Workplace absenteeism and alcohol use: a sequential analysis.

This investigation examined the day-to-day relationship between alcohol use and workplace absenteeism among a sample of participants (N = 280) employed in 1 of 3 large companies located in the northeastern U.S. With a semistructured interview, information was collected from employees about specific days of drinking during a 1-month period and marked on a calendar. Data about employees' absences during the same target time period were collected from the companies' human resource departments and were also marked on a calendar. A significant relationship was found between alcohol use and workplace absences; workers were roughly 2 times more likely to be absent from work the day after alcohol was consumed.