Alcohol And Other Drugs In The Workplace

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Alcohol And Other Drugs In The Workplace

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

Alcohol and drug use is prevalent in the workplace, with 15% of workers having been drunk at work and 1 in 10 reporting a hangover [1].

This results in poor performance at work, difficulty concentrating, reduced productivity, tiredness and mistakes [1].

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Drug and alcohol misuse in the workplace impairs concentration and performance, with alcohol and substance abuse being linked to 60% of poor performance at work, including a lack of productivity and making mistakes [2].

It also increases the risk of accidents, with 40% of all workplace accidents caused by drinking or drug use [2].

A study in 2007 by Norwich Union Healthcare found that a third of employees had been to work with a hangover and 15% had been drunk at work, reporting that work problems that came from this included difficulty concentrating, mistakes, tiredness and reduced productivity [1].

Effects of Drug And Alcohol Misuse In The Workplace

Workplace Accidents

These accidents are not limited to heavy machinery, as smaller injuries such as falls, cuts or broken bones, with 65% of workplace accidents being caused by drinking and drug use [3].

The Health and Safety Executive Report found that 690,000 workers were involved in a non-fatal workplace accident.

The most common workplace accidents found were:

Falling from a height
Falling or tripping accidents
Using equipment or machinery
Being trapped under a fallen or collapsed item
Coming into contact with electricity [4]

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Costs To The Workplace

Alcohol and drug use costs to the workplace include:

The cost of absences or sick leave used, up to 17 million working days are lost each year due to alcohol use with a cost to the economy of £1.7 billion [1]
The cost and inconvenience of missed deadlines, incomplete work or poor quality work, in a study of the association between alcohol consumption and impaired work performance, it was found that 77% of workplaces tested found that higher levels of alcohol consumption led to impaired work performance; with the effects of a hangover [nausea, headaches, drowsiness] causing both short and long term sick leave [5]

Employer Responsibilities

Employers have a responsibility to create a clear policy on the stance of the workplace towards drug and alcohol use.

Drug And Alcohol Policy

A drug and alcohol policy allows the employer to make their expectations clear to employees.

The policy must include:

The rules on drugs and alcohol at work
The consequences and dangers that will occur if a person takes part in drug and alcohol misuse at work or if that use affects work
The full disciplinary procedures that will be followed
Help and support available for employees suffering with a drug and alcohol problem [6]

Signs Of Drug And Alcohol Misuse In The Workplace

Signs that an employee has a drug or alcohol problem include:

Unexplained and frequent absences from work
Impaired reaction times
Slurred speech
Lower standard of personal hygiene
Poor performance at work
Deteriorating relationships with management or other colleagues
Erratic behaviour
Fluctuating energy and concentration levels
Mood swings
Confusion
Short term memory loss [7]

Causes Of Drug And Alcohol Abuse

Workplace Culture

Studies have proven that mining and construction industries have a strong culture of abusing drugs or alcohol, with each accounting for 17.5% and 16.5% of alcoholism in all industries surveyed [8].

In a study completed by BMC Public Health in 2021, men were proven to have higher rates of drug and alcohol misuse than women [9].

In a study, female police officers showed low levels of workplace stress but high levels of alcohol consumption, which is attributed to wanting to fit into a male dominated environment [10].

Stress In The Workplace

Alcohol and drug use in the workplace may be an attempt to develop a coping strategy as a means to overcome stress [11].

30% of workers drink as a way to relieve work stress [12].

A study by BMJ in 2015 found that stressful work situations, such as long hours, cause alcohol or drug abuse [13].

How Much of A Problem Is Drug And Alcohol Misuse In The Workplace?

A survey by DrugScope and Alcohol Concern found that 27% of employers had experienced issues due to drug misuse at work and 60% had issues with alcohol misuse [14].

Alcohol misuse costs companies around £21 billion per year [15].

Is It Illegal To Drink Or Use Drugs In The Workplace?

Although drug use is always illegal, there are no employment laws concerning the consumption of alcohol at work [16].

It is an offence to be drunk or or on drugs in some professions, for example, the Transport and Works Act 1992 made it illegal for workers to have used drink and drugs whilst working on transport systems [17].

Can You Be Fired For Drinking Or Using Drugs At Work?

If a company suspects drug use or a drug test is failed, then there are grounds for suspension or removal from the company [18].

There are no laws prohibiting the consumption of alcohol in the workplace, but intoxication will go against the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, highlighting the responsibilities of the employer and employees to consider others safety in the workplace [19].

Intoxication or drug use in the workplace is considered gross misconduct and will lead to disciplinary action or dismissal, dependent on the company policy [16].

In the Attitudes to Addiction report, 1 in 5 workers felt that they would be fired if their employers knew the full extent of their drinking or drug use [20].

