What would be the acceptability of this in your workplace? For context, which country and industry are you in?
I guess I’m mainly thinking about professional jobs, but interested to hear from. I think in France it would be quite common to have a glass of wine, even at a work canteen or so. But in the UK it seems like people would think that was a problem, and in a lot of cases you’d be in violation of something at work.
In my past life, I worked as Data Manager in a movie, at the lunch break, everyone would smoke pot as if nothing. I couldn’t do it because I can’t use computers while high.
I work in corporate retail in the USA. It’s generally acceptable if you’re out of the office on a business lunch. Cracking open a beer in the kitchen at lunch probably wouldn’t have any immediate consequences but you’re probably looking outside of the company for a promotion.
Lol, yeah I was definitely picturing a restaurant setting. Drinking white cider in the alley on your lunch break, or going to a toilet cubicle with a bottle of vodka, really projects a different image…
In the US at a white collar job. 1 (2 max) drinks every once in a long while for a work lunch is acceptable. Depends on how comfortable you are with your coworkers and if anyone else seems willing to drink a beer or two.
When I go lunch I go home for the day. I only work in the morning.
So, no need of alcohol to cope with overwork.
im taking a shit
Used to work in marketing, UK. There was a frew beer fridge, with instructions to only help yourselves after 1630 on a Friday. Beers at lunch were fairly standard on a Friday, less so on other days but not unheard of.
Software guy. Most productive/distraction free time of the day is mid-afternoon. Drinking at lunch would just take that zone away and push everything to the next day.
Happy to wait till 5pm, or whenever feels like a good time to do a git push.
alternatively, i’ve found the bulmer peak concept to be entirely real: a drink sometimes helps you to just do rather than spending too much time thinking about if what you’re doing is best… it can help with decision paralysis on the micro scale
that said, you can train yourself out of decision paralysis and as someone gets more experienced this is likely to be less and less helpful
git drunk
Removed by mod
IT worker in system analysis and design in the public service in Canberra, Australia.
There’s no official policy though many of my co workers believe a lunch time drink is not allowed. I have often enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine or a beer at lunch, have never made a secret of it, and have never been told off or warned by anyone above me
Bartender. I don’t get a lunch break so I just drink on the clock.
Pretty much everwhere I’ve worked; there’s a no alcohol or drugs clause in the employment contract/policies. So officially it’s not permitted; but one beer, or a couple hits from a dab pen (weed vape) hasn’t been uncommon in most places either; just don’t let management see it.
It gets to be a big liability for the individual then tho, even if the company don’t regularly enforce the rule, you’re opening up an easy way for someone to get you out of your job if they take a dislike to you sore any petty reason…
Ofc, there’s always risk when you’re going against company policy/your contract.
I’m not saying I recommend smoking/drinking at work; just that it’s not uncommon.
Where I work, it’s a non issue. As long as it doesn’t impact your work and nobody notices it (foul odor or behaviour), nobody could care less.
Years ago, I was working on a house where there were several nests of these wicked looking red wasps. I had been working around them all morning quite safely. At lunch, I drank half a beer, and was almost immediately stung twice when I went back to work. I don’t know if it affected my timing or my scent, or something else.
When I worked in kitchens and bars? Regularly
Now, driving a forklift and using a nail gun every day… I’ll wait till I get home
Canadian IT worker.
I refuse to drink at work parties. Everyone else does and I get some peer pressure to drink but I don’t care. Its normal to see people get super drunk and embarrass themselves which is why I don’t even start.
Specifically at lunch, if I’m not driving and others are having a beer I will but only one. If I’m driving, it depends on how I’m feeling.
Working from home I’ve been known to have a beer or two on a Friday afternoon by my self.
When I left my last job we had a meeting at the end of the day with the guys I got along with and anyone they wanted to invite. There was about 15 people from different departments with their cameras on having a drink or smoking (pot) if they didn’t drink as a goodbye. Was a nice goodbye. Lol
I’ve drank, and got drunk, at exactly one work function in my current capacity. The living hell that was a day of serious meetings with 3 hours of sleep and a wicked hangover/still being drunk has made all other functions water and bed by 9:30 affairs.
Luckily everyone in the meetings had either made the same mistake before, or were functioning alcoholics, so the fallout was just being a pile of misery.
If a VP decides to take everyone for drinks at a club after the official function, at absolute most show up to nurse one drink then leave. Do not be the last one out the door.
I don’t drink but if I did I’d never drink at a work social. I leave work socials early to avoid any drunkenness because there are 535356 ways it can go wrong.
Way 535354: coworker gets really drunk, as does the owners wife. Coworker later fired for sleeping with owners wife. Like that you mean?
Haha yep that’s on the list
US/Engineer
At my first job, a fairly large firm with a few hundred people, I remember the furtive glances around the table as everyone didn’t want to be the first one to order a beer. Once a single person ordered one, several others would too. The boss was fine with it, but nobody did it in front of the boss’s boss. We never had more than one, though.
At my second job, a small, new company with 12ish people, it was pretty common. Sometimes someone would bring a six pack to share into the office on a Friday afternoon. Usually, the owners would join in.
At my current job in the public sector, the culture just isn’t there. Nobody drinks at all during work hours. I don’t drink as much anymore, anyway.
