A national campaign that encourages participants to give up alcohol for a month has seen one in four workers report increased productivity levels.
FebFast, a campaign that challenges Australians to give up grog in February to improve their health and raise money for people with drug and alcohol problems, is becoming increasingly popular among employers, CEO Fiona Healy says.
Corporate supporters include Bupa, Middletons, CPM and KPMG.
According to research conducted by FebFast, more than forty per cent of Australia’s young workers feel pressure to drink at work functions, and almost half believe drinking with work colleagues has a positive impact on their relationships.
However, in more than a quarter of cases, drinking with colleagues led to intoxication and actions they regretted.
Drinking alcohol can “loosen people up” and make them feel more relaxed in social situations, but it can also damage workplace relationships and productivity, and compromise safety, Healy says.
“Some people can take it a little bit too far, and certainly some of the surveys we’ve done in the last two years tell us that people have found themselves in a bit of strife when they’ve consumed too much, and [done] things that they later regret, whether it’s at Christmas parties or farewells or get-togethers for certain celebrations.
“People can come to work still intoxicated after a big night out; they can come to work hung over; and certainly if they’re operating machinery or doing things that require specialist attention, that attention can be impacted by the night before.”
As employers become more aware of their occupational health and safety obligations, many are taking responsibility for “setting the tone” for appropriate consumption of alcohol in the workplace, Healy says.
“The other day I was talking to somebody who said that in the past, they would celebrate a big win for their organisation by having a big, big night out with their staff. Whereas these days they recognise that big win by having a big family day [that's] all about [thanking] family for supporting the staff member while they were putting a lot of hours in during that project.”
Getting on board with initiatives such as FebFast provides an opportunity for employers to be even more proactive, she says.
Help workers to start the year well
“FebFast gives [workers] a space in which they can actively take some time out from their alcohol consumption. It is the shortest month of the year and it’s the start of the year so it kind of sets you up for a really positive year ahead, gives you some time out [and] lets your body dry out a little bit from a lot of those summer excesses that many of us go through,” Healy says.
According to a follow-up survey of last year’s participants, FebFast caused one in four to become more productive at work, many reduced their alcohol consumption for the longer term, and 60 per cent lost weight.
“What we find is, [during] that first week on FebFast, [participants] start to generate a better understanding of their own personal consumption behaviours,” she says.
“In that first week they start to become aware of what causes them to have a drink, how many drinks they’ll have in one session [and] how many times a week they’ll have a drink. Those sorts of things become top of mind for them when they haven’t necessarily thought of it before.
“Certainly by the end of the month we get a lot of feedback from people who tell us that a month off the grog has done them an amazing amount of good – people have lost weight, they’ve taken up exercise and in fact they go to work as more productive individuals.
“Rather than sitting down and having a drink to relax and unwind, they might end up doing other things, like going for a walk or going for a run or joining a class.”
Participation can also boost morale in the workplace, Healy says. “When you do it as a team, there’s a support network there for you. If you feel like you’d really like a drink, you might call up one of your co-workers and say, ‘Hey, let’s go and do something else instead’ – it’s great for generating those after-work exercise sessions.
“So many people tell us it actually enables them to think about other areas of their life where they’d like to effect change,” she adds.
“And if you can just tweak a little thing in your life… then you begin to understand where there are other parts of your life where you might be able to make a small change.”
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