Fun in the Workplace and Employee Substance Use: A Double-Edged Sword?

This article examines the complex relationship between fun in the workplace and employee after-work alcohol and marijuana use, focusing on employees in the retail and hospitality industries. It identifies three dimensions of workplace fun—fun activities, manager support for fun, and coworker socializing—and finds that while fun activities and managerial support can reduce substance use by lowering subjective stress, they can also increase substance use by promoting coworker socializing, which facilitates access and permissive norms around substance use. The study highlights fun in the workplace as a double-edged sword in human resource management, suggesting that organizations should balance fostering fun with health and wellness initiatives to mitigate potential risks. Limitations include the study’s industry focus, cross-sectional data collection for some variables, and measurement of substance use frequency without quantity, indicating areas for future research.