shrm poll: policies related to alcohol at work-related events

SHRM Poll: Policies Related to Alcohol at Work-Related Events

November 12, 2010

Policies Related to Alcohol at Work-Related Events | ©SHRM 2010 2

Key Findings

• Is drinking alcohol at work-related events prohibited by most companies. Slightly more than one-quarter of organizations indicated that they did not have a policy that covered consumption of alcohol at work-related events. The remaining organizations were close to evenly split in terms of having policies that allow drinking alcohol versus prohibiting drinking alcohol at company events?

• Is drinking at work-related events becoming less acceptable? No, acceptance of drinking alcohol at work-related events has remained nearly the same since 2006.

• Few organizations report disciplining employees as a result of drinking alcohol at a work-related event. Ninety-four percent of organizations did not discipline any employees as a result of drinking at a work-related event.

Policies Related to Alcohol at Work-Related Events | ©SHRM 2010

Does your organization have a formal (written) or informal policy on drinking alcohol at work-related events (e.g., lunch with co-worker, company events like holiday parties, job interview over lunch or dinner, happy hour, dinner with client, etc.)?

No, but my organization plans to create a policy within the next 12 months

Yes, we have an informal policy that does not allow drinking alcohol at work-related events

Yes, we have a formal policy that allows drinking alcohol at work-related events

Yes, we have an informal policy that allows drinking alcohol at work-related events

Yes, we have a formal policy that does not allow drinking

No, my organization has no plans to create a policy

0% 10% 20% 30% 40%

4%

9%

11%

18%

22%

35%

4%

13%

10%

25%

21%

27%

2010 (n = 415) 2009 (n = 378)

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Note: “Not sure” responses were excluded from this analysis. Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.

Policies Related to Alcohol at Work-Related Events | ©SHRM 2010

In the past 24 months, has drinking alcohol at work-related events in your organization…

become more acceptable? become less acceptable? remained at the same level of acceptance?0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

3%

12%

85%

1%

12%

87%

2%

11%

87%

2006 (n = 483) 2009 (n = 378) 2010 (n = 397)

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Note: “Not sure” responses were excluded from this analysis.

Policies Related to Alcohol at Work-Related Events | ©SHRM 2010

In the past 24 months, has any employee in your organization been disciplined because of drinking alcohol at a work-related event?

Yes, this often occurs Yes, but this rarely occurs No0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1%

13%

86%

0%

11%

89%

0%6%

94%

2006 (n = 453) 2009 (n = 331) 2010 (n = 401)

Note: Excludes respondent who answered “don’t know.”

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Policies Related to Alcohol at Work-Related Events | ©SHRM 2010

Demographics: Organization Industry

IndustryManufacturing –other 13%

Health care, social assistance (e.g., hospitals, clinics) 13%

Services –professional, scientific, technical, legal 9%

Financial services (e.g., banking) 8%

Educational services/education 8%

Retail/wholesale trade 6%

Government/public administration—federal, state/local, tribal 5%

Insurance 5%

Other services (e.g., other nonprofit, church/religious organizations) 4%

Transportation, warehousing (e.g., distribution) 3%

High-tech 3%

Consulting 3%

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Note: n = 443. Percentages do not total 100% due to rounding.

Policies Related to Alcohol at Work-Related Events | ©SHRM 2010

Demographics: Organization Industry (continued)

IndustryConstruction, mining, oil and gas 2%

Services—accommodation, food and drinking places 2%

Utilities 2%

Publishing, broadcasting, other media 2%

Association—professional/trade 2%

Real estate, rental, leasing 1%

Manufacturing—auto/auto-related 1%

Arts, entertainment, recreation 1%

Telecommunications 1%

Pharmaceutical 1%

Biotech 1%

Other 5%

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Note: n = 443. Percentages do not total 100% due to rounding.

Policies Related to Alcohol at Work-Related Events | ©SHRM 2010

Demographics: Organization Sector

Other

Government sector

Publicly owned for-profit organization

Nonprofit organization

Privately owned for-profit organization

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

6%

7%

19%

20%

48%

8Note: n = 443

Policies Related to Alcohol at Work-Related Events | ©SHRM 2010

Demographics: Organization Staff Size

1 to

99

emplo

yees

100

to 4

99 e

mplo

yees

500

to 2

499

emplo

yees

2500

to 2

4999

em

ploye

es

2500

0 or

mor

e em

ploye

es

-10%

0%

10%

20%

30%

18%

27%25%

20%

10%

9

Note: n = 277

Policies Related to Alcohol at Work-Related Events | ©SHRM 2010

Demographics: Other

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Note: n = 450

U.S.-based operations 73%

Multinational operations 27%

Single-unit company: A company in which the location and the company are one and the same

32%

Multi-unit company: A company that has more than one location

68%

Multi-unit headquarters determines HR policies and practices

50%

Each work location determines HR policies and practices

1%

A combination of both the work location and the multi-unit headquarters determine HR policies and practices

48%

Is organization a single-unit company or a multi-unit company?

Are HR policies and practices determined by the multi-unit corporate headquarters, by each work location or both?

Does the organization have U.S.-based operations (business units) only or does it operate multinationally?

Note: n = 432

Note: n = 316. Percentages do not total 100% due to rounding.

• 15% of organizations indicated that employees at their work location were unionized.

Note: n = 443

Policies Related to Alcohol at Work-Related Events | ©SHRM 2010

SHRM Poll: Policies Related to Alcohol at Work-Related Events

• Response rate = 18%• Sample comprised of 472 HR professionals randomly

selected from SHRM’s membership• Margin of error is +/- 5%• Survey fielded September 30–October 19, 2010

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Methodology

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