One of the best factors about alcohol and the reason why most people begin to consume it in the first place is that it is a social lubricant and a relaxant. Not only is this beneficial when we are trying to unwind and socialise with our friends, but new research shows it may also have its benefits in the workplace.

Although people often like to punt the negative effects of alcohol, new research has proven another positive benefit for drinking especially for young employees.

According to the study, alcohol can be used for a social advantage in the workplace by young employees and their organisations.

The study was conducted at the Victoria University of Wellington by Masters graduate Benjamin Walker and Dr Todd Bridgman.

The researchers examined the influences on young people’s drinking behaviour and habits in a white collar environment by conducting involved in-depth interviews with these people.

This excerpt from a post on www.Qt.com.au explains:

Mr Walker said he was surprised to discover the extent to which alcohol featured in the workplace.

“Alcohol is commonly used to facilitate team bonding and for presenting a friendly, informal image when networking with clients.

“It’s the way the organisation celebrates success, as well as the way new employees are inducted into the organisation.

“Laying on free alcohol has advantages for an organisation – by being seen as a ‘good mate’ for buying the drinks, the organisation builds up credit, with workers saying they felt compelled to ‘work harder’ during ordinary work time.”

Source: http://www.qt.com.au/news/alcohol-can-help-workplace-research/2037744/

According to Mr Walker many young employees felt that alcohol actually helped them with their career progression. In their opinion, alcohol is so central in our society that people can fell excluded if they aren’t a part of it, however because excessive drinking is discouraged, employees make sure they consume it in moderation.

The researchers also discovered that while young people were drinking moderately on a regular basis when it came to functions and celebrations they were more likely to consume alcohol excessively.

Dr Bridgman went on to explain the next steps for their research:

While most respondents said they deliberately exerted a degree of self-control over their alcohol intake at Friday night drinks to preserve their reputation, significant celebratory functions, such as mid-year or Christmas functions or team-level celebrations, were more likely to lead to heavy drinking.

Dr Bridgman said the study allowed researchers to gather valuable information about work-alcohol dynamics and start a conversation about the issues in an area that hasn’t received a lot of attention.

“The next step would be to canvass a wider variety of organisations to test whether our findings can be generalised across the professional services sector and to add further information to our picture of how young people are drinking.”

Source: http://www.qt.com.au/news/alcohol-can-help-workplace-research/2037744/