A comparison of occupational and nonoccupational disability payments and work absences for alcoholics and nonalcoholics.

We examined whether employed alcoholics have more frequent work absences and higher rates of disability benefit payments than do nonalcoholic employees. Using data from a large Midwestern manufacturing firm for the years 1974 through 1987, we studied two groups: 1828 hourly employees who had received an International Classification of Diseases-9 diagnosis indicating chronic alcohol abuse and a group of employees with no history of alcohol problems, matched on age, gender, length of enrollment, and retirement status. The alcoholic group had average overall indemnity payments about twice that of the nonalcoholic group ($1272 per year per capita v $671). Nonoccupational indemnity payments and work absences were also much higher for alcoholics. However, no statistically significant difference between the groups was found for occupational-related disability.