Happy Thursday, everyone.
I'm Frank Richardson, an organisational psychologist observing the workplace with curiosity and care. Each week, I share insights to help HR leaders better understand the people behind the processes and build cultures where both individuals and organisations can thrive.
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This week in workplace whiplash 🌀
From layoffs dressed as AI to HR roles getting hollowed out, the work world is nudging toward chaos again.
🌐 Sony launches new “career hub” to better tap global talent
Sony’s HR chief says the revamped careers portal gives applicants clearer visibility into culture, expectations, and process. It’s part of a bold push to improve talent access worldwide.
👉 HR Grapevine🧠 Companies Are Blaming AI for Layoffs, but It’s Often Fear, Not Logic
Many firms are citing generative AI as the cause of firing rounds. But University of Cambridge’s Thomas Roulet argues the real driver is executives avoiding bad decisions in uncertain times.
👉 Business Insider📉 Entry-Level Workers Face AI “Job-Pocalypse”
As automation accelerates, businesses are favouring tech over junior roles. A Guardian live report notes 41% of firms have cut entry-level positions citing automation threats, deepening generational inequality.
👉 The Guardian🏢 Lidl to Ax 130 HR & Recruitment Roles Pre-Christmas
The supermarket giant is centralising HR functions, putting 130 HR and recruitment positions at risk before the holiday season. Staff were blindsided; the move reflects deeper shifts in back-office strategy.
👉 The Sun
After a week of layoffs, algorithms, and HR chaos, it feels fitting to look at another corporate ritual that’s starting to leave a headache… literally.
It was meant to be a “quick drink with the team.” You know the one. Someone orders a round, someone else suggests shots, and suddenly the intern is giving a TED Talk about their ex. By morning, Slack is quiet and everyone’s pretending it’s allergies, not regret.
According to research from the Institute for Public Policy Research, nearly one in three workers admitted calling in sick after drinking at work events, with pressure to “join in” especially high among younger staff. The report argues that office drinking culture (often framed as “team bonding”) is quietly tanking productivity.
And while the British pub might take the blame, American offices aren’t far behind. From New York happy hours to startup “Thirsty Thursdays,” alcohol is still the default shortcut to connection… often leaving a mess for HR to clean up the next morning.
🤝 Supported by Leapsome
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🧠The Behavioural Science Lens
The psychology behind workplace drinking isn’t about alcohol at all. It’s about belonging, pressure, and how easily norms take over.
Social proof and belonging: People don’t just drink; they copy. Behavioural science calls this social proof: the urge to mirror what everyone else is doing to signal belonging. The IPPR survey found that a quarter of employees felt pressured to drink to fit in, a classic case of group norms overruling individual preference.
The productivity illusion: Leaders often mistake short-term camaraderie for long-term engagement. A University of Bath study found that hangovers measurably impair attention, memory and reaction time the next day, while a BMJ Open review links alcohol use directly to absenteeism and presenteeism. It’s clear that hangovers don’t just hit morale, they affect performance too.
Exclusion disguised as inclusion: What’s billed as “team bonding” can quietly alienate those who don’t drink. The IPPR found that 28 percent of employees feel excluded by alcohol-centred events. And a qualitative study led by researchers at the University of Sussex found that non-drinkers often report social exclusion, stereotyping, and pressure to justify their choice (even in supposedly inclusive environments). It’s inclusion on paper but exclusion in practice.
The autonomy effect: Psychologists know that autonomy is a core driver of motivation and well-being. When participation in “fun” becomes expected, employees experience reactance: subtle resistance that lowers engagement. Voluntary fun builds culture, but forced fun will corrode it.
🚀What This Means for Leaders
Swap alcohol for autonomy. Let teams design their own socials instead of defaulting to drinks. When people have genuine choice, they’re more likely to engage for the right reasons, not just to prove they “fit in.”
Redefine “letting off steam.” Harvard Business Review notes that forced fun rarely achieves its goal. True recovery happens when people can rest or connect on their own terms. That means offering flexible, low-pressure ways to unwind. Not scheduling “mandatory joy.”
Track the hangover economy. If sick days or missed deadlines spike after social events, that’s a signal worth noticing. You can’t manage what you don’t measure, and culture costs are just as real as budget ones.
Make inclusion visible. It’s not about banning booze, it’s about choice architecture. Ensure alcohol-free options look as appealing as the bar menu. Normalise skipping drinks without commentary. The quiet permission you create will speak volumes.
Challenge the “pub test.” The “would I grab a drink with them?” question sounds harmless but it’s a textbook example of affinity bias: the unconscious tendency to favour people who feel familiar or similar to us. When that becomes the metric for hiring or promotion, you’re rewarding comfort, not competence.
💬 Final Thoughts
Workplace drinking has long been romanticised as a sign of a strong team, a reward after hard work, a way to let off steam. But when it becomes expected, it shifts from celebration to obligation. And that’s where culture starts to fray.
Team socials can still matter. Shared rituals build connection, but they don’t need to revolve around alcohol to do it. The goal is not to make work less fun, but to make it fairer, healthier, and a little more self-aware.
If the morning after a team night out feels more like damage control than team bonding, the problem probably isn’t just the booze. It’s how we’re defining belonging in the first place.
How's the depth of today's edition?
If something here speaks to you, I’d love to hear it.
Until next week,
Frank
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