Member Article

Party hangovers cost firms 'millions'

It’s that time of year again, when people stress about presents, preparations, puddings, and parties. Many workplace Christmas ‘dos’ will no doubt be taking place in the next few weeks.

A new survey from Travelodge has found that Christmas parties are not just a headache for managers to organise - they are proving a bit of a pain for workers too. Apparently workers spend an average of two-and-a-half hours “staring into space” with a raging hangover the morning after the festive bash. The report claims that firms may lose millions of pounds in productivity due to these ‘morning after’ side effects.

Almost one in three workers admitted they called in sick after drinking too much the night before. That was even though many suspected their boss knew they were “pulling a fast one”. Despite admitting to suffering from a hangover themselves, two out of three of those questioned said they got annoyed when a colleague was off after a night out.

Around one in seven workers said they tried to have a nap in the office to sleep off a hangover, either at their desk, in the loo or even during a meeting.

Travelodge’s Leigh McCarron said: “It’s not just sleep that can cure the effects of a big night out, it’s also what you do before and after. Always drink plenty of water before going to bed and first thing in the morning, eat a healthy breakfast.”

So, in short: hangovers have a negative effect on the workplace. Good work, Travelodge. The advice is useful, but for many businesses the best bet might be to have the night out/party/‘do’ on a non-school night, removing the potential for alcohol-related absences.Â

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .