One in three UK workers have called in sick after work drinks, survey finds | Alcohol

One in three British workers called in sick after drinking at a work event or after hours with colleagues.

Many staff feel under pressure to drink in work-related settings, despite a major shift among young adults away from consuming as much alcohol as their predecessors.

The findings are contained in a report by IPPR ThinkTank. It found that many employers were not keeping in step with the generational shift towards drinking, either by holding work social events in pubs or bars or by making alcohol a central feature of the occasion.

The report highlights how restaurant chain Wagamama has, in contrast, replaced its alcohol-centric staff socials with explicitly alcohol-free events such as pottery workshops, yoga classes, running clubs and boxing sessions, which improve morale and cohesion.

The IPPR’s findings are based in part on a representative survey of 2,083 working-age British adults, first conducted by public pollsters. “Even as drinking habits change, cultural pressures in the workplace continue to cause harm,” ThinkTank said.

Survey found:

• 32% of workers called in sick at a work event or the next day after drinking with co-workers in the past year.

• 41% of 18- to 24-year-olds were too hungover to work and 47% of 25 to 34-year-olds.

• 22% of staff in education and 24% in health and social care had cried at work the next day after or after drinking in the last six months, and a fifth in both sectors reported crying late the next day.

• 28% think drinking at work events excludes or creates a clique of non-smokers.

The IPPR, which is influential with the Labor Government, said drinking at work was “not just a hangover, it was a productivity crisis” and that alcohol harm was a “national economic problem”.

Sebastian Rees, head of wellbeing at ThinkTank, said: “On the one hand, Gen Z are drinking less than previous generations and some employers are taking welcome steps to move away from alcohol-centric work events. Yet the UK’s professional culture is based on having a pint after work, whether it’s a networking, a glass of wine or a social, which is at the heart of many grooming.”

IPPR has called on ministers to introduce minimum unit pricing for alcohol in England, as evidence suggests to reduce alcohol-related deaths in Scotland and tell employers to do more about workplace drinking.

Dr Richard Piper, chief executive of Alcohol Change UK, which funded the report, said he was “extremely guilty about the economic benefits offered by the endless alcohol industry”.

Alcohol “impedes the day-to-day operation and performance of our businesses and the overall strength of our economy,” he said. “When alcohol dominates workplace cultures, productivity and wellbeing both take hits, while making life much more difficult for those who don’t drink alcohol or want to drink less.”

Employers should ensure staff do not feel under pressure to drink at work events, the Confederation of British industry said. “Having clear policies is an important starting point [to making events inclusive] And a growing number of employers have policies specifically related to alcohol,” says Matthew Percival, the CBI’s future director of jobs and skills. There are many reasons why individuals may not want to consume alcohol at work events, and no one should feel pressured to do so. ”

The government refused to respond directly to the IPPR report. A spokesman said: “As part of our 10-year health plan, we are supporting people to make healthier choices through our shift to disease prevention as we create an NHS fit for the future.

“The government has also provided an additional £310 million to improve drug and alcohol treatment services and wider recovery support.”

It continues to review moves to reduce alcohol-related harm, such as changes to the alcohol duty and the possible introduction of minimum unit pricing.