> Previous research found that one in five higher earners drinks alcohol at least five days a week.
> According to the latest NHS data, external, 32% of men and 15% of women in England drank more than 14 units in the past week, putting them at “increasing or higher risk of alcohol-related harm”.
> But research shows that 34% of employees actively avoid work socials due to alcohol, suggesting that something needs to change.
1 in 3 workers are avoiding work socials to get away from the leery work alcoholics.
1 in 5 higher earners drink alcohol 5 times a week.
Labour should ban the subsidised bar in Parliament and begin fixing our dodgy work culture there.
If we’re going to Nanny state people’s vices for health reasons let’s do it properly, not just target the ones MPs don’t indulge in themselves.
EdmundTheInsulter on
Over my working life, it’s reduced. I saw alcohol being consumed in the office less up to 2000 and since then I think a company had a champagne toast once.
Drinking after work is optional.
I think work events involving alcohol can be a problem, yes.
Delicious_Opposite55 on
Alcohol is pathetic. Drinking culture is pathetic. I hate it all
fascinesta on
I’ve been at the same company for 12 years, and the difference in the drinking culture even in that window is stark. Whether it’s a generational thing, a “cost of living” thing, or a societal change in how we view drinking remains unclear. The trend is definitely clear though; it’s dying out as an activity.
riskeverything on
I’m an aussie expat living in hong kong and the brit’s are legends. The first time uk colleagues took me out they absolutely drank me under the table.
Battle_Biscuits on
I work for a University were like a quarter of the staff are Muslim so you cant really do drinks socials which suits me in some ways.
I have a friend who is an accountant and the work culture between his work and mine is like night and day.
If I’m going to get smashed, I’d rather do it with my personal friends rather than work friends. Socialising with work friends isn’t truly switching off from work and there’s always the political and power dynamic elements. With work friends I’m always showing my “work face” and not my more personal one.
OG_Madonna on
Hate alcohol and alcohol culture.
Went on stag do, 3 days of binge drinking, went to wedding – drinks from 11am to 1am, went on holiday people getting pissed 5am in airport and on plane.
Like WTF are we doing? How is this even allowed?
I vape weed on the wedding evening and get questioned about it. Culture, society, humans, lol.
Minimum-Geologist-58 on
One of the interesting things about the UK is that about 50% of the population has always barely drunk, having a drink less than once a week (so in reality probably a lot of people do just have a sherry at Christmas), and a significant minority (20% of the population currently) have been teetotal since the temperance movement came along in the 18C.
The pub and afterwork drinks is a bit like the Church of England – its cultural prominence far outweighs the actual engagement with it by the man of woman in the street!
KeenJelly on
And long may it remain. Alcohol (in moderation) makes everything better.
Expensive_Rub5564 on
Go to a pub in the City of London on a Friday at 4/5pm and you’ll see the crazy amounts of people in suits drinking.
hegginses on
Personally I’ve always avoided socialising with work, partly because I’m introverted but also because I had heard about all the things that go wrong at boozy office parties that can even impact your job.
Last year I thought I’d give it a go for once, bumped into an English lad who snuck in a bottle of whiskey so we were mixing that into our free soft drinks all night (for clarity, most people were also drinking). He had a bit of a grudge against one of our superiors (I’ll call her X) who I actually didn’t have a problem with but as this lady stepped up to get an award for her work, the English lad next to me said “Fuck X”. I think he meant to say it more under his breath but it came out at a time just as the applause stopped so it was relatively audible. She kind of slowed down a bit as he said it but didn’t look in our direction and just carried on.
A month later I get let go because they’re “looking for a different personality”. No idea what happened to the English lad. Needless to say, never ever again, I will just get pissed up at home or with my small circle of trusted actual friends.
bertiebasit on
Some of the worst things I’ve seen have been at work events involving alcohol
Major_Bag_8720 on
Not even close to what it was in the 80s and 90s. Lunchtime drinking was acceptable in those days, never mind after work drinking.
NorthernSoul1977 on
I wish it still was. I had a blast in the 90s/00s with work mates of all ages after work and on nights out. Now it’s pretty sterile and sort of frowned upon for folk to let their hair down.
ChoirBoyComparedToMe on
Who wants to drink with their work colleagues? Can’t wait to get away from them.
Longjumping_Stand889 on
Back in the 80s my workplace had it’s own bar, packed every lunchtime.
RedditIsADataMine on
Pre or post Covid. I have never enjoyed office nights out and rarely attend.
Why? Because I’ve already spent 8 hours of the day with these people. I want to get home and see my family!
Even if I did fancy a drink or night out I’d much rather do it with my real, outside of work friends or my wife.
I get on with people at work but I like the work/homelife separation. There’s people I choose to spend time with, and people I get paid to spend time with. Once I’m not getting paid to spend time with them I’m done.
I think the only reason office drinking culture survives at all is because there are many people unhappy with their home or social life and use work colleagues to fill that gap.
