Dealing with people will drive you to drink.

There, I basically summed up the findings of a recent study in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology.

Researchers from Penn State and the University of Buffalo decided to look into the drinking habits of people who are forced to interact with the general public – think retail, restaurants, and other jobs where you plaster on a fake smile while some idiot drones on.

According to Health24, the findings were pretty clearcut:

Alicia Grandey, a psychology professor at Penn State told Penn State News that “faking and suppressing emotions with customers was related to drinking beyond the stress of the job or feeling negatively”.

She continued to say that “the more they have to control negative emotions at work, the less they are able to control their alcohol intake after work”.

Grandey urged employers to reconsider policies where employers have to serve customers with a smile, as it may become a health hazard for employees.

I’ve worked in the service industry, and I have sunk many sorrows whilst trading tales of terrible customers after a shift.

We feel your pain, service industry workers.

The relationship between fake smiling and drinking after work was stronger for people who are impulsive or lack personal control over their behaviour at work.

Furthermore, Grandey said, “If you’re impulsive or constantly told how to do your job, it may be harder to rein in your emotions all day, and when you get home, you don’t have that self-control to stop after one drink.”

If you’re wondering who all those people you see out partying on a Monday or Tuesday night are, they’re often service industry workers who slogged through the weekend and are now letting loose.

After fake smiling their way through Saturday and Sunday, that seems well deserved.

The study also points out that the younger service industry staff are at greater risk:

Researchers noted that most workers in retail and restaurant work tend to be younger and in an entry-level job – so, they may not have the self-control needed to fake a smile and not to drink excessively later in a bar or at home.

The link between forced smiles and drinking is strong in employees who have one-time encounters with customers.

Sometimes, once is enough. Consider this next time you ask to speak to the manager, Karen.

We have said it before and said it often – treat those who work in the service industry with respect. People who don’t usually reveal far more about themselves than others.

[source:health24]