’s not a surprise that some of the workplace-condoned alcohol consumption practices result in drinking behaviors.
And here’s why…
Alcohol is not digested like other foods and liquids. Rather it passes through the stomach into the small intestine and immediately into the blood stream where it travels to body organs high in water content and highly vascularized – like the brain. There it will “sit” until it is metabolized by specific enzymes in the liver. It takes the liver approximately one hour to metabolize the alcohol in one standard drink. [And a “standard drink,” by the way is 5 ounces of table wine, 12 ounces of regular beer, and 1.5 ounces of hard liquor, like Tequila.] Thus, it will take six hours to metabolize the ethyl alcohol chemicals in six beers, for example, or eight hours to metabolize the ethyl alcohol in four shots of Tequila and the four beers that accompanied each shot (even if all six or eight drinks were consumed within three hours).
By comparison, “normal” drinking is defined by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) as:
- No more than 7 standard drinks in a week, with no more than 3 of the 7 on any one day (for women)
- No more than 14 standard drinks in a week, with no more than 4 of the 14 on any one day (for men).
While the ethyl alcohol chemicals are “waiting” to be metabolized by the liver, these chemicals are changing brain function, i.e., neural networks responsible for motor control, memory, judgement, emotion, inhibition, which is what causes drinking behaviors. This change in brain function happens because the brain relies on an electro-chemical signaling process to function normally. And ethyl alcohol chemicals interrupt the “chemical” portion of that signaling process. The interruption of the brain’s normal, cell-to-cell signaling process explains why a person who’s had a lot to drink will do “the things they do,” in other words, why they’d exhibit the drinking behaviors described above.
Drinking Behaviors as Examples of Workplace Bullying Happen When…
- after an evening of round after round of drinks at the hotel bar after a sales conference ends, two co-workers (one married, one not) “decide” it’s a good idea to take the party to his room for the night
- an employee leaving the company-sponsored holiday party with three of his co-workers, with whom he’d been doing Tequila shots, slams into the car stopped in front of him and seriously injures two of his passengers
- a scene erupts between a superior and a subordinate at a company sponsored holiday party because he keeps putting his hands all over her, and it’s clear he’s heavily under the influence
- four hours after a heavy-drinking celebration ends, one of the party-goers reports to work at 6:00 a.m. that morning to start his work shift as the construction crew’s forklift operator.
The consequences can be many, ranging from:
- a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment [defined, in part, by the EEOC as, “…unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature.”];
- a fellow-employee filling of a safety violation claim [based on Worker’s Rights Under the OSH Act, entitling workers “to working conditions that do not pose a risk of serious harm”];
- the development of a stressful, uncomfortable, intimidating work environment mired in co-workers’ side-glances, hushed whispers and avoidance tactics [which could result in a Harassment complaint being filed with the EEOC, if not addressed]; and
- the safety of the entire construction crew is threatened, yet the rest of the team feel they have to cover for him or he may lose his job.
What Can Be Done?
Sarah Ashley O’Brien explains what Silicon Valley Tech companies are doing in her article, “People are sick of drinking. Investors are betting on the ‘sober curious,’” appearing online June 10, 2019, at CNNBusiness News:
“Alcohol has been one of the perks associated with tech and startup cultures over the years, with young companies embracing the idea of hustling hard, but also bonding over a drink, or several, with colleagues. Inevitably, the availability of alcohol in offices has come under scrutiny when companies run into unflattering alcohol-fueled incidents. One of the more memorable ones: When HR services startup Zenefits banned alcohol consumption after reportedly finding cigarettes, beer cups and used condoms in the company’s stairwell.
“After coordinated walkouts by employees and contractors in November over its handling of sexual harassment accusations, Google announced a number of changes to its work culture, including cutting down on excessive drinking. “Harassment is never acceptable and alcohol is never an excuse. But one of the most common factors among the harassment complaints made today at Google is that the perpetrator had been drinking (~20% of cases),” the company said, adding that leaders will be charged with discouraging workers from excessive drinking. Some teams limit workers to two drinks per event.
“WeWork, the co-working community behemoth, said last October that it was exploring curbing beer consumption in some of its New York City locations, limiting members to four 12-ounce glasses of beer per day. WeWork previously offered an unlimited beer on tap as a perk to people renting its co-working spaces. The company’s own corporate culture and the prevalence of alcohol at company events has been called into question by an ongoing lawsuit from a former employee.” Source of this quoted material: People are sick of drinking. Investors are betting on the ‘sober curious’
What Can Employers Do?
Consider following some of the actions being taken by tech companies shared above. Set your company or public agency’s expectations. Put policies and procedures in place to allow employees to file drinking behavior violation complaints. Include informational materials in EAP educational materials. Post low-risk drinking limits, standard drink information, and tips for cutting down in company or agency workrooms (see NIAAA’s Rethinking Drinking website for ideas). Help your employees understand what it means to drink responsibly because secondhand drinking – the other side of alcohol misuse – is real. So is alcohol-involved workplace bullying.
Lisa Frederiksen
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Fantastic article. So glad that Companies are recognizing the problem and making changes. The “culture” of heavy drinking and the pressure to be part of the tribe reach across all age groups. As teetotalers we feel it too and we are in our 60s. Our ability to handle alcohol daily is just not there and yet we don’t want to be judged for that…LOL
Thank you, Stephanie, and I appreciate you sharing your thoughts on this!
Thank you Katrina and than’s for sharing you blog post.