WORKERS say a rampant drinking culture in Scotland's workplaces has led to one in five developing problems with their health.
Encouragement from employers to take part in after-hours drinking session and a lack of advice on the dangers of alcohol abuse have contributed to the situation, while many say they have gone to work with a hangover, damaging productivity.
The troubling picture of Scottish employees' battles with booze has been laid bare in a survey of workers attitudes to alcohol consumption.
READ MORE: University students more likely to be heavy drinkers when they grow older
It found that 38 per cent had gone to work while still feeling the affects of the night before, with some of them admitting to have been at their desks while under the influence on at least 30 or more occasions
Nearly one in five said that their employer contributes to unhealthy levels of drinking among staff, while only a quarter said they were given advice on alcohol consumption.
Experts say that alcohol costs the Scottish economy more than £850 million, both through absences from work and people turning up but unable to fully do their jobs.
However, according to the study by healthcare firm Willis PMI Group, Scots were less likely to go to work with a hangover than people in London, where a half of those who took part in the survey said the had done so.
Mike Blake, Director at Willis PMI Group, said that the onus was on employers to ensure that alcohol abuse was kept to a minimum among their workforces.
He said: “The health dangers of excessive alcohol consumption, from organ damage to a weakening of the body’s immune system, have been well publicised, but the impact of lost productivity on businesses is often overlooked.
READ MORE: University students more likely to be heavy drinkers when they grow older
“Employers would be wise to address the issue by reviewing their workplace culture and conditions to ensure they’re not inadvertently stoking the flames of alcohol misuse.
“If businesses take steps to identify whether or not alcohol is causing a problem to their employees’ health and to business productivity they can then train managers, where necessary, to recognise problems and pinpoint trends."
He added: “Tackling the drinking habits of employees can be challenging, but advice and guidance on attitudes towards alcohol and sensible drinking can be included in a company’s health and wellbeing strategy."
More than a quarter of workers across Britain as a whole admitted to having gone to work with a hangover, with male workers (35 per cent) more culpable than their female counterparts (18 per cent).
Eleven per cent of male workers said they did so regularly, compared with just four per cent of females.
The study follows research which found that Irish people in Scotland were twice as likely to be hospitalised or die from alcohol-related diseases than white Scottish people.
The risk for women from a mixed ethnic background was almost 100 times that of white Scots, while people from a Chinese or Pakistani background had the lowest risks of alcohol-related illness or death, according scientists from the University of Edinburgh.
Jennifer Curran, Acting Deputy Chief Executive, Alcohol Focus Scotland, said that workplaces are often reflective of what is happening in wider society.
She said: "In Scotland nearly one in four men and around one in six women drink at harmful or hazardous levels and those in employment are more likely to drink than those who don’t work.
READ MORE: University students more likely to be heavy drinkers when they grow older
"In 2015 a review by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) suggested that the UK should consider tougher action, such as implementing minimum unit pricing, banning sports sponsorship and introducing clear labelling to reduce the impact of alcohol in terms of lost productivity, health spending and accidents."
She added: "To help reduce the impact of alcohol, workplaces can introduce a number of interventions, including having a workplace alcohol policy and training for staff and managers.
"However, to increase the effectiveness of any workplace interventions, it is critical that action is taken on the price, availability and marketing of alcohol."
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