Living & Working in Great Places

Alcohol abuse in the seasonal world?

So along with all the amazing things about seasonal work, there are some bad ones too - like the rampant alcohol abuse in the industry - not just partying (which is also prevalent), but abuse of alcohol. I, myself, fell subject to it on my first seasonal job, and I've seen it take down countless others - drinking at work, getting fired because of it, etc. What can be done about this? What role do employers play? What role do co-workers play? At our current location, we have drug and alcohol testing, but people who fail the tests more often than not get a slap on the wrist instead of fired. So... what can be done? What should be done?

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Permalink Reply by Kari Quaas on April 4, 2008 at 3:53pm: Good question Erin.

From the employer side, I think that they should know it's out there and do a few things...

1) Provide lots of activities to keep employees engaged and having fun.
2) Pay attention to changes in behavior and address it sooner rather than later.
3) If they have policies, enforce them or don't have them.
4) Have an EAP service available for folks that take it too far.

From the employee/co-worker side, people should not so much be "their brother's keeper," but still take care of each other and be careful about what they do.

As the employee, it's important to respect yourself enough not to go crazy. It's a job after all and stuff can go bad quickly if one mixes too much alcohol (or drugs) into the mix.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jamie on April 6, 2008 at 4:36pm: I totaly agree with you. You could not have said it any better!!!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Rick Peterson on April 4, 2008 at 4:08pm: As an employer at a large lodge, we have worked hard recently to address this. To echo a lot of Kari's points, we actually now employ an employee activity coordinator to help us provide more activities for employees. Often we just need to educate employees that there are a lot of things to do other than drink every night. I am really proud of my company, Princess, as well. We are building a brand new rec room for our staff this spring/summer that is going to be great. It will have a wonderful movie viewing room, game room, and meeting space. Last year we also added an employee fitness room with weight equipment and treadmills. Two years ago we added a softball field on property as well. In short, we are spending money to give employees more options right on property to enjoy the wonderful outdoors they work in, and spaces to do things with friends outside of the bars.

My message to employees, don't lose the great seasonal work opportunity you have. We fire people every year for underage drinking. I've had to do it personally. If you are over 21, feel free to have a drink with friends. I do it myself. But keep yourself in control. You will have a better summer, more memories to take home, and more money in your account as well.

The MPL Bound group has an ongoing discussion on social activities that employees want to see offered. If you are coming to the McKinley Princess, please give input in to that. Let your employer know what you want to do. We can't read minds. If you don't tell us what you want, we can't work to get it.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Michael McDaniel on April 6, 2008 at 10:47am: i think...of course you'll always have those kids who just do whatever they want...with youth comes mistakes...; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kari Quaas on April 6, 2008 at 11:11am: True, true.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Michael McDaniel on April 6, 2008 at 11:33am: but that doesn't really make it ok to those of us who don't appreciate it....but...no one wants someone to lose their job...because most of them aren't bad kids.....

what we should be teaching them....is everything in moderation....; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Ron Wheatley on April 9, 2008 at 8:33am: Michael,
We also need to be teaching that all of our actions, positive and negative, have consequences. If someone suffers the consequences of being drunk by loosing their job, better that than learning a behavior that may later cause someone else to loose their life because this same person decided to drive drunk. When is the lesson on consequences better taught?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Erin on April 7, 2008 at 10:19am: Well, I was more talking about the serious drinkers who get in serious trouble than the young kids fresh out of high school or college (that was me - fresh out of college, and I went a little crazy my first season). I've had one co-worker die naked in the middle of the woods because he was drunk, one get fired for drinking on the job often and repeatedly, one fall in a pond in the middle of the night drunk and almost die from hypothermia, etc. It just seems the seasonal lifestyle makes it easy for these type of things to happen, and it's just been bugging me lately... how do we fix it?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Michael McDaniel on April 7, 2008 at 11:58am: counselers...; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by akscootr on April 7, 2008 at 12:45pm: I think Kari said it well... respect yourself enough. Most seasonal employees I know (including myself) have partied like crazy on occasion, but most know when to practice self-discipline and save what they make. Those hikes are only awsome if you can remember them...
I don't think it will ever be completely fixed, though, because adventurous people by nature tend to go "all out". They are risk-takers... so it will usually be up to the individual to determine what experience they value more that season; A big party or saving cash and experiencing the environment they are in.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Erin on April 7, 2008 at 6:14pm: Good point about adventurous people... It's just frustrating because I've met so many fun people who are into seasonal work for the adventure and so many who seem to use it to escape from the real world.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by AlaskaBound! on April 7, 2008 at 7:02pm: I too think that this is a problem in the seasonal work world. And in fact spent some time talking with my new boss about it not too long ago. And we both agreed that a lot of times folks fall into the same pattern that they do when they spend their first year away at college, and focus more on meeting girls/guys, developing a social scene and just "letting loose" than they do on the real reason they came there in first place, which is to work. I think that alcohol or other drugs just provide that social lubricant for folks and allows them to let their guard down around a bunch of strangers in an attempt to "fit in" or form some sort of social bond with all these new people. I think that as long as employers hire the younger (not all of them apply to this) kids, this will be present. i have noticed in the smaller operations that I have worked at, that hire older non-college students that there has not been such problem. I have nothing against the younger crowd, have had a good time working around and with them....even was one at one time, but they tend to not have the same work ethic or come for the same reasons that I do. Which is get out in the woods and do some hiking and fishing, not drink myself into a stupor every night.

Let me just add as to not offend anyone, that this only applies to those that it applies to. Not every younger person is like this, so please don't flame me!; ▶ Reply to This