French drinks giant Pernod Ricard is facing court action for piling “constant pressure” on staff to consume alcohol on the job.

Famous for popularising pastis, the cloudy anise-flavoured drink beloved by the boules players of southern France, Pernod Ricard is the world's second-biggest spirits maker and posted record sales last year.

In its drive to get customers to consume more, one current and two former employees have accused the group of strong-arming them into downing alcohol at work, leading to addiction, poor health and in one case, hallucinations.

A former Ricard salesman has filed a complaint in the French labour courts, arguing that he suffered from “burn out” due to excessive drinking in promotional campaigns in bars, nightclubs and bullfighting festivals in southern France.

An expert concluded during hearings that there was a “certain, direct and exclusive” link between his job and his state of nervous exhaustion.

The ex-employee known only as Julien, 42, who was a manager in southern France, said: “I drunk every day (at work).”

He said that while officially the company advised consumers to drink “with moderation”, there was a chasm between “the theory and the reality”.

Pernod Ricard, which owns Beefeater gin and Jameson Irish whiskey alongside Absolut vodka and Martell cognac, denies the claims, saying it applies a "zero tolerance" approach to drinking at work.