Make mine a double standard

By Nishwa Ashraf, Editorial Assistant, Melcrum

It’s 6.45am. The alarm is beeping, and your head is pounding. As you steady yourself to your feet, the symptoms bombard you. Nausea. Fatigue. Body ache. And if you’ve had a particularly eventful night, a host of cringe-inducing memories.

But despite that one drink too many, it’s a Friday, and you have a whole working day ahead of you. Calling in sick? It’s not even an option. But since your drinking companions happened to be your colleagues, at least you won’t be suffering alone.

Excessive drinking on a school night by employees has become all too de rigueur, costing businesses and industries worldwide billions of dollars each year in absenteeism and lost productivity. But how many of these hangovers are induced by team “bonding” sessions, organized by employers themselves?

According to Aviva’s fourth annual, Health of the Workplace report, the answer is 51 percent. That’s right. Over half of employee social events involve trips to the pub.

And while 45 percent of business leaders say there’s no obligation to drink at their social events, just seven percent would actively discourage their employees from doing so.

The research also reveals that, out of the companies surveyed, only 23 percent of business leaders run team-building days and just one in ten (13%) participate in sporting pursuits.

It’s baffling then, that despite more than half leading their workforce into the pub, 26 percent are more concerned about the impact of alcohol on their business than their employees’ health. And over a quarter (27%) have no sympathy for those trying to pull “sickies” the next day.

That’s not to say employers should double up as parents, but perhaps there should be some ownership and responsibility in choosing the right setting for team bonding? Especially when considering that no one seems to want to be there in the first place!

A third of employers admitted that attending socials can be “a bit of a drag”, with one in 10 feeling obliged to attend socials to keep staff happy. In the same vein, 52 percent of employees aren’t particularly enthusiastic about going out with their wider team either, and one in five (21 percent) openly admitted that they don’t like socializing with work colleagues.

I can see that employers are trying to make the lives of their employees more “fun”, but perhaps their over reliance on alcohol is a little misguided. In the short term, this strategy can be a great way to relax and help colleagues let off steam. However, in the longer term, employers need to look for other ways to build team spirit to ensure everyone is involved and that unhealthy habits are not sanctioned in the workplace.

How does your organization build team morale? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Comments

[Michelle C.]

Great article, and so true! I've been to many "team offsite" meetings that have turned into boondoggles, and resulted in considerable loss of company funds and employee brain cells!

One of the trends I'm seeing these days as a consultant are community team-buidling activities. Not only do employees feel good the next day, they also feel good about doing something to help their community.

So is it a coincidence that there are photos of the Melcrum Christmas party at the pub right next to this post? :-)

[Nishwa Ashraf]

Thanks for your feedback Michelle. It's good to know there's a growing trend for team-building activities that actually involve something more physical then lifting a drink to your lips.

Not that I'm saying a trip down the pub isn't fun every now and again, but employers shouldn't rely upon them as the only means of team bonding every time. Plus, I believe it's the easy, or rather lazy, option.

As for the Melcrum pub pictures - all in aid of research, of course ;)

[Ambuj Dixit]

Hi

My response could be out of context of the article that you have published. But I would like to state something especially after reading some points like 'social events can be a bit of a drag', etc...

I don't see pub sessions going out fashion. I think they are needed once in a while. Sports and Community initiatives have also started figuring prominently.

However what can add a lot of value are not these once in a while big events but small initiatives taken in a team like taking lunch together, working towards a common goal in a team fashion, making people realise that their opinion matters in team discussions and having continuous and open communication within team members.

I believe a lot depends on how colleagues feel working with each other at the work place. If this aspect is not set right or it is not pleasant then whatever you do to build morale will not help.

Ultimately, achieving goals and targets is also a matter of team work and the most important reason as to why people have come together and people should have fun while achieving that together. :)

your views...