So it's Friday (finally) and in just a few hours it'll be time to head off to the pub with your work colleagues for a bit of team bonding over a swift beer or six... Er, perhaps not.
An online poll by recruitment firm Monster has found that British workers, contrary to their image as being somewhat over-partial to alcohol, are in fact less likely than ever to socialise with team-members and colleagues outside of work.
In fact three out of four of the more than 1,600 workers polled said they were unlikely to spend time with colleagues outside of the working day, with three quarters saying they never or only occasionally did so.
Under a fifth – 17 per cent – said they socialised at least once a week, with eight per cent saying it was around once a fortnight.
Rather than any cultural drift towards temperance, however, it was the rise of home and flexible working that was a key factor behind this trend, argued Monster.
"Even if you aren't based in the office, or have heavy out-of-work commitments, it is important to take the time to develop relationships with work colleagues that extend beyond the day-to-day working relationships," Julian Acquari, managing director of Monster UK and Ireland.
"In particular if you work in a team, time spent outside the office in a social environment will help to strengthen bonds and create a sense of team spirit.
"If you manage a team it is worth taking your team out socially every so often and if you are a team member take the initiative and suggest a team bonding session to your manager," he added.
