posted on Monday, September 18, 2006 1:53 PM
by
Rod Satterwhite
Alcohol Use Boosts Income
While we're on the subject of productivity, a friend sent me an article quoting a study from the Reason Foundation which suggests that people who drink alcohol make more money than those who don't. I don't know why he sent me the article, but it's interesting in light of the continuing trend toward characterizing addictions as disabilities that impact employees at work. Bucking that trend, the study "published in the Journal of Labor Research Thursday concluded that drinkers earn 10 to 14 percent more than teetotalers, and that men who drink socially bring home an additional seven percent in pay." The article acknowledged that the study may have had certain political unerpinnings: "the authors acknowledged their study, funded by the Reason Foundation, a libertarian think tank, contradicted research released in 2000 by the Harvard School of Public Health." Nevertheless, the authors claim that their "empirical survey" supported their conclusions, suggesting that a social drinker might have a "wider range of social contacts" that open more doors from an employment and business standpoint. Does this mean you should add the question "Alcohol User?" to your employment application? Certainly not. But it does raise a somewhat contrarian perspective regarding an activity that, at least in and around workplace discrimination laws, has a less than positive connotation.