Do you have "work events" at your workplace?

[sally maclennane]

I don't mean during lockdowns (unless you work at Downing St!) but in "normal" times. Does your employer allow drinking in the office, as in after hours or at lunchtime? We are not allowed it in any circumstances, no alcohol can be consumed on the premises, or during the working day so we can't go out for lunch and have a glass of wine.

J's work is quite different, they often provide beer and wine on a Friday afternoon, and the company pays for a meal at Christmas for everyone, and they pay for all the booze at this meal.

I have to say, I think I prefer no booze really. I tend to think that the only morale booster people want is more money or more free time. So don't try to thank people with a glass of lukewarm wine, give them an hour's early finish. However maybe people want that, and is it a team building thing? But what if you don't drink? And is it a recipe for disaster?

[Derek Nimmo]

As i work in a sales environment, 'work events' are part and parcel of the deal (or rather, they always were pre covid), with lots of days out, incentives etc as well as wine and beer from 4pm on a Friday or occasionally 'just because'. I think my favourites have been when we've done something really informal, like a bbq on the beach. Booze is on offer 9 times out of 10, and has led to some...interesting situations, but as the company and the Directors have grown older and wiser, these are fewer and further between.

It's totally expected in our industry, and it's been very odd not really doing anything sociable for the past couple of years. It helps that I really like the vast majority of my colleagues these days. It also helps that I don't really drink much, so have never disgraced myself

[geek_kitten]

My work is similar to J’s - we used to have once a month drinks (alcohol and soft drinks) and nibbles on a Friday afternoon which was all company funded. It has occasionally led to disaster!

If we have a team lunch out alcohol is allowed - one of the partners will pay for the food but usually not drinks. We get all booze etc paid for at Christmas dinners (of which there are usually two). Plus we used to host networking events at our office and those always involved food and alcohol.

I’m with you, Sal - I’d much prefer more free time or money to drinks and free food! However, I’m in the minority in my office since many people love it and are really protective about it. As an antisocial introvert I definitely don’t think it contributes to team building, but again suspect I’m in the minority.

[Rebel Pebble]

I used to do some work with a company that owned many well known booze brands. All the meeting rooms were named after said brands and they had a massive bar on the top floor (with wonderful views over.....the Hanger Lane gyratory). On one memorable occasion due to lack of booked rooms, one of my break out groups happened inside a big whisky still which formed a seating area on the edge of the bar.

I often wondered if someone would work for that company if they were a teetotaller. It would seem....counter-intuitive.

[Tabitha]

Oh god, getting drunk at work whilst looking out over Hangar Lane sounds so depressing! And yet there were times in the last two years I'd have gone for it.

We don't have events in the office, other than the AGM at which you'll get a tepid glass of wine and the chance to make smalltalk about leasehold law or sinking funds.

J works in a serviced office, or used to, and the building owners were always enticing tenants down to the bar with themed bashes. They would have a beach party, say, with pina coladas and barbecue. His boss was very much of the thought you can't drink and work, so they would down tools and just do the former.

[Disco]

Absolutely not. We deal with the firm’s partners’ tax affairs and so liaising with partners and hmrc must not be done whilst under the influence.

Which is a shame really as it would make it less ducking boring

[F'Artiste]

We have a Christmas meal out and that’s about it. Pre COVID this would be a party, team meal and carolling in the offices with a glass of champagne . When we were in the office work would occasionally put breakfast on, and we would regularly have talks where our authors would come in to discuss their work. They were fun and varied (from cookbooks to gothic horror).

Drinking isn’t encouraged in my department, but is quite normal in some others (especially the staff who have to wine and dine agents/authors).

[Lily]

I have a massive box of wine sitting right next top me waiting to be doled out to several people. We had a Christmas party and were due to have a massive pre-Christmas lunch on 22nd but we cancelled it due to Covid. We quite often go out for lunches and stuff but I can't imagine us drinking in the office as we all have to drive to get here. (When we go out for lunches we'd organise a taxi)

That sounds wonderful F'artiste, how lucky you are!

[sally maclennane]

I’m with you, Sal - I’d much prefer more free time or money to drinks and free food! However, I’m in the minority in my office since many people love it and are really protective about it. As an antisocial introvert I definitely don’t think it contributes to team building, but again suspect I’m in the minority.

Is it frowned upon if you don't attend? Is it a way to raise your profile?

Thus is going to sound like a real killjoy point but if so, it surely must disadvantage certain groups? People who don't drink, people who have caring responsibilities (let's be honest, mainly women).

[Ella77]

Last summer my company held barbecues on the roof terrace every Friday for anybody who was in the office, and alcoholic drinks were also available. The barbecues weren’t advertised as they didn’t want people to feel they had to come in, but some teams were required to be on-site, so it was nice for them.

They also do things like free ice lollies, free Diwali treats, free cake sometimes, so it’s not all about booze.

Pre-Covid we had a lot of drinks dos, etc. (I still laugh about walking into one and hearing “Chapeldown, madam?” . I usually wouldn’t drink before about 4pm at a work do.

[Duophonic]

On-site there are snacks, hot/cold and alcoholic drinks available on tap. Food is brought in twice a week, they would normally have Taco Tuesday and pizza on Friday. There are tons of after hrs activities but because we're essentially a software company it's usually D&D, movies, and quiz nights held on the premises. The workforce tends to socialise well and I've seen pictures of the owner 'hosting' on his eleventy-billion acre 'small-holding'.

In the UK - I get two formally organised events a year down in London with another two usually held in the US. Alcohol isn't off-limits although I'm usually extremely sensible. All paid for by the company. Any virtual get-together I'm allowed to expense a meal no point as I'm in a small town so choice is limited.

Our sales team tend to be the worst offenders for bad behaviour on the booze and there's been a few knuckles wrapped but as the staff mainly comprise of tech folks everyone tends to have one or two drinks and then that's it.

I find it difficult the few times I've travelled over as they feel the need to look after you and every second of the day is filled with something. I've actually had to tell them that yes, sitting in my hotel room catching up on sleep/home/shit tv is a good thing but they mean well.
We're not penalised careerwise for opting out but again it's that you don't know what you're missing when you're missing.

[Rosa]

We don't do anything like the team/work events described here, which I'm quite happy about, although I wouldn't mind someone saying “Chapeldown, madam?” occasionally!

[Disco]

I’ve remembered that drinking isn’t an issue during work hours when it’s someone’s retirement party or similar. All the wine, beer and champagne are freely available and my boss lets me take bottles home at the end if any are left.

We also have mulled wine and mince pies and other seasonal food and drink.

[Pawpads]

No, we can't do anything like that. We have division / shift/ team nights out but we try to go out of county for those.

There was a christmas do last month, where repercussions are still being felt due to the behaviour of a new member of staff.

[Zoomer]

What did they do, Pawpads?

We used to have the occasional do - our Christmas party was cancelled, but before that we had an evening barbecue during the summer with unlimited drinks. My colleagues being mostly French, people are quite well-behaved. Although I did get a bit huggy at the BBQ, which was obviously not a brilliant idea during the pandemic.
If we go out for lunch, people sometimes drink, but usually never more than one or two. We do have a "no hard alcohol" in the office rule, but that's not really been needed for quite some time (since us long-term employees were younger and wilder).

[olive]

I used to do some work with a company that owned many well known booze brands. All the meeting rooms were named after said brands and they had a massive bar on the top floor (with wonderful views over.....the Hanger Lane gyratory). On one memorable occasion due to lack of booked rooms, one of my break out groups happened inside a big whisky still which formed a seating area on the edge of the bar.

My sister and best friend both worked for that company! The drink responsibility strap line was interesting considering their very irresponsible culture.

I’ve also worked for companies that are massive on events/ socials/ trips away. We have a quarterly business review which is always in a new city and there is always at least one fun event/ thing to do. As it’s an international company all the offices fly in for one global event a year which has included sky diving/ safaris/ skiing etc.

When I worked for a film company we had early finish Friday and the pub was compulsory. It was frowned upon to take the early finish and not show your face. Surprisingly very few of the women, including me didn’t return after maternity leave even though I loved working there.

[ParisGal]

What did they do, Pawpads?

We used to have the occasional do - our Christmas party was cancelled, but before that we had an evening barbecue during the summer with unlimited drinks. My colleagues being mostly French, people are quite well-behaved. Although I did get a bit huggy at the BBQ, which was obviously not a brilliant idea during the pandemic.
If we go out for lunch, people sometimes drink, but usually never more than one or two. We do have a "no hard alcohol" in the office rule, but that's not really been needed for quite some time (since us long-term employees were younger and wilder).

I thought it was "illegal" in France now to have alcohol in the office? My memory of it is hazy, but I know in about 2010 in my old company they made an annoucement about how we weren't allowed to have parties with alcohol in the offices any more, and the secretaries had to get rid of the stock of bottles. We could have wrk-provided alcohol at work parties but it had to be in the canteen (which didn't serve alcohol, so the logistics must have been complicated for whoever was tasked with getting the bubbly for so-and-so's retirement speech).

ETA Just looked it up and it's just hard alcohol that's banned completely, but companies are now allowed to ban all alcohol if they want.

[Zoomer]

What did they do, Pawpads?

We used to have the occasional do - our Christmas party was cancelled, but before that we had an evening barbecue during the summer with unlimited drinks. My colleagues being mostly French, people are quite well-behaved. Although I did get a bit huggy at the BBQ, which was obviously not a brilliant idea during the pandemic.
If we go out for lunch, people sometimes drink, but usually never more than one or two. We do have a "no hard alcohol" in the office rule, but that's not really been needed for quite some time (since us long-term employees were younger and wilder).

ETA Just looked it up and it's just hard alcohol that's banned completely, but companies are now allowed to ban all alcohol if they want.

Yeah, wine is fine, it's practically a soft drink.

[geek_kitten]

I’m with you, Sal - I’d much prefer more free time or money to drinks and free food! However, I’m in the minority in my office since many people love it and are really protective about it. As an antisocial introvert I definitely don’t think it contributes to team building, but again suspect I’m in the minority.

Is it frowned upon if you don't attend? Is it a way to raise your profile?

Thus is going to sound like a real killjoy point but if so, it surely must disadvantage certain groups? People who don't drink, people who have caring responsibilities (let's be honest, mainly women).

It's not frowned upon exactly but there is definitely a perception that you need to give a good reason for not attending the big company parties. Less pressure to attend Friday drinks (it's accepted that people have commitments outside of work!), but much more pressure to attend external networking events (and these do raise your profile).

I do agree that this sort of culture can disadvantage people, and it's something we're aware of and are trying to change. It's harder to control what we do about external networking events but we can control what we do internally. There's been a push to raise awareness about how to run inclusive events and how to make sure that all staff who want to attend events can do so.

[Pippedydeadeye]

Yeah, we don’t do anything, of course. And in recent times we’ve not even been able to stay in the canteen to eat the food we’ve bought with our own money, which is fine for me but not for anyone clinical with nowhere else to go.

I went to a university event where one of my favourite doctors was presenting in his PhD topic and they had a drinks reception for him which was very nice. I was driving though so couldn’t enjoy the medium sweet wine.