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

Abstract

While fun in the workplace has been demonstrated to favorably influence a variety of attitudinal and behavioral outcomes in previous research (Michel et al., 2019), the present study demonstrates that fun bears a complex relationship with employee alcohol and marijuana use. With a sample of 378 individuals employed in the hospitality and retail industries, manager support for fun and fun activities were negatively related to after-work employee substance use through subjective stress. In addition, both aspects of fun in the workplace were positively related to substance use through coworker socializing. In this light, fun in the workplace may be a double-edged sword in the context of human resource management. These findings are discussed, along with opportunities for future research.