I don't drink, so I tend to drink water at such events. If you feel pressure, people can't tell what you're drinking. Iced tea, or whiskey? Gin, or water? Bloody Mary, or V8 with a salt rim? Moscow mule, or who cares, it's an opaque cup?
What about a recovered/recovering alcoholic employee liable to slip into this enabler trap?
I'm not personally plagued with this problem, but have no difficulty empathizing with the situation and think it's completely asinine for employers to encourage drinking among employees.
> What about a recovered/recovering alcoholic employee liable to slip into this enabler trap?
I absolutely hate that, and yes, that strikes very close to home. Over the years, I've had countless coworkers, peers and even a couple of managers, pressure me hard to drink. The pressure they're willing to apply skyrockets as they get more drunk. All I'm saying is, it's easier to deflect over zoom.
And that is the very hard line for a happy hour: No one should be "getting drunk" or otherwise visibly intoxicated on company time.
That's something I'd bring up with HR / upper management or my direct. "I had enough pressure to drink to excess in my college fraternity. I don't want it in my workplace."
