Alcohol at work

I am surprised about the drinking culture in silicone valley. When I worked for a big American company, even having an unopened bottle of alcohol your shopping bag was, theoretically a sacking offence.

i worked for a number of big companies over my career and alcohol was rarely served in the office, not only not with working lunches, but even when meetings involved a proper lunch served in the official entertaining suite.

I suspect in the wider Civil Service, alcohol is rarely seen in offices. But No 10 is a different kettle of fish where, I suspect the drinking culture is set by the Prime Minister and his ministerial bag carriers.

None taken volver! But when the public sector is given taxpayers’ money to carry out its statutory functions, and struggles to fulfil its duties, the money shouldn’t be spent on staff jollies.

Staff jollies in the public sector? Ha ha. Doesn’t happen.

No bonuses either....nada. Yet what would we all do without the public sector, who would clean our streets, public toilets, collect our rubbish, look after our sick, educate and protect our children, catch the criminals, fight the fires, man the libraries, empty our rubbish etc etc.
Trouble is though so important to oil the wheels of society, there is no value given because unless it’s sold off, none of this provides a profit. It’s not meant to, it’s about service, but some only see value in that which makes money.

Germanshepherdsmum

None taken volver! But when the public sector is given taxpayers’ money to carry out its statutory functions, and struggles to fulfil its duties, the money shouldn’t be spent on staff jollies.

We always paid for our own jollies!

As did I when in the public sector, and very jolly they were too!

I worked for a brewery in their HQ, I asked and was given permission to bring champagne to the office to celebrate my 50th, usually a "dry" zone. Also celebrated 60th with champagne in a different office, next year I'm 70 not sure if the GP surgery I work at now will allow booze on site!!

I've always worked in offices where we had a drink if we've completed a big job but never drinking during the working day. I temped at one office over Christmas and I was offered a glass of Drambuie with coffee on arrival at 9.00a.m.

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Reported

Yes. I worked in a publishing company where the owner opened a bottle of bubbly (or several) every Friday afternoon for his editorial team. Later I worked in advertising and media, where birthdays were celebrated at 4pm in the office with a glass of wine and cake or similar. One of the advertising accounts was with a major drinks company and we. would have cases of alcohol delivered as samples and left in the kitchens for people to take home.

I most recently worked for a small voluntary organisation where news of successful grant bids, birthdays, Christmas etc involved a glass of wine and nibbles on the premises in working hours. There were a few people who had an issue with alcohol and drank too much, but they were few and far between and they were the kind to get pissed in the pub at lunchtime anyway.

Whoops, Zombie thread alert.

It was only a few years ago that French gendarmes were forbidden to take alcohol at lunchtime. On BBC TV in the 70s police were often shown drinking on duty in The Sweeney.