Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Alcohol and drug misuseWellbeingOccupational HealthWorking from home

Nine in 10 home workers drinking alcohol on the job

by Ashleigh Webber 16 Dec 2020
by Ashleigh Webber 16 Dec 2020 Shutterstock
Shutterstock

Nine out of 10 people have admitted to drinking alcohol while working from home this year – a statistic that a health and safety firm has said could have concerning consequences for worker health and the quality of work produced.

Health and safety software firm Protecting’s survey of 1,300 home workers found the majority had consumed alcohol while working in 2020, with consumption ranging from “just a glass or two with lunch” to “getting through a whole bottle of wine a day”, said founder Mark Hall.

Alcohol abuse

Two in five senior leaders using drugs or alcohol to alleviate Covid-19 worries

Drug and alcohol workplace testing: an occupational health issue?

One in four turns to alcohol to cope with work pressure

“The freedoms of working from home have allowed workers to behave in ways they wouldn’t dream of in the office,” he said. “Just because you are in your own home alcohol and substance abuse policies still apply.”

Eight in 10 (83%) said they drank while working from home at least twice per week, while 93% said they had consumed more alcohol during the pandemic than they had previously.

More than a quarter (26%) admitted their alcohol consumption increased between March and June, when pubs were closed during the first lockdown.

Hall advised organisations that felt alcohol consumption had increased among their workforce to:

  • Talk to employees – regularly check in with staff and keep communication channels open
  • Remind staff of the policies in place – including what their contractual terms say about alcohol consumption and clarify these if needed
  • Set regular working hours – defining clear boundaries about work time and personal time
  • Offer support – letting employees know support is available if they reach out, and
  • Conduct substance testing – sending home-testing kits, if necessary.

Hall said: “The best approach is to talk to your employers and help them to understand why it is important to you and your business for these rules to be followed, but to also support those who may be struggling.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“We all have our guilty pleasures and vices, but this should not impact our ability to work professionally, and if you find yourself unable to cope there are plenty of resources available.”

Earlier this month, separate research from Bupa Global found 38% of UK business leaders had turned to alcohol or drugs to cope with mental ill health during the pandemic.

Ashleigh Webber

Ashleigh is a former editor of OHW+ and former HR and wellbeing editor at Personnel Today. Ashleigh's areas of interest include employee health and wellbeing, equality and inclusion and skills development. She has hosted many webinars for Personnel Today, on topics including employee retention, financial wellbeing and menopause support.

previous post
Paris fined for recruiting too many women
next post
Banker who never returned from three-year sabbatical wins unfair dismissal case

You may also like

Uncertainty over law hampering legal use of medical...

20 May 2025

Employers ‘worryingly’ ignorant about stress risk assessments

20 May 2025

Awareness weeks fuel spike in demand for mental...

19 May 2025

Healthcare workers prioritise mental health support in new...

12 May 2025

Two-thirds of school leaders suffering mental ill health

6 May 2025

‘Healthy work’ about much more than access to...

28 Apr 2025

Tool developed for employers to calculate cost of...

28 Apr 2025

Why employers must do more to support all...

24 Apr 2025

How to help employees quit vaping before new...

22 Apr 2025

NHS urging people to check for cancer warning...

22 Apr 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today