Nearly two-fifths of workers are expected to spend their summer lunch breaks at the pub, according to research by workplace expert Croner, part of Wolter Kluwers UK.

The survey found that 21% of respondents said they sometimes had an alcoholic drink during their lunch break and 39% said they would be more likely to do so during the summer.

Stephen Thomas, safety technical consultant with Croner, says: “In the right circumstances, there’s nothing wrong with having a sensible drink at lunchtime but employers need to make sure that doing so doesn’t compromise an employee’s ability to do their job and, most importantly, do it safely.

“It’s accepted that alcohol can have a faster and greater affect when consumed in warm weather, and people could easily be fooled into thinking that they’re fine after a lunchtime drink when the effects might end up being much more pronounced - even small amounts of alcohol can lead to increased reaction times, loss of concentration and risk-taking behaviour.”

Thomas adds: “No-one wants to be unnecessarily seen as a killjoy, but in the case of high risk and safety-sensitive jobs, there should be no doubt that a no alcohol policy is the only option.”