People may attend work hungover or still under the influence from the night before, consume alcohol before work or during the day; or their work may be affected by health problems resulting from drinking. Here are a few examples:

  • 40% of employers mention alcohol as a significant cause of low productivity
  • Between 3% and 5% of all work absence is caused by alcohol consumption
  • 35% of people say they’ve noticed colleagues under the influence of drugs and alcohol at work
  • 25% say that drugs or alcohol have affected them at work, with 23% saying they had experienced decreased productivity as a result

Workplaces don’t just suffer from the effects of alcohol – they can exacerbate the problem. 27% of people say that workplace stress makes them drink more.

Many workplace cultures also encourage drinking, whether through informal socialising or workplace events where drinking is considered the norm and alcohol is often made available for free.

Alcohol ConcernHelp and Support is available, plus information on facts and access to resources.
DrinkawareDrinkaware provides independent alcohol advice, information and tools to help people make better choices about their drinking.
We Are With YouGet in touch with our free, confidential service and talk to one of our trained staff. We’re here to listen – you can tell us as little or as much as you want. We’ll work with you on your own goals, whether that’s cutting down your drug or alcohol use, stopping completely or just getting a bit of advice.
HSE -Managing drug and alcohol misuse at workEmployers have a legal duty to protect employees' health, safety and welfare. Understanding the signs of drug and alcohol misuse (or abuse) will help you to manage health and safety risk in your workplace, develop a policy to deal with drug and alcohol-related problems and support your employees.