3106Throwaway181576 on
‘Luv me free elf care
Luv me drinkin, it’s me cultya
Luv me smokin
Ate exercise, jus dun lyke it
Ate taxes to fund me elf cafe
Why is the elf service at capacity and so shit now, it’s brown peoples fault’
LloydAtkinson on
This is news to me, don’t think I’ve encountered anyone drinking while at work.
19 Comments
> Previous research found that one in five higher earners drinks alcohol at least five days a week.
> According to the latest NHS data, external, 32% of men and 15% of women in England drank more than 14 units in the past week, putting them at “increasing or higher risk of alcohol-related harm”.
> But research shows that 34% of employees actively avoid work socials due to alcohol, suggesting that something needs to change.
1 in 3 workers are avoiding work socials to get away from the leery work alcoholics.
1 in 5 higher earners drink alcohol 5 times a week.
Labour should ban the subsidised bar in Parliament and begin fixing our dodgy work culture there.
If we’re going to Nanny state people’s vices for health reasons let’s do it properly, not just target the ones MPs don’t indulge in themselves.
Over my working life, it’s reduced. I saw alcohol being consumed in the office less up to 2000 and since then I think a company had a champagne toast once.
Drinking after work is optional.
I think work events involving alcohol can be a problem, yes.
Alcohol is pathetic. Drinking culture is pathetic. I hate it all
I’ve been at the same company for 12 years, and the difference in the drinking culture even in that window is stark. Whether it’s a generational thing, a “cost of living” thing, or a societal change in how we view drinking remains unclear. The trend is definitely clear though; it’s dying out as an activity.
I’m an aussie expat living in hong kong and the brit’s are legends. The first time uk colleagues took me out they absolutely drank me under the table.
I work for a University were like a quarter of the staff are Muslim so you cant really do drinks socials which suits me in some ways.
I have a friend who is an accountant and the work culture between his work and mine is like night and day.
If I’m going to get smashed, I’d rather do it with my personal friends rather than work friends. Socialising with work friends isn’t truly switching off from work and there’s always the political and power dynamic elements. With work friends I’m always showing my “work face” and not my more personal one.
Hate alcohol and alcohol culture.
Went on stag do, 3 days of binge drinking, went to wedding – drinks from 11am to 1am, went on holiday people getting pissed 5am in airport and on plane.
Like WTF are we doing? How is this even allowed?
I vape weed on the wedding evening and get questioned about it. Culture, society, humans, lol.
One of the interesting things about the UK is that about 50% of the population has always barely drunk, having a drink less than once a week (so in reality probably a lot of people do just have a sherry at Christmas), and a significant minority (20% of the population currently) have been teetotal since the temperance movement came along in the 18C.
The pub and afterwork drinks is a bit like the Church of England – its cultural prominence far outweighs the actual engagement with it by the man of woman in the street!
And long may it remain. Alcohol (in moderation) makes everything better.
Go to a pub in the City of London on a Friday at 4/5pm and you’ll see the crazy amounts of people in suits drinking.
Personally I’ve always avoided socialising with work, partly because I’m introverted but also because I had heard about all the things that go wrong at boozy office parties that can even impact your job.
Last year I thought I’d give it a go for once, bumped into an English lad who snuck in a bottle of whiskey so we were mixing that into our free soft drinks all night (for clarity, most people were also drinking). He had a bit of a grudge against one of our superiors (I’ll call her X) who I actually didn’t have a problem with but as this lady stepped up to get an award for her work, the English lad next to me said “Fuck X”. I think he meant to say it more under his breath but it came out at a time just as the applause stopped so it was relatively audible. She kind of slowed down a bit as he said it but didn’t look in our direction and just carried on.
A month later I get let go because they’re “looking for a different personality”. No idea what happened to the English lad. Needless to say, never ever again, I will just get pissed up at home or with my small circle of trusted actual friends.
Some of the worst things I’ve seen have been at work events involving alcohol
Not even close to what it was in the 80s and 90s. Lunchtime drinking was acceptable in those days, never mind after work drinking.
I wish it still was. I had a blast in the 90s/00s with work mates of all ages after work and on nights out. Now it’s pretty sterile and sort of frowned upon for folk to let their hair down.
Who wants to drink with their work colleagues? Can’t wait to get away from them.
Back in the 80s my workplace had it’s own bar, packed every lunchtime.
Pre or post Covid. I have never enjoyed office nights out and rarely attend.
Why? Because I’ve already spent 8 hours of the day with these people. I want to get home and see my family!
Even if I did fancy a drink or night out I’d much rather do it with my real, outside of work friends or my wife.
I get on with people at work but I like the work/homelife separation. There’s people I choose to spend time with, and people I get paid to spend time with. Once I’m not getting paid to spend time with them I’m done.
I think the only reason office drinking culture survives at all is because there are many people unhappy with their home or social life and use work colleagues to fill that gap.
‘Luv me free elf care
Luv me drinkin, it’s me cultya
Luv me smokin
Ate exercise, jus dun lyke it
Ate taxes to fund me elf cafe
Why is the elf service at capacity and so shit now, it’s brown peoples fault’
This is news to me, don’t think I’ve encountered anyone drinking while at work.