Alcohol and drug misuse can be limited inside an organisation by:

Choosing soft drink options in workplace social settings [21]
Speaking to employers if stress is becoming an issue, with solutions such as realistic workload expectations and targets, training and promotion opportunities all decrease stress in the workplace [22]
Find ways to avoid workplace stress, by spending time with family and friends, exercise, meditation and reflecting in a journal [23]
Distancing from co-workers that are drinking or using drugs, or those who are encouraging this behaviour in others [24]
Speaking to supervisors if drinking culture is causing work issues, such as lack of productivity, difficulty concentrating or mistakes [25]

References

[1] IAS Institute of Alcohol Studies. "Alcohol in the workplace." November 2017. "15% reported having been drunk at work. 1 in 10 reported hangovers at work once a month...Work problems resulting from hangovers or being drunk at work included difficulty concentrating; reduced productivity; tiredness and mistakes."
[2] Innovative Testing Solutions. “Drug Use in the UK: Statistics | Innovative Testing Solutions.” Innovative Testing Solutions, 14 July 2020. Accessed 22 May 2025. “Alcoholism and drug dependence can lead to lowered productivity within the workplace, with increased levels of absenteeism and sick leave, accidents and injuries, including fatal accidents and even premature deaths. Substance abuse is linked to 60% of all poor performances and 40% of industrial accidents at work.”
[3] Pelago Health. “Workplace Safety: The Connection between On-The-Job Accidents and Addiction | Pelago.” Pelago Health, 7 July 2021. “The U.S. Department of Labor reported that drug and alcohol abuse in the workplace causes 65% of on-the-job accidents.”
[4] Cesi Org UK. “What Are My Legal Rights after an Accident at Work? - a Guide to Your Rights after Being Injured at Work - Center of Employment & Social Information - Legal & Employment Law UK Economic Inclusion CESI.” Center of Employment & Social Information - Legal & Employment Law UK Economic Inclusion CESI, 12 Jan. 2020. Accessed 22 May 2025. “The report also determined that the most commonplace accidents at work were the following: Workers falling from a height; Slip, trip and fall accidents; Employees being hit by moving equipment or machinery; Workers becoming trapped underneath an item that collapsed or overturned; Employees coming into contact with electricity.”
[5] Thørrisen, Mikkel Magnus, et al. “Association between Alcohol Consumption and Impaired Work Performance (Presenteeism): A Systematic Review.” BMJ Open, vol. 9, no. 7, July 2019. “Twenty-six studies were included, containing 132 tested associations. The vast majority of associations (77%) indicated that higher levels of alcohol consumption were associated with higher levels of impaired work performance.”
[6] UNISON. “UNISON.” UNISON National, 2013. “ACAS has produced the following checklist on what should be included within a policy on drugs misuse at work: the purpose of the policy – for example: ‘This policy is designed to help protect workers from the dangers of drug and other substance misuse and to encourage those with a drugs problem to seek help’; a statement that the policy applies to everyone in the organisation; the rules on the use of drugs and other substances at work; a statement that the organisation recognises that a drugs problem may be an illness to be treated in the same way as any other illness; the potential dangers to the health and safety of drug misusers and their colleagues if a drugs problem is untreated; the importance of early identification and treatment.”
[7] Swann, Alex. UK: Identifying Drug Use Signs in the Workplace. Cansford Labs, 18 Feb. 2021. Accessed 22 May 2025. “Psychological signs of drug use: Lack of memory; Limited judgement; Unusual irritability or aggression; Tendency to become confused; Sudden mood changes.”
[8] Stein, Sophie, et al. “Occupations Linked to Drug and Alcohol Abuse.” American Addiction Centers.
[9] Thompson, Andrew, and Munir Pirmohamed. “Associations between Occupation and Heavy Alcohol Consumption in UK Adults Aged 40–69 Years: A Cross-Sectional Study Using the UK Biobank.” BMC Public Health, vol. 21, no. 1, Feb. 2021. “There was evidence of gender-specific outcomes with the proportion of jobs associated with heavy drinking accounted for by skilled trade occupations being 0.44 for males and 0.05 for females, and 0.10 for males and 0.40 for females when considering managers and senior officials.”
[10] Fatima Fernandes, Maria Neyrian de, and Edilaine Cristina da Silva Gherardi-Donato. “Is It Workplace Stress a Trigger for Alcohol and Drug Abuse?” Open Journal of Nursing, vol. 07, no. 03, 2017, pp. 435–48. “The final sample of 16 articles was divided into two categories: alcohol and drugs abuse in professions with high degree of psychosocial hazards and risks, and alcohol and drugs abuse for workplace stress in other professions. A relationship between precarious conditions, the nature of the work and its influence on drug abuse could be seen.”
