Can you stop your staff from drinking on the job?
It appears that there has been an increase in the amount of alcohol being consumed at home since the pandemic began.
But the worry for many employers is that staff are drinking on the job while working from home, and one health and safety company has found that that 90% of workers will admit to drinking alcohol while on the clock.
According to Health and Safety software company Protecting.co.uk, this brings all sorts of problems such as worker health, the quality of work, as well as deeper ethical issues.
โThe freedoms of working from home have allowed workers to behave in ways they wouldnโt dream of in the office,โ says company spokesman Mark Hall. โJust because you are in your own home alcohol and substance abuse policies still apply.โ
โJust one drink wonโt hurtโ
Drinking has always been a part of UK culture, with 29% of people saying they would go to the pub for after work drinks.
However, with huge numbers of the UK workforce having been on furlough or working from home, the opportunity to unwind in the pub with colleagues at the end of a long week has all but disappeared.
But this doesnโt mean people have stopped drinking, in fact itโs quite the opposite – 26% of people in UK say they increased their alcohol consumption between March and June when pubs were closed during the first lockdown.
Now, a phone poll carried out by Protecting.co.ukย finds that nine out of ten people have admitted to drinking while working in the comforts of their own homes.
โIt ranges from just a glass or two with lunch, to getting through a whole bottle of wine a day,โ says Mark Hall, โbut the health implications are clear.โ
Not physically being in the office has changed the way people view work, and it feels like all the rules have gone out the window, and Protecting fears the lack of structure that comes with home working has left many blurring the boundaries between home and work life.
Many may not realise they are breaking the rules.ย Protecting.co.uk spoke to 1300 people who are all working at home due to Covid 19:
- Have you had a drink during working hours while working at home? 90% yes
- Have you had a drink while working from home on more than 1 occasion? 87% yes
- Do you drink while working from home more than two times a week? 83% yes
- Have you consumed more alcohol during the pandemic than you did previously? 93% yes
And drinking on the job isnโt the only naughty habit people have admitted. There was a 20% increase in adults seeking help from addiction services about substance abuse in April 2020, and a whopping 58% admitted to getting down and dirty during working hours.
Mark Hall, said: โItโs alarming to employers to hear that staff feel like they can get away with all kinds of behaviour while they are out of office. Itโs going to be a hard habit to break once this is all over.โ
What can employers do to stop drinking on the job?
Most workplaces will have a robust alcohol and substance abuse policy to keep staff in check when they are at work, but with so many people admitting to drinking while working from home, itโs clear that the rules are not being followed.
Unfortunately for employers, even if there are policies in place against alcohol use, itโs difficult to police what your staff are up to at home during work hours.
But all is not lost, as Mark Hall from Protecting.co.uk has some advice to help ensure workers put the bottle down while working from home.
- Talk to your employees โ Keep communication open and regularly check in with your staff to see how they are getting on.
- Remind them of employment policies โ Be clear to remind them about terms in their contracts about adhering to policies and follow this up with a clarification on what the policies actually mean.
- Set regular working hours โ Be clear about what hours you expect home working to be done, so staff are able to define when they are on your time, and when they are off the clock and can have a drink.
- Offer support โ It has been tough, and more vulnerable workers may be feeling the temptation to drink more than others, so be sure to let them know if they reach out that help is available.
- Substance testing โ The more extreme option is to send your employees home testing kits and ask them to test themselves before work to make sure they are able to work.
Mark Hall, added: โThe 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.
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.โ
Photo by Hans Vivek on Unsplash.
