Opinion

Boozing at work

Maybe I lead a sheltered working life, here in this corner of a city building, because I am having a great deal of trouble accepting a major study's findings about alcohol use at work. Dr Ken Pidd, the deputy director of Flinders University's National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction, found in a survey of 9800 workers that 9 per cent of them usually, and note the usually, use alcohol at work. Those who tipple at work only occasionally are not counted. So, one in 11 workers drinks alcohol at work as a matter of course!

Well, I don't know a single person who uses alcohol to help him or her through the working day, and, yes, that should be I don't know a single person who appears to use alcohol at work. I know a couple who go to the pub occasionally during a meal break, but, remember, the 9 per cent are those who "usually" consume alcohol at work.

The business lunch was a thinly disguised binge for business mates meeting on the pretext that getting drunk together was necessary for a business relationship. It used to be that alcohol use at work was almost de rigueur for the ambitious, especially those in sales and management. Almost always it was men, and usually the same men on the same day. Many men in sales and management were drunk in the name of business every weekday afternoon. But Paul Keating brought that taxpayer-subsidised swill to an end with the fringe benefits tax in 1985, probably lifting the average life expectancy of Australian men at the same time.

I have known many men, and one or two women, over the years who've kept a bottle in a locker or bag at work, but that seems to have come to an end, too. It may be that as the managers stayed sober of an afternoon, after 1985, they became less tolerant of workers who grew slurry and florid in the second half of their shift. OH&S and more tightly defined liabilities would have helped reduce the acceptability of swigging at work.

Have you noticed a new sobriety in the workplace? Or could it be that one in 11 workers is still on the grog?

Posted By: Jeff Corbett on 23/11/2011 3:00:00 AM | Comments (44)

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There must be a lot of them somewhere - because of all the all the alcohol consumed on a daily basis, from the evergrowing outlets.

Apart from 2 people, several years ago, who used to go to a local club several arvo's a week - I have not seen anyone else I work with have alcohol.

Drugs, on the other hand, seem to be used commonly - not by me tho. I like my health.

With random testing and stricter rules for OH&S, etc, I would be surprised to find that happening. Except of course in the upper levels of management. But most "workers" are watched these days, and tracked. . . . . . . .

Posted by Kurri 'n Rose, 23/11/2011 3:44:26 AM, on The Herald

Cont . . . But what "figures" can we believe on most things in surveys etc - look at the crime figures that are published - they hardly indicate what is really happening!

We are fed just what they want us to believe.

Posted by Kurri 'n Rose, 23/11/2011 3:46:38 AM, on The Herald

I remember working at the Hunter Street branch of the Commonwealth Bank in the 80's actively encouraged to drink at champagne brekkies and leaving does. It was part of the bank culture.I was a teenager and didn't know any better.

Posted by sha, 23/11/2011 4:10:04 AM, on The Herald

The only time I have ever had a beer during working hours was when, in the mid seventies I was a building foreman on a large building project.

The site project manager would take the five foreman to a weekly counter lunch, and generally just the one beer.

I have also seen concreters pour a slab*, and then drink a slab** while waiting for the concrete to go off.

slab*; a concrete floor for a building.

slab**; a carton of beer.

Posted by intouch, 23/11/2011 5:59:45 AM, on The Herald

i'm struggling to believe it, and must live an even more sheltered life than you JC. I have only ever once been aware of a co-worker regularly using alcohol to get through the day. I can't beleive it happens in this day and age.

Posted by mike king, 23/11/2011 6:03:07 AM, on The Herald

I use alcohol on a daily basis in my job as as a homeless wastrel. I find the pity from passerbyes is more empathetic if I'm half cut.

Posted by billybobjohnboy redneck, 23/11/2011 6:16:01 AM, on The Herald

A lot of research is carried out with the desired outcome required known before the research begins. So the researchers target the necessary select groups to validate their desired result. However in answer to your question, I believe there is a new sobriety in the workplace. Now whether this has been brought about by random drug and alcohol testing, that would be a worthwhile research topic.

Posted by Steve, 23/11/2011 6:19:24 AM, on The Herald

I think it depends on the industry you work in.

I worked in the music industry for a major label for a couple of years...... and yes booze played a HUGE part in the working day. And yes drugs. A whole lot of cocaine was openly used by the staff at launches and parties. This was senior management down to the average secretary snorting away. Sexual harrasment went hand in hand with that culture.

I watch the arias, and see some of those music execs getting thanked from the stage and wonder if they still do drugs with such abandon in the work place.

Posted by leahkf, 23/11/2011 7:25:05 AM, on The Herald

I also wonder at your timing of this because of christmas work parties!!

I had a theory that I was at work whether it was at a function serving booze or not. So I never, ever, got tipsy, as I wanted to keep receiving respect at work. I never wanted to be the reason for office gossip.

I've attended some doozy work xmas parties where getting smashed and pashing (or more) was on for quite a few party goers. eeeeeew yuck.

Some office parties have now changed, but some still seem to be getting pissed sessions.

Posted by leahkf, 23/11/2011 7:29:23 AM, on The Herald

@ Rose whilst the number of outlets appear to be growing I understand the amount of alcohol consumed per head of population in Australia is actually falling.

Posted by thinkitthrough, 23/11/2011 7:44:59 AM, on The Herald

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