London workers in festive hangover shocker

Here at MT, we know it’s coming up to Christmas when press releases warning of the dangers to business of party season begin to trickle into our inbox. This year’s hands-down winner is LondonlovesBusiness.com, which didn’t even wait until December to let us know that two-thirds of London-based workers are anticipating coming into the office with a hangover over the next month or so. Which means the rest are either very optimistic – or being a little economical with the truth…

The business website’s survey of 500 middle managers found that almost 40% expect the amount they drink to affect their work, while another 17% reckon they’ll be nursing hangovers on ‘at least three days’ a week. Admittedly, that sounds like some pretty heavy-duty partying is expected to take place – but at least they’re planning ahead. Berocca, anyone?  

Rather sweetly, more than 80% of those questioned said that their company drinks socially, while 35% of respondents said that their company has a ‘strong drinking culture’ (not clear whether that means a strong culture of drinking together or a culture of taking strong drinks) or that they ‘often’ drink together. Although to be fair, another 30% pointed said that they only over-indulge at ‘special’ occasions such as Christmas parties.

While of course we wouldn't want to encourage anyone to overdo the booze, it is Christmas, the season to be jolly. No doubt we'll shortly see a slew of festive press releases, putting a further downer on our Christmas drinking ambitions by warning that too enthusiastic a drinking culture can ostracise the non-drinkers among us. To which MT would add that while it may, by now, seem traditional, there are in fact more effective ways of bestowing season’s greetings upon one’s colleagues than by depositing the contents of one’s stomach on their party shoes. Just a thought. Company-wide festive Scrabble tournament, anyone?