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Our blog offers important resources, helpful articles, and practical ideas on the human resources topics that matter to you.
Home / Media / Blog / Responsible Alcohol Use Policies at Work
Do you remember watching television shows from the 1960’s and 1970’s where business professionals were regularly seen taking a shot of vodka or slowly sipping on a glass of scotch as they prepared for a very important meeting? Back in the day, many employers permitted employees to drink while at work and sometimes even encouraged drinking during meetings.
Through the years, more and more federal and state employment laws started evolving and drinking on the job became a liability to business owners. Also, employers who held general liability insurance coverage and workers’ compensation were finding that accidents and/or injuries that were a result from an employee being intoxicated on the job, were not always covered under their policies. Therefore, business owners started adopting strict policies prohibiting drinking alcohol while at work to avoid any unnecessary liabilities.
In the day and age of millennials, allowing employees to drink while at work has circled back around and is becoming a popular trend among many businesses. There are many businesses serving alcohol in common areas and/or break rooms – a keg in the cafeteria, wine cooler in the break room, or even a bar in the lobby. So, what has changed? Employers still have the same liabilities with employees drinking on the job as they did back in the 1960’s. Why has this become a popular trend again? Should all employers consider adopting a casual “day drinking” policy? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of having a responsible alcohol use policy and discuss the details needed for its success.
Having a responsible alcohol use policy and allowing employees to consume while at work may be beneficial to a business. However, there are also many risks associated to drinking on the job. Business owners must thoroughly review the pros and cons of drinking on the job to determine if introducing a formal alcohol consumption policy is right for the business.
Pros –
Cons –
There will always be risk involved when permitting alcohol at work. However, do the pros outweigh the cons? When is it right to have a responsible alcohol use policy? Obviously, not all professions (factory, transportation, health care, safety officials, education, etc.) should be allowed to drink on the job for safety reasons.
As I mentioned above, business owners need to consider if a responsible alcohol use policy will work for their business – outlining and reviewing the pros and cons to permitting alcohol is the first step. The next step is to determine the following:
As you can see from the list above, there are so many factors to consider before deciding if alcohol on the job is right for your business. While drinking on the job may sound like a great idea and could increase employee morale, there are many risks associated with the distribution of alcohol at work, which may cause a huge liability to the business.
If you’re drinking at work, you should always drink responsibly.
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