Nearly half of private sector employees feel drinking is
an important part of workplace culture, think tank finds
In a report published by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, said
drinking alcohol with colleagues is regarded as a ‘rite of passage’ and ‘social
glue’ by 40 % of young workers, according to a new report. More than two-fifths of young workers between
18 and 34 surveyed developing the
report, Youth Drinking in Transition, said they believed that abstaining from drinking alcohol was a real barrier to social integration at work. Nearly
half said they drink with colleagues, and a further 10 per cent said they drink
alcohol with clients, with some expressing concern about their career
progression if they abstained. A
quarter admitted to experiencing pressure from colleagues to drink.
“Harmful drinking is on the decline among
young adults, but alcohol remains the defining social glue for many young
adults, with non-drinkers effectively excluded in many circles” according to Ian Wybron, senior researcher
Nearly a
quarter of respondents to the survey said they performed less effectively at
work because of alcohol; an additional 21% said they had gone to work with a
hangover in the last month; and 9 % had been under the influence of alcohol in
the workplace within the last month.
This makes for a situation where the employee is damned if they do or
don’t drink, and it means that they have to know when to say when. The real key to this is knowing when to “drink
with the crew” and when to bow out. It
is a tough decision, but sometimes your success in the job relates to your
ability to walk that “tightrope”.
Read More at http://www.hrreview.co.uk/carousel/two-fifths-young-workers-say-avoiding-alcohol-stop-fitting-work/101273
