Effects of Alcohol Abuse on Employee Performance and Absenteeism in Kenya Ports Authority

Abstract

The World Health Organization(WHO) defineS a drug as any chemical substance which when taken into the body can affect one or more of the body‟s functions. Alcohol, a legalized drug, is among the substances currently abused in the world. According to the World drug report (2013), alcohol abuse is recognized as a global threat with serious effects on people‟s health, security, socio-economic status and cultural welfare. This study sought to establish the effect of alcohol abuse on employee performance and absenteeism at the Kenya Ports Authority. The main variables of the study included extent of abuse, staff productivity, absenteeism, and alcohol abuse prevention practices and employee improvement programs. To achieve its objective, the study used questionnaires and interview guides. The study targeted staff based at the Inland Container depot Nairobi. Sampling method was used to obtain 60 respondents. Simple stratified random sampling was used to select the sample elements. The study absorbed a descriptive research design. The study collected both quantitative and qualitative data and analyzed it through SPSS and content analysis respectively. The findings were presented using frequency tables. The study revealed and concluded that alcohol abuse is not so major a challenge at KPA. Factors such as work related stress, availability of extra monies and influence from peers are among the major contributors towards alcohol abusing habit; affects the productivity of the related employees; increases employee absenteeism and proneness to accidents at the workplace; there exists a varied degree of relationships between alcohol abuse and employee performance, absenteeism, workplace accidents, alcohol abuse prevention practices and employee improvement programs. It was also evident that effective alcohol abuse prevention practices and employee improvement programs impact employees against alcohol abuse. The study however recommended that KPA should adopt policies and other alcohol abuse control tools in order to curb the problem of alcohol misuse. Effective employee improvement programmes should also be put in place to facilitate the employees in beating the vice while the system of measuring the employee performance should also be enhanced as this supports the reduction of the alcohol abuse at the workplace.