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Alcohol use disorder (AUD), sometimes referred to as alcoholism or alcohol abuse, can affect virtually every part of someone’s life. In the U.S. alone, 28.9 million people aged 12 and older struggled with AUD in 2023, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).
If you struggle with AUD, you might not think it has an impact on your job if you show up day after day and get your work done. However, it can negatively impact job performance, or even cost you your job. Even people who consider themselves “high-functioning,” meaning their alcohol consumption doesn’t prevent them from holding a full-time job or attending to their responsibilities, may experience some or all of these far-reaching effects.
How Alcoholism Affects Job Performance
Serious, chronic alcohol consumption can have a significant impact on a a person’s job performance and employment. According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), people struggling with alcoholism miss work four to eight times more frequently than average. Based on data from WashU Medicine, AUD can be attributed to 232 million missed workdays annually across the US.
Beyond that, AUD can contribute to performance declines in the workplace, including:
- Missing deadlines more frequently
- Frequent tardiness
- Making careless mistakes or poor decisions
- Failing to complete assignments
- Falling asleep at work
- Changes in mood and behavior
- Increased rates of on-the-job injuries
Even if you arrive to work sober, the effects of repeated and excessive alcohol use can still impact your performance. Hangover symptoms, including fatigue, headaches, nausea, irritability, and anxiety, among others, can make it more difficult to focus. You might feel run-down and distracted, which can further impact your performance.
If you consume alcohol regularly at high levels, you can damage your brain. Chronic heavy drinking is associated with damage to areas of the brain responsible for decision-making, memory, impulse control, attention, and sleep regulation. These changes to the brain can make the body dependent upon drinking, resulting in serious withdrawal symptoms and cravings if the individual stops drinking or drinks significantly less than usual.
Legal and Workplace Consequences
While consuming alcohol is legal for individuals over the age of 21 in the U.S., it’s still possible to face legal problems that can contribute to job loss stemming from AUD. Driving under the influence (DUI) is one of the most common crimes committed and can have serious and even fatal, ramifications. Alcohol impairs your ability to react quickly and make good decisions, making it dangerous to use when driving. If someone is caught drinking and driving, they may face serious criminal charges, or even jail time.
Some employers may see a criminal record pertaining to alcohol use as a fireable offense, especially if the job requires a clean driving record or a special license. Truck drivers, law enforcement agencies, and jobs involving children may become unattainable due to a DUI charge.
With that in mind, generally, an individual can’t be fired specifically because of their AUD unless it directly impacts their job performance or poses a safety issue. This is because addiction is classified as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), though it only provides limited accommodations and protections. Likewise, an employer cannot discriminate against someone with a history of AUD. However, employers can dictate that the workplace is kept free of drugs and alcohol and are within their rights to terminate employment if alcohol abuse negatively affects job performance.
Financial and Emotional Repercussions
Losing your job as a result of AUD can have serious repercussions for both your finances and emotional state. Suddenly having a source of income removed can exacerbate stress and anxiety levels. In response, people with AUD may begin to drink more as a coping mechanism. As they drink more, they spend more on alcohol, further worsening the financial strain of the job loss. This cycle can continue until the individual decides it’s time to change.
Additionally, despite the limited protections for AUD in the ADA, some people find it significantly harder to find a new job after being fired for alcoholism. When finding a new, suitable job is already difficult enough, the added strain of a recent alcohol-related firing can make it feel next to impossible to find new employment. This can be especially true in industries like trucking, where your livelihood depends on driving. If the circumstances surrounding being fired are severe enough, they could even cost you your professional licensing, leaving you with no choice but to find a new career.
Steps to Recovery and Career Rebuilding
Usually, the best time to seek help for an AUD is before it threatens a career or results in the loss of a job. Thanks to the Family and Medical Leave Act, many employees qualify for up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave for purposes like alcohol rehab. This means their employer cannot fire them for taking time off for treatment. The same may apply if your employer has issued a warning of termination for alcohol-related performance issues. If your workplace has an Employee Assistance Program or peer support team, you may be able to protect your job by asking them for support, including referrals to addiction counselors and/or treatment facilities.
What to Do if Drinking Has Cost You a Job
If drinking has cost you your job, the temptation may be to drink more. That only risks more of a downward spiral. This is the time to prioritize one’s health and address the root issue causing unemployment, whether through inpatient rehab or involvement in organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous. Keep in mind that, depending on how much alcohol you regularly consume, it could be dangerous to detox without medical supervision — so be sure to consult your doctor before attempting to significantly scale back or quit drinking altogether.
Once you’ve achieved sobriety, it’s possible to rebuild your career. It can be daunting to rebuild from the ground up, but many people in similar circumstances have done so. So can you. Depending on the circumstances of your previous job, you may need to start in a new career line if you’ve lost your professional licensing. If so, consider assessing your skills and interests to determine the best path forward. Your hobbies may also provide transferable skills that can help you enter a new career path. For example, if you’ve built and maintained your own gaming computers over the years, you may be well-positioned to shift into a career performing PC repairs.
You may need to participate in continuing education or start vocational training to improve your employability. While no one wants to say it out loud and you likely won’t be told that the barrier between you and a new job is AUD, once you’ve lost a job or licensing due to alcohol use, you have an uphill battle to make yourself more marketable than your competition.
Consider turning toward your existing professional network and expanding it. People who know you or who know people who know you might be more willing to give you a chance at a job, especially if you are honest with them about your AUD and recovery. They may also know of recovery-friendly employers willing to give you a chance to rebuild your career while supporting your long-term sobriety.
How to Protect a Job Before It’s Too Late
If you’re struggling to moderate your alcohol intake and it is affecting your professional life, we’re here to help. Alcohol treatment has helped many people protect their job and go on to achieve a level of success in their career that they did not think was possible.
