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Employers ‘forced to rethink’ role of alcohol in the workplace

A new report commissioned by the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD) and backed by the likes of Diageo, Pernod Ricard and Bacardi has highlighted the extent to which workplace dynamics are changing.

One in three (34%) of employers say staff socialising in person is important given the increase in hybrid working, while three in four (73%) companies have more generations in their workforce than ever before as populations age and working lives are extended.

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However, four in five (79%) employers do not have policies on responsible alcohol consumption in place and eight out of ten (81%) do not have guidance on inclusive social events.

Julian Braithwaite, CEO and president of IARD, said: “The workplace has never been more diverse, multigenerational, or flexible. Post-pandemic, employers have been looking to find new ways to promote in-person collaboration and teambuilding including through social events. Today we’re releasing materials that build on best practice from our own member companies to support managers to develop modern alcohol in the workplace policies, including guidance for those who choose to drink at work events and supporting choice for those who do not”.

Post-pandemic, it seems that employers are actively trying to encourage more in-person engagement and socialising. But attitudes towards alcohol have changed and many companies are under-prepared to meet new expectations regarding employee health and wellbeing.

Among the recommendations made by the report are changes to event labelling. The word ‘drinks’ itself comes under fire, with employers urged to use non-drinks-specific ‘socialising’ instead.

Alternative events and event timings such as host mornings or afternoons intended to include those with caring responsibilities are also recommended, further sounding the death knell for boozy lunches.

Ben Harrison, the director of the Work Foundation think tank at Lancaster University, which carried out the research said: “For the first time in history there are now four generations in the workplace together – with those born in the 1960s and 1970s working alongside those born in the 2000s.

“Our study shows that employers recognise the benefits of this increasingly multigenerational workforce, but many are not putting in place age-friendly policies and support mechanisms to support an inclusive and productive workplace culture. In particular, relatively few have put policies in place on issues like menopause support or guidance on alcohol and socialising. Employers need to respond to new expectations that prioritise health and wellbeing by introducing longer term workforce planning and implementing age inclusive policies within their organisation.”

The Work Foundation report was informed by a Survation survey of 1,167 senior business leaders across GB in May 2024. It also incorporated the outcomes from a global roundtable co-hosted by IARD, which included contributions from the International Labour Organisation at the UN, the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, the conciliation service ACAS and experts from the US, Africa and Latin America.

Its resources include tools to develop alcohol workplace policies and support inclusive work cultures that take account of the diverse needs and preferences of employees across multiple generations.

IARD’s members are AB InBev, Asahi, Bacardi, Brown-Forman, Carlsberg, Diageo, Heineken, Kirin, Moët Hennessy, Molson Coors Beverage Company, Pernod Ricard, Suntory Global Spirits, and William Grant & Sons. Associate members: The Coca-Cola Company and LOTTE Chilsung Beverage.

• Diageo
• Pernod Ricard
• alcohol
• drinking
• socialising
• workplace culture
• employers
• generations