Alcohol at work

Before drink/driving became the norm, yes,
but since, NO or only at Christmas parties

certainly I am not happy, (to put it mildly) of Government meetings having alcohol

and why isn`t the other thing that Boris has done being debated or mentioned? ie. he has changed the rules to cover this farce! minor offences not to be bothered about, who decides what is a minor offence?

Never. I worked in a school where drinking alcohol on site would have been a sackable offence. We were not even allowed to have bottles of alcohol as raffle prizes at fund raising events.

When I was in the Civil Service (many years ago) we had Office Parties in the office with plenty of alcohol flowing. The first one I went to had a make shift bar and when I went to get my third whisky, they told me I had drunk it all and gave me a mug of Southern Comfort. Apparently, one of my colleagues had been quietly topping up my glass on the side whilst I was talking so I had drunk far more than I realised. I was in such a perilous state and as the youngest in the office, I now wonder how many of the staff knew what was happening.
Up until recent years, the Fire Service Headquarters has had a bar within its building. I think funding cuts and a different outlook to alcohol saw it shut down. It was a great place for a "do" and there was not the attitude to alcohol so often seen which is destructive.

Worked in NHS and then social housing both had instant dismissal for drinking or being under the influence at work

If you don't live and work in London or another big city, chances are you'll be driving home so drinking wouldn't be appropriate. Surely hardly anyone working in central London would drive to and from work, so drinks at an after hours leaving do, when work is over for the day, wouldn't be much of a scandal! The scandal was the hypocrisy of it. However, drinking alcohol during working hours must affect people's ability to carry out their work. We'd be shocked if NHS workers, teachers, bus drivers etc. hit the pub at lunchtime or brought a suitcase of alcohol to work with their packed lunch. Only people employed to taste samples of wine and beer should be drinking during working hours! ? People often kid themselves that one drink won't affect their judgement but that's probably because the one drink has already impaired their judgement! (I like a nice glass of red but I'm retired!)

I worked in an architects office in the seventies. The men (all were architects) routinely went for lunch in the pub and had a couple of pints. The women, all office staff, wouldn't have dreamt of drinking at work.

I worked for a Government agency for many years and we were always told that if an employee is given alcohol at work then is injured, injuries someone, is involved in an accident or done for drink drinking in scope of employment or going home then the employer is liable.
Not 100% sure if this is correct but we did very occasionally get given a drink but health and safety people tried to restrict to one or two drinks. I always thought this was a responsible attitude

Worked in the Media many, many years ago where alcohol was drunk at any time, morning through to night. Have worked in teaching where it would mean instant dismissal. I think that many EU countries, where I have also worked for a short time, have it about right. People don't knock back alcohol (no red wine on the walls or vomit on the carpet), but a small glass of something at lunch with a meal wouldn't constitute dismissal. However, I'm sure it wouldn't be acceptable there either for those in the health service, operating machinery etc. Depends on the work involved.

No, it would have been a disciplinary, I just go to the pub.

Obviously you haven’t seen drinking in your job it’s normal for ppl in high power jobs. One of my mums bosses every time we went in always had booze in his office always offered it to ppl and other business ppl also had a bar room and everything. Most of us are everyday ppl not big wigs. Do you really think they have all these meetings with a cup of coffee and some crisps ?. No I don’t blame Boris. You can’t blame someone for the actions of others. They are all grown adults and no different between what is right and what is wrong. If someone in your house did something wrong would you say it’s your fault no it’s the person that done it. Why don’t you just be honest and say you not a Boris fan and looking for a reason to knock him down. And no I’m not his fan.

No I worked in Local Government and for a big charity (not since 2000) and in neither place was alcohol allowed in work. AND we worked for the time allotted, which seems increasingly rare. The mobile phone also has altered people's expectations. When I started work, you had to ask (and we did) if you wanted to make a private call - eg doctor, dentist, haircut. Tell that to kids today!

I worked in many different environments, offices, schools, labs.
The only place we had alcohol at work was a brewery! Where everyone was entitled to ONE free pint per day.

I have never worked anywhere where you were allowed to drink alcohol including in a pub setting 30 years ago!

At my first job after university, there was a bar in the staff canteen! London accountants....

Nowadays I don't think anyone at work would have alcohol on the premises during the working day, but it has been known after hours, especially round Christmas. Not more than a glass or two at most though!

Oh but they do! Certainly in all the law firms I worked in. Not for everyone obviously or readily accessible but there were frequent lunches with alcohol and also after work drinks.

Pippa22

My career was in education and alcohol was definitely not allowed in schools even after hours. If we were saying goodbye to a colleague then we had nibbles in the staff room with juices and then sometimes moved on to a local pub for a meal and drinks. Drinking alcohol on education premises would definitely been a sackable offence and was accepted as perfectly right.

I guess I must have taught in more lenient schools than some people on here.

At my last school, the Headteacher would personally buy fizzy wine on the Inset Day in September if our exam results were good. It was only one glass and the school was not open to children. We also had wine and beer at leaving dos at the end of term, again after the children had gone home.

I retired four years ago but I know that the tradition of celebrating exam results has not changed.

I worked in IT and for a long time every Friday we would go to the pub at lunchtime. Only one drink each and we would all eat a pub lunch. But there were occasional drinks to celebrate meeting project deadlines at the office during work hours. Some of us worked very long hours and it wasn't surprising to see cans of beer scattered around after hours.

There was a strict no alcohol/no drugs policy for the company drivers, electronics people and a few others and eventually the policy was extended across all staff so everyone was treated the same.

I have NEVER worked where alcohol has been present in the work place so I ask is there ever a need for alcohol to be present in work place for staff. I would say NO.

No, we would of been sacked.

No it was a sackable offence., and if the officers drank before or between shifts, if you could smell it you'd have been sacked for that too.

Not had wine at work since working in the nhs, however before that ( and decades ago) a small drink with nibbles, before going home on Christmas eve ( when we finished earlier than usual) was not unusual. I think the Christmas Eve drink was commonplace in factories and offices the, because my father always said to get home quickly to avoid the intoxicated drivers! The universities I was at years ago ( both here and in Australia) served alcohol in the staff restaurants.
There are some work places and occupations where drinking at lunch or whilst entertaining clients or customers is commonplace. Alcoholism must surly be an occupation hazard in some industries. I can understand having an on site restaurant in parliament where MPs are expected to attend meetings and house sittings well into the night.

I worked in banking then the civil service and in later life as a teacher. Any leaving dos, Christmas parties were held at local pubs or restaurants outside working hours, never at work. It was the same with DH who spent all his life working in the railway industry, there were also regular alcohol and drug tests.

Like Icandhandthemback, I also worked in the Civil Service years ago and alcohol at Christmas and leaving do’s was usual although after working hours of course! So too in the NHS where I worked just before that, although I and my fellow workers were admin staff not clinical. I know from friends that this is no longer permitted but I am told that workmates gather in the pub after work quite often where the alcohol consumption is usually epic!

Forgot to say I don’t think alcohol should be drunk at work - certainly not routinely. Exceptionally, once duties are ended for the day, such as for for celebrations , sensible drinking has a place.

Of course Churchill was known to drink champagne and brandy during the war while leading the nation. Just saying.