Kenkel D S
Department of Consumer Economics and Housing, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-4401, USA.
J Stud Alcohol. 1997 Mar;58(2):211-9. doi: 10.15288/jsa.1997.58.211.
The worksite is an important point of access for alcohol treatment and prevention, but not all firms are likely to find offering alcohol programs profitable. This study attempts to identify at a conceptual and empirical level factors that are important determinants of the profitability of worksite alcohol programs. A central question considered in the empirical analysis is whether firms' decisions about worksite alcohol programs are related to how employee group health insurance is provided.
The data used are from the 1992 National Survey of Worksite Health Promotion Activities (N = 1,389-1,412). The econometric analysis focuses on measures of whether the surveyed firms offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), individual counseling, group classes and resource materials regarding alcohol and other substance abuse.
Holding other factors constant, the probability that a self-insured firm offers an EAP is estimated to be 59%, compared to 51% for a firm that purchases market group health insurance for its employees. Unionized worksites and larger worksites are also found to be more likely to offer worksite alcohol programs, compared to nonunionized smaller worksites. Worksites with younger work-forces are less likely than those with older employees to offer alcohol programs.
The empirical results are consistent with the conceptual framework from labor economics, since self-insurance is expected to increase firms' demand for worksite alcohol programs while large worksite is expected to reduce the average program cost. The role of union status and workforce age suggests it is important to consider workers' preferences for the programs as fringe benefits. The results also suggest that the national trend towards self-insurance may be leading to more prevention and treatment of worker alcohol-related problems.
工作场所是酒精治疗与预防的重要切入点，但并非所有公司都认为提供酒精项目有利可图。本研究试图从概念和实证层面确定影响工作场所酒精项目盈利能力的重要因素。实证分析中考虑的一个核心问题是公司关于工作场所酒精项目的决策是否与员工团体健康保险的提供方式有关。
所使用的数据来自1992年全国工作场所健康促进活动调查（N = 1389 - 1412）。计量经济学分析聚焦于被调查公司是否提供员工援助计划（EAP）、个人咨询、团体课程以及关于酒精和其他药物滥用的资源材料的相关指标。
在其他因素不变的情况下，自我投保的公司提供EAP的概率估计为59%，而为员工购买市场团体健康保险的公司这一概率为51%。与非工会化的较小工作场所相比，工会化的工作场所和较大的工作场所也更有可能提供工作场所酒精项目。员工年龄较轻的工作场所比员工年龄较大的工作场所提供酒精项目的可能性更小。
实证结果与劳动经济学的概念框架一致，因为自我保险预计会增加公司对工作场所酒精项目的需求，而大型工作场所预计会降低项目的平均成本。工会地位和劳动力年龄的作用表明，将员工对这些项目的偏好作为附带福利来考虑很重要。结果还表明，全国范围内自我保险的趋势可能会导致对与员工酒精相关问题的更多预防和治疗。
