Earlier this year the BMJ published the first systematic review of research on working hours and alcohol use. The review found that longer working hours increased the likelihood of higher alcohol use by 11% - 13%.
Longer working hours are recognised as working more than 48 hours per week, which the European Union’s Working Time Directive (EUWTD) states people cannot be required to exceed unless they wish to.
However the research only theorises the reasons behind the association, and highlights a number of important limitations, as touched on in this Mental Elf report. For instance the research did not find differences between gender, age group, socio-economic status or geographical region.
The authors highlight one seemingly common sense theory behind the association - that alcohol use alleviates stress caused by work pressure and working conditions - however they could not find clear evidence to support this. As such, individual personality characteristics may be thought to play a role as well as possible environmental influences. For example people with irritable or risk taking personalities may be more inclined towards 'work hard, play hard' job environments. Similarly people with depression or sleep problems may also be more likely to both work longer hours and drink more.
The workplace - an important area for alcohol interventions?
The authors highlight:
...the workplace is an important setting for the prevention of alcohol misuse because more than half of the adult population are employed. Risky alcohol use is an issue in the workplace because it can have adverse and serious effects on employees, such as absenteeism, inefficiency, poor performance, impaired decision making, damaged customer relations, and injuries at work.
However the workplace may be considered one area where real progress is yet to be made in addressing alcohol harms. Employers and employees alike may be understandably cagey about the subject, particularly where drinking cultures may be prevalent and understanding of the actual negative cost-impact is limited. As such, even larger employers rarely undertake preventative work, and often seem reluctant to address it when it becomes a problem for individuals.
Despite the challenges, efforts to penetrate the workplace with alcohol interventions are being undertaken by various organisations and initiatives. Indeed those that are taking a broader 'health and wellbeing' approach may find more success.
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