Alcohol Policy Comprehension, Compliance, and Consequences Among Young Adult Restaurant Workers

Abstract

This study explores relationships between young adult restaurant employees' understanding and compliance with workplace alcohol control policies and consequences of alcohol policy violation. A mixed method analysis of 67 semistructured interviews and 1,294 telephone surveys from restaurant chain employees found that alcohol policy details confused roughly one third of employees. Among current drinkers (n = 1,093), multivariate linear regression analysis found that frequency of alcohol policy violation was positively associated with frequency of experiencing problems at work; perceived supervisor enforcement of alcohol policy was negatively associated with this outcome. Implications for preventing workplace alcohol-related problems include streamlining confusing alcohol policy guidelines.

KEYWORDS:

• alcohol use
• food service workers
• workplace policy
• young adults

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) Grant #R01-AA015423 (G. Ames, PI; R. Moore, Co-PI). The authors are thankful for the entrée and ongoing cooperation provided by the restaurant chain management and personnel who have requested not to be named in the reports. The authors also would like to thank Michael Frone for his help in developing the survey instrument.