The hangover: an ambiguous concept in workplace alcohol policy

Abstract

Because hangovers have been shown to affect cognitive functions and physical performance such as pilot maneuvers, they represent a threat to productivity and safety in the workplace. This article discusses why hangovers are rarely addressed by policies concerning alcohol and intoxication in the workplace. Following a review of relevant research on hangovers with implications for work impairment, the article considers ways in which otherwise well-defined alcohol policies may fail to guide supervisors’ responses to employee hangovers. Measurement problems and biological, psychological, and culturally shaped differences in the experience of hangovers thwart the formulation of simple worktime-hangover policies. The article concludes that further research on the nature and effects of hangovers would strengthen the formulation of policy and educational efforts to prevent them from causing injuries, productivity loss, or conflicts in the workplace.