[11] Merrill, Jennifer E., and Suzanne E. Thomas. “Interactions between Adaptive Coping and Drinking to Cope in Predicting Naturalistic Drinking and Drinking Following a Lab-Based Psychosocial Stressor.” Addictive Behaviors, vol. 38, no. 3, Mar. 2013, pp. 1672–78. “Though there are a few different models of alcohol use motivation, all share inclusion of drinking to enhance positive emotions (enhancement motives) and drinking to cope with, or alleviate, negative emotions (coping motives).”
[12] IAS Institute Of Alcohol Studies. "Alcohol In The Workplace." December 2012. "Market research suggests 30% of workers themselves see drinking as a way to relieve work stress."
[13] Okechukwu, C. A. “Long Working Hours Are Linked to Risky Alcohol Consumption.” BMJ, vol. 350, no. jan12 13, Jan. 2015, pp. g7800–0. Accessed 31 Dec. 2020. “They found that exposure to long working hours was associated with higher odds of alcohol use in cross sectional studies.”
[14] TUC Org UK. “Drugs and Alcohol in the Workplace.” Tuc Org UK, 25 Feb. 2019. “A survey by DrugScope and Alcohol Concern found that 27 per cent of employers say drug misuse is a problem at work while 60 per cent have experienced problems due to staff drinking alcohol.”
[15] UK Home Office. Title: A MINIMUM UNIT PRICE for ALCOHOL Impact Assessment (IA) Summary: Intervention and Options. 2012. “Alcohol misuse costs around £21 billion per year.”
[16] Service, Peninsula Business. “What Is an Alcohol Policy? | Peninsula UK.” Peninsula Group, Peninsula, 12 May 2021. Accessed 22 May 2025. “There are no employment laws specifically concerning the consumption of alcohol at work.”
[17] HSENI Gov UK. “Drugs and Alcohol - the Legal Position.” Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland, 4 Dec. 2015. “The Transport and Works Act 1992 makes it a criminal offence for certain workers to be unfit through drugs and/or drink while working on railways, tramways and other guided transport systems.”
[18] Release Org UK. “Drug Use at Work.” Release, 3 Jan. 2013. “Depending on your company’s policy, failing a drug test could lead to disciplinary action or you being dismissed. If your company has a zero tolerance policy to drugs, just the positive test could be seen as ‘gross misconduct’ and you could be dismissed immediately or suspended while there is an investigation.”
[19] Legislation.gov.uk. Health and Safety at Work Etc. Act 1974. 1974. “Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.”
[20] Aphrodite Papadatou, and Aphrodite Papadatou. “1 in 5 Brits Would Expect to Be Sacked If They Admitted to an Alcohol or Drug Addiction.” HRreview, 14 Apr. 2019. Accessed 22 May 2025. “A new report reveals that one-in-five (22 per cent) people in the UK believe their employer would terminate their contract if they admitted to a drug or alcohol problem.”
[21] NI Business Info. Dealing with Alcohol Issues in the Workplace | Nibusinessinfo.co.uk. 2025. Accessed 22 May 2025. “At the very least, when a business is having an event, there should be soft drinks available as an alternative to drinking alcohol.”
[22] NI Business Info. Stress and Drugs and Alcohol Use | Nibusinessinfo.co.uk. 2025. Accessed 22 May 2025. “Good management can reduce work-related stress. For example, setting realistic targets and providing employees with training and opportunities for promotion can help to boost employee morale.”
[23] Impact. “5 Tips to Reduce Workplace Stress: International Stress Awareness Week - Impact.” Impact, 27 Oct. 2023. Accessed 22 May 2025.. “It’s crucial to reducing workplace stress. Make time for activities that help you relax and recharge, such as exercise, meditation, or spending time with friends and family.”
[24] Bennett, J. B., and W. E. Lehman. “Workplace Drinking Climate, Stress, and Problem Indicators: Assessing the Influence of Teamwork (Group Cohesion).” Journal of Studies on Alcohol, vol. 59, no. 5, Sept. 1998, pp. 608–18. “Because teamwork may buffer negative effects of drinking climate on co-workers, workplace prevention efforts might be enhanced through a focus on the social environment. These efforts would include team-building and discussions of the impact of co-worker drinking on employee productivity.”
[25] HSE Gov UK. “Managing Drug and Alcohol Misuse at Work: Support Employees with a Drug or Alcohol Problem - HSE.” HSE GOV UK, 2019. “You could also brief managers and supervisors so they are clear about: how to recognise the signs of drug or alcohol misuse; the organisation’s rules on drug and alcohol misuse what to do if they suspect an employee is misusing drugs or alcohol; what to do when an employee tells them about a drug or alcohol problem.”

About the author

Harriet Garfoot

Harriet Garfoot BA, MA has an Undergraduate degree in Education Studies and English, and a Master's degree in English Literature, from Bishop Grosseteste University. Harriet writes on stress & mental health, and is a member of the Burney Society. Content reviewed by Laura Morris (Clinical Lead).

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Last Updated: May 22, 2025