People say drinking too much is harmful - but there's a hidden benefit

As the new year rolls in, after a month of booze-fuelled work parties and endless festive drinks with colleagues, most of us will be making promises to cut down on our drinking.

But while the health benefits of abstinence are proven, and no one wants to be known as the office drunk, what if propping up the bar all year round was the key to professional success, rather than a one-way ticket to HR?

Personally, I’ve always been one to drink strategically, rather than for enjoyment. Because I realised early on in my career that it’s not what you know, it’s who you know or, more specifically, who you get drunk with.

A recent study found that young people who indulge in regular binge drinking had higher levels of income and progressed further in their careers than those who drank little, or not at all.

And I can’t help but wonder if all the stats about ‘jobless Gen Z’ are because so many of them are sober – up to one in four, according to recent studies – or, at least, unwilling to spend any of their social life at work events.

Certainly, I attribute the fact I’ve been able to carve out a successful career in a competitive industry to the many nights I’ve spent boozing with colleagues and bosses.

I quickly made the correlation between drinking and career success in my first magazine job, when I was 22.

Initially I was shocked that ‘brainstorming sessions’ were often held in the pub. That was 20 years ago, and while it would certainly be frowned upon now, I quickly realised that the alcohol broke down barriers and reduced any shyness, leading to brilliant ideas

And forget watercooler moments; if you really wanted a colleague to transition to friend status, it was all about the wine bar. I spent every Friday evening in the musty old bar opposite the office, viewing it as an integral part of the working week.

At first I saw invitations from colleagues as an encroachment on my social life, but I’m certain the connections I made there were the reason I was promoted quickly and doubled my salary in just three years.

Yes, you needed talent and hard graft to make it, but booze seemed to be the secret ingredient to climbing the ladder. The friends I made in that wine bar became the ones who decided whether I got promoted, or interviewed me for jobs years later.

My next job was at a newspaper, where the older hacks would reminisce about the days they could drink whiskey at their desks. While it wasn’t like that by the time I joined, people still drank freely at work functions. Those who didn’t join in were viewed as a bit square. While bosses may not admit it, they want to promote the people they enjoy being around, and nothing bonds you like a shared bottle.

And I don’t think the correlation applies solely to journalism. From business, to law to publishing, there are plenty of careers which offer opportunities for work drinking sessions.

I don’t endorse drinking to excess, and no one should feel pressured to partake. But having had stints as both a big drinker and a teetotaller, I’ve noticed that, regrettably, people don’t warm to those who shun the sauce. I’m not sure if it’s because those who are drinking feel judged by those who abstain, or you’re just on a different wavelength, but sadly it’s very easy to be left out of the group when you’re the Sober Sally.

And if you want to know what’s really going on in your office you need to be in the bar, not the boardroom. After a few glasses, even the most discreet colleagues would blab about who was getting hired, fired and paid what.

There were of course moments when the drunken fun crossed a line. There was a male colleague who thought he was in with a chance – despite the fact we both had partners. There was the time my boss thought it was funny to steal cushions from a posh hotel bar.

And regularly being hungover wasn’t great for my productivity, though there’s no team building exercise to compete with colleagues who endure a hangover in the office together. You’re like soldiers in the trenches, armed only with Berocca and bacon sandwiches.

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When I decided to go freelance aged 31 it didn’t mean the end of my strategic work boozing. If anything, I now had to hustle harder for opportunities and so I’d regularly go for drinks with former colleagues and made it a rule to say yes to every invitation. Whatever it cost me buying round after round more than paid off in earnings.

A night on the tiles would often directly translate to a commission the next day, because I’d be fresh in an editor’s mind.

But the drinking culture of my twenties is no longer around today, and I fear that today’s young people, who have unemployment levels of 16 per cent, and rising, are paying the price.

The pandemic, going through IVF and pregnancies all curtailed my ability to booze my way to the top. I also never had the constitution to be the last woman standing. My liver’s gain has probably been my career’s loss.

So if you’re considering Dry January, take a moment to consider your career. That glass of wine may be your secret weapon.