Landmark report finds workplaces drinking cultures remain – and Gen Z are struggling to keep up
Workplace drinking cultures are driving absences and Gen Z workers are struggling to keep up, a report shows.
The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) found 31% of workers called in sick during the last year after work-related drinking. Its nationally representative survey of 2,000 working-age adults found 24% said they sometimes felt pressured to drink when they didn’t want to – rising to 38% among employees aged 18 to 24.
Heavy drinkers were three times more likely to exhibit presenteeism – defined as being at the workplace more hours than is required – than moderate drinkers.
Dr Jamie O’Halloran, senior research fellow at the IPPR, said: “We often think of alcohol harm as a public health issue, but this research shows it’s a national economic problem.
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“When nearly half of young professionals are calling in sick after workplace drinking, it’s not just a hangover – it’s a productivity crisis. If the government is serious about growth, it needs to take alcohol harm seriously too.”
The IPPR paper, ‘Taking stock: counting the economic costs of alcohol harm’, found 22% of Brits reported working while hungover and 29% observed colleagues being tired or sluggish after drinking. Young workers and senior executives are among the most affected groups.
Generation Z refers to people born between the late 1990s and the early 2010s, typically from 1997 to 2012. While Gen Z may be drinking less overall, the report finds they are disproportionately affected by workplace alcohol harm.
Some 43% of 18 to 24-year-olds reported calling in sick after drinking at work-related events. Over a third said they felt pressured to drink to fit in or progress professionally.
Sebastian Rees, head of health at IPPR, said: “Employers have a huge opportunity here. By shifting away from alcohol-centric cultures and offering real support, they can boost wellbeing, improve performance, and build more inclusive workplaces. This isn’t about banning drinks — it’s about giving people the choice to thrive without pressure.”
It comes after experts warned parents who introduce their children to alcohol at home could be doing lasting harm, experts have warned.
A report has found early introduction of alcohol dramatically increases the chances of binge-drinking, alcoholism as well as harming the developing brain of teenagers.
The Community Alcohol Partnerships (CAP) report, led by behavioural psychologist Dr Anna Sallis, was presented before MPs at an event in Parliament.
Kate Winstanley, director of CAP, said: “Too many parents still mistakenly believe that giving alcohol to children at home will teach them to drink responsibly or reduce the risk of them getting alcohol elsewhere.
“Our report shows that every year earlier a child is given alcohol, their risk of binge drinking and alcohol harm including as an adult will increase. They are also more, not less, likely to obtain alcohol elsewhere if their parents allow them to drink.”