Abstract
ABSTRACTSeasonal workers at tourism resorts, particularly young employees, represent a high-risk population for alcohol abuse and other negative lifestyles. This study explores how managers and employees at ski resorts in Northern Sweden experience critical aspects for hazardous alcohol use at small- and medium-sized enterprises. This analysis is based on one open-ended question about hazardous alcohol use prevention at the workplace answered by 153 employees, and semi-structured interviews about being a manager at a ski resort conducted with 13 managers. The analysis showed that managers’ views regarding hazardous alcohol use prevention were double-edged, which was confirmed by the employees’ answers. The managers contribute to the preservation of existing alcohol norms but simultaneously enforce policies and administer tests to control employees’ sobriety at work. Three themes emerged: reproducing existing alcohol norms, an alcohol-controlled working environment and care-taking managers. The results ide...
Highlights
Seasonal workers at tourism resorts represent a highrisk population for alcohol abuse and other negative lifestyles (Kelly, Hughes, & Bellis, 2014; Vinberg & Warne, 2015)
This analysis is based on one open-ended question about hazardous alcohol use prevention at the workplace answered by 153 employees, and semi-structured interviews about being a manager at a ski resort conducted with 13 managers
Hotels and restaurants are common at tourist resorts, and seasonal workers are overrepresented in this industry (Larsson, 2014); this situation sets the stage to study the possibilities for managers to reduce alcohol consumption among their staff
Summary
Seasonal workers at tourism resorts represent a highrisk population for alcohol abuse and other negative lifestyles (Kelly, Hughes, & Bellis, 2014; Vinberg & Warne, 2015). Alcohol is a major risk factor for the global burden of disease (Casswell & Thamarangsi, 2009) and contributes to absence due to sickness, accidents and work-related injuries among employees (Hermansson, 2004). Based on these facts, alcohol consumption has a detrimental effect on the working environment. Many activities are reactive, interactions involve a great deal of oral communication, decision processes are disorderly, and most planning is informal and adaptive (Yukl, 2009) These circumstances can hinder the implementation of policies aimed at addressing occupational and health issues, including alcohol-related problems (Whysall, Haslam, & Haslam, 2006). On the other hand, facilitating factors can exist in S.M.E. s, including supportive managers, local control over budget spending for health and good communication
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