How Drinking Alcohol Can Affect Your Career
Alcohol and the workplace have always been an interesting combination. In the 1980s and before, a pint at lunchtime was the most donewhereas nowadays that’s much rarer along with the typical Friday after-work drinks,
However, that doesn’t mean alcohol isn’t affecting you in the workplace. Particularly if you are a heavy drinker outside of 9-5.
With the pandemic locking people down and seeing millions having to work from home, which has continued into the slightly more normal life we lead today, there was a fear that he would drink on the job again.
That is partly supported by statistics showing a huge increase in people drinking in the UK during the pandemic. But how does alcohol affect your work? And indeed does it at all?
Of course alcohol consumption will affect your career
In short, yes, of course, excessive alcohol consumption will impact your work life. While there’s nothing wrong with having a glass of wine with dinner or a quick pint after a stressful day at the office, large-scale consumption will be problematic both at home and at work.
Among the most common things you will see when it comes to alcohol that affect your work are:
Health and safety issues
First, if you have a job that falls within the trades or involves a great deal of manual labor, there are some significant health and safety risks. Because alcohol slows your reaction time, speed and concentration, you are much more likely to cause an accident that could even be life-threatening if you are at work with alcohol still in your system. Especially if it involves heavy machinery.
bad decision making
No one wants to work with a deadly hangover, and even just feeling a little groggy the next day at work can lead to confused judgment and poor decision making.
Ultimately, that will have a knock-on effect well beyond that day, especially if you’re making decisions that will influence things like strategy going forward. It’s not a good place to be and it will make you regret those decisions in the long run.
Low quality of work
Production levels will drop if the body is under the influence of alcohol at work, and while you’ll do less, you’ll also end up with lesser quality work.
The brain will not function at its optimal level and that will only have a negative impact on the work you are doing.
strained relationships in the office
People’s moods change dramatically, both immediately under the influence of alcohol and the next morning when the hangover kicks in. That greatly alters your communication skills and will ultimately put pressure on peers who are not under the influence and are simply looking to get things done.
Puntuality
Many of us will be aware of the difficulties of getting up in the morning after a night of drinking alcohol. It’s not the easiest thing in the world and when you have the idea of a full day at the office, it can be even more difficult.
Whereas if it happens once, your boss may turn the other cheek, being regularly late, calling in sick, or having a bad attitude when it comes to work will likely be subject to disciplinary action. That can put a strain on relationships and ultimately make his position untenable.
getting help
Feeling this can be exhausting for both you and the people you work with, and if any of the above affect your life, it may be time to seek help.
Alcohol addiction It can be very detrimental not only to your health and family life, but also to your career and alcohol rehab or detox could be the first step in getting your work life back on track.
There are many charities and clinics operating both nationally and locally, so if alcohol is having an impact on your working life then it may be time to start considering help.