Alcohol is often woven into workplace culture, from casual drinks after hours to formal events and celebrations. While it can feel like a way to connect or unwind, the reality is that regular drinking has hidden impacts on safety, wellbeing and performance at work. By looking more closely at how alcohol shows up in our workplaces, we can start to create safer, healthier and more supportive environments for everyone.

Welcome to Under the Rug at Work, where we shine light on the things that are normally swept under the rug. I’m your host, Nicole Turnbull and today I’m chatting with Sarah Connelly about alcohol, safety and work.

Sarah Connelly is a grey area drinking and lifestyle coach, speaker and educator. She helps professionals and organisations rethink their relationship with alcohol so they can lift wellbeing, safety and performance in the workplace. Drawing on her own story and client results, Sarah makes a complex topic practical, relatable and stigma-free.

In our conversation, Sarah explains how alcohol undermines impulse control, emotional regulation and clear thinking, and how this filters into safety, productivity and culture. We discuss why many high-performing workers may actually be operating well below their best, and how alcohol can act as an invisible hazard underpinning conflict, absenteeism and poor wellbeing.

We also explore what organisations can do differently. From reducing alcohol-centred functions and offering genuine alcohol-free alternatives, to supporting staff with challenges and educating leaders to model non-drinking as a positive choice, there are practical steps that can create healthier workplaces. Sarah also highlights the strong links between drinking, anxiety and women’s health in perimenopause, and why rethinking alcohol is both a personal and organisational priority.

This episode is a powerful reminder that there is no downside to creating space for workers to thrive without alcohol.

Don’t forget to subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube, and share this episode with someone who’s ready to rethink the role of alcohol in their workplace.

Want to learn more or get in touch with Sarah?

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