People who work 49 hours or more per week drink more alcohol than nine to five, research shows
- Employees who work 49 hours or more per week consume an extra glass of wine or pint
- Experts claim workaholics use alcohol to ‘reward’ themselves and relax
- Also warn that the cost of living could force more families to work overtime
People who work more tend to drink more alcohol, a study suggests.
Employees who work 49 hours or more per week, on average, consume an extra glass of wine or pint of beer compared to those who work a standard nine-to-five.
Experts say that workaholics use alcohol to “reward” themselves and relax after a long, stressful week.
They also warn that the cost of living could force more families to work overtime or take on second jobs, which could lead to more people getting the bottle.
The World Health Organization (WHO) study is the latest to link working hours to drink consumption.
Previous research has also linked working more than 48 hours a week with heavy and binge drinking.
People who work 49 hours or more per week consume an extra glass of wine or pint of beer on average compared to people who work standard nine to five (file image)
In the latest study, published in the journal Safety and Health at Work, experts reviewed data from 14 studies involving about 105,000 people.
Those who worked 41 to 48 hours per week consumed an average of 10.4 g more pure alcohol per week than those who worked 35 to 40 hours.
That is equivalent to half a pint of beer or a small glass of wine.
But those who do 49 to 54 hours a week consume an extra 17.7 g of pure alcohol each week, the same as a pint of weak beer or a larger glass of wine.
The WHO study found no evidence that long work hours were linked to binge drinking, despite previous papers warning of a link.
The NHS advises men and women not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week – about 112 g of pure alcohol.
Study author Professor Lode Godderis, from KU Leuven in Belgium, told The Sun: ‘We know that long working days are stressful and that alcohol reduces stress.
“A drink can make you feel more relaxed and, after a week or so of hard work, you feel like you deserve a treat, so we’re giving ourselves a present.”
He said working from home during the pandemic and the cost of living crisis could lead to longer work weeks and thus more alcohol consumption.
It comes after a study found that spreading alcohol consumption over the week is safer than drinking it all in one night.
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin found that drinking one glass a night, rather than seven at once, makes people much less likely to become alcoholics.
The study followed 1,000 Americans ages 30 and older for nine years.
dr. Charles Holahan, study leader and professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, said not all units of alcohol consumed are equal.