Workplace Fun, Afterwork Socializing Can Lead to Employee Substance Use

The School of Hospitality Management | November 20, 2023

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Fun in the workplace can yield positive benefits to employees and employers alike, but it may also lead to an increase in afterwork employee substance use, according to new research from the Penn State School of Hospitality Management. Researchers led by Michael Tews, associate professor of hospitality management, found that fun activities for employees inside or outside the workplace and a manager’s support for fun are both correlated with substance use through coworker socializing. They published their work in the Journal of Drug Issues. “We know that fun has a positive impact in the workplace, but this...