Latest news with #JaneGardiner
Sky News
13-07-2025
- Health
- Sky News
Nearly two-thirds of UK workers turning to drink because of job pressures, survey says
Some 64% of UK workers drink alcohol for work-related reasons, according to a survey. It's not just colleagues having a few pints at the end of the business day. Job stress, pressure and anxiety led employees to drink more over the past year, according to Alcohol Change UK. The research also found one in five workers drinks to deal with deadlines, while nearly 10% feel pressured to drink by their boss or colleagues. The charity now wants employers to move away from alcohol-based team building and social events so everyone can feel included. Jane Gardiner from Alcohol Change UK told Sky News: "We're not saying don't go to the pub, don't have after-work drinks, but try to be more inclusive and create sort of healthier, more inclusive workplaces, recognising that not everyone does drink for a variety of different reasons." Patrick Fox is a former city banker who gave up alcohol in 2018 after years of drunken nights out. He told Sky News his colleagues would often pressure him to drink, and he ended up prioritising going out over his romantic relationship. "I'd be going out drinking on a Thursday and Friday after work. That would probably continue into the weekend. So come Sunday afternoon I'd be feeling pretty terrible and dreading going to work on a Monday," he said. He added: "There's so many different businesses out there where alcohol is the focal point a lot of the time at team building exercises, so there is a pressure to be a part of that." Employee absence due to work-related drinking is estimated to cost England's economy £4bn per year. However, the number of adults drinking alcohol has decreased in recent years. According to the latest data, 56% of adults reported having an alcoholic drink in 2022, down from 61% in 2012. Generation Z has markedly turned away from booze, abstinence periods like Dry January have become more mainstream, and there has been a proliferation of no or low alcohol alternatives. 1:46 Dhati Holohan, sales director at Asahi UK, told Sky News: "What we are seeing is over 40% of adults in the UK are looking to moderate their alcohol consumption." One way drinkers are doing that is by switching in soft drinks. Ms Holohan added: "We are calling that zebra striping. So alternating alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic drinks. One in three adults in the UK are actually using that as a way to pace their consumption."
The Independent
06-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Staggering trend of workers ‘turning to alcohol' because of job stress revealed
Almost two thirds of workers are drinking more alcohol due of stress or pressures related to their job, new research has found. A survey of 2,000 workers by Alcohol Change UK found 64 per cent of UK workers reported drinking alcohol for work-related reasons - with job stress, pressure and anxiety behind increased consumption in the past 12 months. Four in 10 said they drank more alcohol due to work-related anxiety, while 38 per cent said they drank more to cope with work stress. Over a third drank more alcohol because of pressure or deadlines at work and 29 per cent reported increased alcohol consumption due to job insecurity Jane Gardiner, head of consultancy and training at research group Alcohol Change UK, said: 'Although the work we do is hugely varied, this research suggests that in the last year many of us have been drinking more alcohol in an attempt to manage work-related stress, anxiety, pressure and job insecurity. 'Yet, from poor sleep and hangovers to high blood pressure, depression and other health conditions, alcohol can take a big toll on our health and wellbeing. 'While it may offer short-term relief for some, over time it's more likely to worsen feelings of stress, anxiety and pressure and lead to a cycle of self-medicating that can be hard to break free from, even if we want to.' The research has been released to mark the start of Alcohol Awareness Week, and found demand from employees for preventative action and education around alcohol at work. This year's theme 'Alcohol and work' focuses on how work environments and pressures can influence the way we drink, and how we can build healthier, more inclusive workplace cultures. More than 8 in 10 of the workers surveyed believed employers have some responsibility to address alcohol in the workplace - but over a third said they feel more comfortable talking about mental health in the workplace than alcohol. Ms Gardiner added: 'Mirroring the progress seen in mental health in the workplace in recent years to drive conversations, boost compassion and support and reduce stigma, it's so encouraging to see such strong appetite for alcohol awareness and education from workers. 'What's hugely positive is that employees appear to recognise that preventative, proactive action is where alcohol factors in – above reactive action when an issue presents itself. 'It's this kind of support that will start to make alcohol less of a taboo subject, raise awareness of the impact of our drinking habits on our overall health and wellbeing and prevent avoidable alcohol harm before it happens.'
