Working at home and alcohol use

Nielsen, Morten Birkeland; Christensen, Jan Olav; Knardahl, Stein

Working at home has become a frequent work arrangement following the COVID-19 pandemic. However, little is known about how working at home influence alcohol use among employees. This study examines associations between working at home at least 15 h per week and alcohol consumption using data from a pre-COVID-19 sample. Self-reported questionnaire data on working at home and alcohol use from a large cross-sectional sample of Norwegian employees (N = 14,728). Data were collected between 2004 and 2019 and were analyzed by ordinal logistic regressions. Working at home for >15 h per week was significantly associated with alcohol use (OR 1.67, 95% CI: 1.30 – 2.16). The association remained significant after adjusting for age, gender, leadership position, and educational level. Working at home may facilitate alcohol use that otherwise would not happen. Organizations must ensure that policies and procedures are in place to prevent alcohol use during working hours among employees working at home.