Supporting your sober curious staff

27 Sept

You’ve no doubt heard of Sober October and Dry January, which have become increasingly popular over the last decade. More recently, the ‘sober curious’ trend has begun to challenge our drinking habits in a more thoughtful and health-focussed way.

In the workplace, employers are placing an increased emphasis on behavioural health, including alcohol and drug use. Even in industries where alcohol screening and testing is not commonplace, employers can play a role in supporting those who are purposefully drinking less. With record numbers taking part in Sober October or Dry January, there is a recognised trend towards reduced and more carefully-considered consumption of alcohol.

Since 2009, there has been a gradual decrease in alcohol consumption. The downwards trend is apparent in all age groups, dramatically so for young people. Changing practices of socialisation, different attitudes towards health risks and decreased alcohol affordability are some of the reasons cited. It’s also likely that society’s greater emphasis on good mental health and an increasing focus on self-care has played a part.

What does it really mean to be sober curious though, and how might this trend benefit your workforce? In this blog post, we take a look at the sober curious concept and consider the ways you can support your staff to be more mindful in their consumption of alcohol.

What does ‘sober curious’ mean?

The phrase was coined by British writer Ruby Warrington in her 2019 book, but the trend had been growing throughout that decade.

Being sober curious means to question your relationship with alcohol and consider whether sobriety might benefit you. This can be for any reason and sobriety need not necessarily be permanent or complete. For example, one person might decide that, for the benefit of their mental health, it’s best for them to stop drinking all together, whereas another person may be worried about money and decide that cutting down to weekend-only drinking may help them.

In her book, Warrington suggests that reduced alcohol intake “is the next logical step in the wellness revolution.” She wonders whether it’s time to bring a “questioning mindset to every drinking situation, rather than go along with the dominant drinking culture.”

In the UK, having a drink is seen as a fun, socialable activity, whilst abstaining indicates either alcoholism or virtue-signalling. The trend towards sober curiosity means a shift in both behaviour and perception. Whereas harsh abstention programmes can create feelings of shame and guilt, being sober curious is about gently looking at your relationship with alcohol and its role in your life.

Warrington continues: “There’s this idea that you’re either a problem drinker or an alcoholic, or a normal drinker who has no issues with alcohol. More and more we’re seeing there are shades of grey when it comes to dependence on alcohol.”

How does alcohol consumption affect your workforce?

It is now widely known that drinking alcohol too often or too heavily has a negative impact on health. Risks include heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, liver disease, sexual dysfunction and gut problems. Alcohol is linked to seven different types of cancer, including bowel cancer, breast cancer, liver cancer and mouth cancer.

What is perhaps less well known is the impact that drinking has on our all-round well-being. Regular, heavy drinking interferes with chemicals in the brain that are vital for good mental health. While the first drink or two may being comfort and relaxation, alcohol contributes to feelings of depression, anxiety and stress.

Moderating or ceasing drinking alcohol generally results in better sleep and improved energy levels. Alcohol is a sedative, so sleep onset is usually shorter for drinkers and some fall into deep sleep quickly. However, alcohol disrupts our sleep cycles, so alcohol consumption can affect the quality of our sleep. Long-term alcohol use can result in insomnia and other chronic sleep problems. Research also suggests that alcohol exacerbates sleep apnoea by causing the throat muscles to relax and airways to narrow.

And we haven’t even mentioned hangovers. Research from the Institute of Alcohol Studies found that 42% of British workers had been to work hungover or intoxicated at least once. Working hungover was most common in the hospitality and leisure sector, where 52% of people had done so. Rates were also high in retail and construction. Respondents said they’d also been affected by the hangovers of other team members, reporting reduced productivity and a negative effect on team morale. On average, respondents believed themselves to be 39% less effective when they were drunk or hungover. Based on average labour costs, and how frequently people are impaired at work, this implies a cost to the UK economy of between £1.2 billion and £1.4 billion a year.

Whether your industry is retail, transport, construction or manufacturing, it’s clear that employee alcohol consumption negatively affects workplace performance.

Even a low-level hangover can mean decreased attention levels and increased chance of accident. Sleepiness and impaired concentration is a driver of accidents in the workplace. Hangovers lead to reduced productivity and lower attendance, whereas improved health and general well-being is associated with higher workplace satisfaction and productivity.

How can you support your staff in the sober curious trend?

1. Think about the triggers that lead to unhealthy drinking

People often turn to alcohol at times of stress and burnout, in the hope of reducing anxiety or to help them relax at the end of a difficult day. Companies should actively support employees in avoiding stress and burn-out. Being proactive may prevent unhealthy habits from forming and help staff to exercise moderation in their drinking (or abstain if that is their preference).

2. Provide drug and alcohol training

Understanding how to approach discussions around alcohol and knowing how to spot signs that there could be an issue are not skills you can expect managers to have without specific training. Choosing to stop drinking alcohol can lead to stigma in some social environments, and this can be difficult to navigate. Providing dedicated and expert-led training in corporate drug & alcohol training is a sound investment in your business and your staff, and will equip managers with the skills they need to help them provide support to their teams. 

3. Offer support

Talking with other people who are sober curious can help explore the concept and offer the chance to share tips, for example when navigating social occasions where there is alcohol on offer. Setting up a workplace support group will give your staff a set of like-minded people to discuss their progress and struggles.  

4. Create a sober curious safe space

Providing a quiet place for people to work, meet and talk, or just sit and recharge, is a great way to nurture a welcoming workspace and avoid burnout. You could also consider creating a sober curious toolkit in this area, with healthy treats such as herbal tea and fresh fruit, to help those focussing on their health remain tuned into this throughout their workday.

5. Change up workplace socials and corporate events

If you regularly arrange after-work drinks for staff, networking, team building, conferences, client entertaining, seasonal parties and other events, consider the place of alcohol in these. Perhaps an evening cocktail party could be swapped for a mid-morning brunch, or a night in the pub could be exchanged for a nature hike and picnic?

6. Offer a range of alcohol free drinks

When there is a party or event held by your company, ensure there are a wide range of alcohol-free drinks on offer. There has been a huge increase in the number of 0% and 0.5% abv beers on the market, as well as alcohol-free gin, ‘Nozecco’, and ready-made mocktails. Offering these in the same glass and with the same garnish as their alcoholic counterparts will help to make everyone feel included and avoid stigma too.  

7. Create a company alcohol policy

Providing all your staff - whether sober curious or not - with a clear outline of your expectations can help them to consider the place alcohol has in their life; not least their work-life balance and how their drinking may impact on their career.

Conclusion

Encouraging your employees to take care of their health and well-being is always a positive step. Even in sectors where drug and alcohol testing is not mandatory, employers can play a role in supporting those who want to drink less alcohol.

Support for the sober curious trend feeds naturally into existing policies on alcohol use and mental health. Should your staff want to reduce their drinking or stop all together, supporting them will result in clear benefits to your business, including reduced absenteeism, better mental health, improved morale, increased productivity and a lower rate of accidents.

Whether you’re in the process of creating your drug and alcohol policy, or if you’re looking for specialist workplace drug and alcohol training, Express Medicals’ team of dedicated experts will ensure it is in line with current legislation and best practice. Get in touch for a free quote and more information here.