Half of Irish employees have been drunk at work

Irish firms have been urged to consider US-style on-the-spot drug and alcohol tests after it emerged almost half of all employees have been drunk at work.

The potential move has been put forward by law consultancy firm Peninsula Ireland after its nationwide survey found that Irish attitudes to alcohol is impacting on the workplace.

Details revealed in the survey show that, of 1,353 employees interviewed in the Republic and the North between May and July, 595 (44%) admitted to occasions when they were drunk on the job.