How a lifestyle of excess can affect your career

Most Brits enjoy a drink from time to time, and it’s believed that just over 62% of British women have had alcoholic drink over the course of the last twelve months or so. However, it’s also definitely the case that some people can find themselves drinking to excess – or even taking illegal drugs. That sort of behaviour can have both short and long-term consequences on your working life. A hangover from a late night, for example, can earn you a telling-off from your boss, while repeated drinking or drug-taking over a long period can cause health issues. This article, then, will look at some of the main reasons why a lifestyle of excess can put your career at risk.

Less productive

Most people have been there at least once before: turning up at work following a night on the town, feeling a little worse for wear. It’s not easy to get motivated on those mornings, and your productivity can certainly suffer. But for those with a long-term lifestyle of excess, it can quickly become a regular occurrence – and an employer will start to notice. And for those who are employed in jobs where hiding behind a screen is impossible, such as teaching or driving, managers may notice lower productivity right away – or even be concerned about safety issues.

Health issues

Excessive consumption of alcohol and certain drugs has been linked quite strongly to the likelihood that someone will develop physical or mental health conditions, like liver disease or depression, over their lifetime. For those who experience such conditions, one of the areas of life which can in some cases suffer is work. Whether you need to get signed off sick for a while or just regularly feel down or sluggish when in the office, the impact can be strong. Of course, it’s not inevitable – and plenty of people who manage health conditions are successful in their careers. But the chances of having a tough time can be higher, and that’s a worry for most workers.

Rules and laws

The use of alcohol and drugs is, of course, regulated – to different degrees – here in Britain. In the case of drugs, any classified substances are against the law – and if you’re caught with them you may face the sort of criminal charges that spell an end to your desired career. No employer, after all, wants to hire someone who has a drug conviction turn up when clients Google their name.

But your employer may also have rules about alcohol and drug use in place in order to protect their reputation and the investments in their staff. With testing firms now able to produce 24 hour drug test results and send them to your bosses, it’s not out of the question that you’ll get called for a test at work. If the result is positive the consequences could be severe.

For many women, a glass of wine or a G&T at the end of a long week is a great way to unwind and have a bit of fun. But for those who find that their alcohol use has spiralled or that illegal drugs are now involved, there’s a serious career risk in the equation. From impeded concentration levels to the risk of legal action, an excessive lifestyle can end up being a big problem.