Three separate studies have revealed the extent to which binge- and over-drinking, largely caused by stress and pressure at work, is blighting British workplaces.
In a study by insurer Royal & SunAlliance, one in six workers admitted to being under the influence of alcohol at work in the past six months.
Worryingly for OH professionals, the poll reported that two million staff took one or more days off sick because of alcohol-induced illness in the same time period.
To compound matters, a separate poll by the organisation Developing Patient Partnerships has reported that almost a quarter of British workers say they sometimes drink with the sole intention of “getting drunk”, a figure that rises to 59% among 18- to 24-year-olds, and 43% among 25- to 34-year-olds.
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More than a quarter of the workers polled had experienced times when they struggled to do their jobs because they had a hangover, rising to 80% of 18- to 34-year-olds.
And a study of male workers by vitamin supplement company Wellman found that virtually all British men say they experience stress as a result of their work, with one in three turning to drink in an attempt to relax. Four in 10 find it difficult to switch off from work, and more than one in five claimed to have suffered from depression as a result of stress in the workplace.
