According to a recent survey by Peninsula, an employment law firm, 78 percent of British workers admit to calling in sick because of a hangover and 71 percent say they have nodded off at work when they did show up hungover.

Previous studies in the United States have demonstrated that problems on the job due to drinking is caused mainly by light and light-to-moderate drinkers suffering from hangovers, rather that by heavy drinkers or alcoholics. The new British survey found that out of 2,264 workers surveyed, almost 80 have missed work due to a hangover, 24 percent admitted to having called in "several times."

Peter Done of the Penisula firm told reporters that businesses would probably be better off letting hungover workers remain at home. "Hangovers can lead to tiredness when employees come to work which then results in low productivity which costs employers time and money," he said.

In a study published in 2000, Dr. Jeffrey Wiese, medical professor at the University of California, reported, "Although hangover might be considered trivial - just deserts for the overindulgent - it has substantial economic consequences. A recent British study noted that alcohol use accounted for 2 billion pounds ($3.3 billion U.S.) in lost wages each year, most of which resulted from work missed because of hangover."

The HR Gateway web site reports that the hangover problem in England is particularly noticeable now as the Euro 2004 football tournament is underway. "This problem always exists around big sporting tournaments, but employers seem to ignore it and hope it goes away," it reported.

"Our advice is to get the systems in place that recognise the issue and offer staff greater flexibility in working patterns, so that staff are appreciative and productivity levels are not undermined," said Investors in People (IiP) chief executive Ruth Spellman.