Glorification of alcohol in the workplace

lufties

Being someone with a rebellious nature of sorts, I usually try not to follow the herd. Anyhow, here I am in work listening to my colleagues talk about how hungover they are. It sort of makes me cringe I must say. Anyone else experience this?

Sigma Force

lufties wrote: »

Being someone with a rebellious nature of sorts, I usually try not to follow the herd. Anyhow, here I am in work listening to my colleagues talk about how hungover they are. It sort of makes me cringe I must say. Anyone else experience this?

When your hung its all about who was more wasted then the other person etc. But I think in adults it does get a bit silly, I'm not an alcoholic (my partner is one year sober tomorrow) but I still can't stand listening to people bang on about how hungover they are not to mention how lazy other work mates get if they're hungover then you end up picking up the slack, that's if they turn up. I'm not sure how my OH feels about it, when the lads talk about it i think he's still at that stage that he misses the craic but then reigns himself in and thinks well what if I did have a drink it would ruin all he's worked for. It's a learning process though. I think I cringe more than he does but I guess it's part of Irish culture so it's something that's in your face all the time which is why I admire people like you and my OH because you're choosing your own way to live the alcohol isn't doing that to you anymore.

BarryD2

Cringe and ignore it, if that's your wont. They like a few beers, you don't. There's room for everyone

lufties

Sigma Force wrote: »

When your hung its all about who was more wasted then the other person etc. But I think in adults it does get a bit silly, I'm not an alcoholic (my partner is one year sober tomorrow) but I still can't stand listening to people bang on about how hungover they are not to mention how lazy other work mates get if they're hungover then you end up picking up the slack, that's if they turn up. I'm not sure how my OH feels about it, when the lads talk about it i think he's still at that stage that he misses the craic but then reigns himself in and thinks well what if I did have a drink it would ruin all he's worked for. It's a learning process though. I think I cringe more than he does but I guess it's part of Irish culture so it's something that's in your face all the time which is why I admire people like you and my OH because you're choosing your own way to live the alcohol isn't doing that to you anymore.

Thanks, humans can be like sheep IMO. A girl at work the other day telling me that the odd big night out is needed. I just nodded and smiled. Being sober a year, I can't think of anything more pathetic than bragging about a hangover. However, I rein it in and pass no remarks.
It can feel a bit lonely an my AF island sometimes, but the chaos drinking creates just ain't worth it.

Sigma Force

lufties wrote: »

Thanks, humans can be like sheep IMO. A girl at work the other day telling me that the odd big night out is needed. I just nodded and smiled. Being sober a year, I can't think of anything more pathetic than bragging about a hangover. However, I rein it in and pass no remarks.
It can feel a bit lonely an my AF island sometimes, but the chaos drinking creates just ain't worth it.

I agree, people are even worse these days always wanting to git in and be popular instead of doing what's best for them and what they enjoy. Was never one to follow the crowd and I'm lucky my OH wentvto the pub really just to drink ok he misses the company but he wentbthere mainly to drink not do what everyone else was doing. But then again they were all drinking etc. So I guess he became a bit of a sheep when in reality when sober he's very independent and likes to do things his way.

JupiterKid

I actually believe that there's been a big change in workplace attitudes to alcohol misuse in this country in the past 20 years. Most employers will not tolerate regular Monday hangover "sickies", boozy lunches and drinking on the job any longer. Yes, quite a few workplaces still have Friday evening drinks after work but according to friends less do it now and people leave the pub for home earlier.

30 or 40 years ago the situation might have been very different, but it has definitely changed hugely now. And rightly so IMO.

gctest50

lufties wrote: »

Thanks, humans can be like sheep IMO. A girl at work the other day telling me that the odd big night out is needed. I just nodded and smiled. Being sober a year, I can't think of anything more pathetic than bragging about a hangover. However, I rein it in and pass no remarks.
It can feel a bit lonely an my AF island sometimes, but the chaos drinking creates just ain't worth it.

Moderate ones are best employee :


https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/add.14249


Women and men who reported no alcohol use in either survey had a higher risk of sickness absence due to

mental disorders [rate ratio = 1.51, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.22–1.88],

musculoskeletal disorders (1.22, 95% CI = 1.06–1.41),

diseases of the digestive system (1.35, 95% CI = 1.02–1.77) and

diseases of the respiratory system (1.49, 95% CI = 1.29–1.72).

Sigma Force

True, there are many reasons why people go sick. Many of the people I know with alcohol addiction don't see it but they tend to go from job to job, nothing's consistent and some will only work and half get their act together when they've run out of drink money. There are still a lot of people going sick especially
on a Monday morning due to hangovers though but again they don't always last in the job because bosses get fed up. Competition is tight they can't afford any messing around these days. But then again some bosses have drink or drug issues themselves so are quite forgiving.
My OH was the same, now he was and is a good worker but in his drinking days he had so many different jobs and drink directly affected his work and the more common thing when he got really bad was to habe to go home sick (due to withdrawal) he would also drink at work as would a lot of the workmates. You just can't do a job properly like that. It was heartbreaking to see. But the good side about being sober is you do feel good when you're able to get up and head out to work, give other people a dig out and are free of that hold over you. My OH definitely feels better in himself and proud that (even though he's knackered in the evening ..proper tiredness) he can head off to work and his bosses are so delighted to have someone reliable and for him to be told by them that he's a great worker, to be appreciated and recommended to other firms is a real confidence booster for him. He comes home shattered but happy in himself and sees how other lads are going sick and loosing out in wages. He'd never judge them but he can see the benefits of a sober life. Sorry for long post.