A new report from the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) says the cost of hangovers is up to £1.4 billion a year, with as many as 89,000 people may be turning up to work hungover or under the influence of alcohol every day.
Download 'The cost of workplace hangovers and intoxication to the UK economy' [pdf]
Key findings from a survey of 3,400 British workers that found:
- 42% had ever been to work hungover or intoxicated, and 9% had done so in the past six months.
- Working hungover or intoxicated was most common in the hospitality and leisure sector, where 52% of people had ever done so. Rates were also high in retail and construction.
- Higher earners were more likely to have gone to work hungover or under the influence. 29% of people earning under £10,000 a year had ever done so, compared to 55% of people earning over £60,000.
The report argues the findings suggest the UK Government currently underestimates the cost of alcohol to the British economy by almost 20%. The government’s official analysis excludes the impact of working intoxicated or hungover due to a lack of robust data on the issue. The new IAS figures suggest that the government’s estimate of the economic costs of alcohol should therefore rise from £7.3 billion to £8.7 billion.
Aveek Bhattacharya, policy analyst at the Institute of Alcohol Studies, and the author of the report said the findings should encourage the Government to revise its official estimates of the cost of alcohol to society, which are now woefully out of date, and that:
'Policies to reduce harmful drinking, such as raising alcohol taxes and minimum unit pricing, are often resisted on the basis that they are “bad for business”. Yet our research suggests that these measures will lead to a more productive workforce – and that we will feel the benefits in our pockets.'
Dr Sally Adams, assistant professor in Health Psychology at the University of Bath, and an expert adviser to the project, said:
‘Hangover is the most commonly reported negative consequence of alcohol use with significant health and economic implications. Whilst previous research has estimated the costs associated with hangover-related absenteeism in the workplace, the cost of reduced productivity of being hungover “on the job” has not been explored.
'This new research from IAS reveals the true economic costs of alcohol hangover in the workplace, with evidence of hangover “Presenteeism” and associated impairments in productivity and team morale as reported by individuals and their colleagues.'
See here for a 2017 guest post on the implications for future policy and research on hangovers.
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