Beer-o'clock...at noon!

[TravelingGal]

When TGuy first moved here, he tried to make himself helpful to me by laying out a lovely lunch (I work from home). When I came down, there was a great spread - including wine.

Laughing, I said, "Honey, I can't drink that." He was honestly very confused. "Why not?" He asked. "We don't drink alcohol for lunch during the workday here in the U.S." "Really? What about the martini lunch?" I had to explain that doesn't really happen anymore.

In Oz apparently it's not all that rare to have a quick beer with your burger. Today there was a quick article on MSNBC on worktime drinking. http://lifeinc.today.com/_news/2011/03/21/6316098-its-drinks-oclock-somewhere

What do you think...still weird to drink during a regular work day, or should a glass or wine/beer be OK during lunch?

 

[mayerling]

It's very common here in the UK as well. Go to any pub for lunch and you'll see a pint next to everyone's plate.

 

[elrohwen]

It's common in Germany as well - one of my vendors served beer in the cafeteria. I wish it were common here! Not that people should be getting sloshed at lunch, but a beer every once in a while during lunch wouldn't hurt anybody.

 

[decodelighted]

Hmmmm... I guess I've been doing "work lunches" W-R-O-N-G here in America ... cuz I've been known to tipple.



ETA: "What happens at Olive Garden, stays at Olive Garden"

 

[movie zombie]

each to their own but i'm with the a glass with lunch crew.

MoZo

 

[Haven]

I only worked in a corporate setting for a year back in 2002, but we often went out for lunch and had a beer.

I've never had a drink with lunch as a teacher, though. I can only imagine the phone calls that would come in after a kid walked into the English Department and saw 20 teachers sitting around with beers in front of them.

 

[TravelingGal]

Add me to the list of people who think a glass should be fine during lunch. It complements food better than soda!

I did drink that wine TGuy laid out for me, btw. Couldn't have the poor boy's efforts be for naught. However, it's just ingrained in me not to...I've worked from home for almost 6 years and never (other than that one time) had any alcohol for lunch. And our fridge is always stocked with it.

 

[kama_s]

At both companies I've worked at, others have had a glass of wine/beer with lunch. I personally don't think it's appropriate for ME to have an alcoholic beverage.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Clearly I was born in the wrong country as a beer w/lunch sounds essential. In fact, a beer with breakfast should be mandatory. Of course, then I'd have to hassle with the whole car pooling thing (since I cannot show up at the school sloshed) and not sure if THAT is worth an AM Redhook IPA.

 

[Jennifer W]

I've never had a drink with lunch as a teacher, though. I can only imagine the phone calls that would come in after a kid walked into the English Department and saw 20 teachers sitting around with beers in front of them.

You've never taught in Scotland, I take it?

 

[kenny]

IMHO it's best to observe the culture of your workplace when it comes to these kinds of things.

I think a major reason lunchtime booze is less usual now is companies are more concerned about liability than they were a generation ago.

If you are self employed and work from home it's really up to you.
Also there are a few fields in which a loose and more relaxed mind may actually help the bottom line.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

I work for an advertising agency (a la Mad Men), so I think drinking is viewed differently here. There is a fully-stocked bar on almost every floor at my agency and we have beer on tap available at all times. It's not unusual to see colleagues in a meeting with a beer, but nobody is ever really buzzed. I've never seen anybody drunk. I guess it's just to get those creative juices flowing.

 

[kenny]

I've never had a drink with lunch as a teacher, though. I can only imagine the phone calls that would come in after a kid walked into the English Department and saw 20 teachers sitting around with beers in front of them.

You've never taught in Scotland, I take it?

I've seen big shot Canadian Uni staff with booze in their offices.
Apparently, countries vary too.

 

[Jennifer W]

I remember Friday afternoons being a little more ..... relaxed when I was at high school. Fair play to them, it must have been a hellish job. We were horrible!

 

[zoebartlett]

I can't even imagine having a drink with lunch, especially since I'm an elementary teacher. Yeah, that wouldn't go over so well.

 

[elrohwen]

I work for an advertising agency (a la Mad Men), so I think drinking is viewed differently here. There is a fully-stocked bar on almost every floor at my agency and we have beer on tap available at all times. It's not unusual to see colleagues in a meeting with a beer, but nobody is ever really buzzed. I've never seen anybody drunk. I guess it's just to get those creative juices flowing.

I'll be sending you my resume in the morning!!!


The closest I got to drinking at work was when the women's group at my last job did a social event after work in the cafeteria with alcohol. It was around 4pm, so still technically work hours, but the idea was to end your day there. I'm still not sure how they got the company to let them serve free alcohol in the cafeteria.

 

[charbie]

I "do lllunch" quite often in my line of work, but sadlly we only joke about margaritas with lunch when we go out for Mexican on Fridays. I have to take physicians to dinner or do businees meetings at night which often will entail alcohol, which is always welcome l

 

[iheartscience]

I had a boss once who would go home for lunch and come back reeking of bourbon. He was always in a great mood when he got back so we never really minded!

Another boss loved to get cocktails after we had appointments all day, but sadly that was only when we traveled. And of course the booze was always flowing at dinners after trade shows, etc.

I'm not much of a day drinker so I don't think I've ever had drinks with lunch. The only way I'll start drinking early is if I know the party will go on until bedtime!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I can't even imagine having a drink with lunch, especially since I'm an elementary teacher. Yeah, that wouldn't go over so well.

hahaha I cannot imagine being an elementary school teacher and making it through the day w/out a shot of something! lol

FWIW, my kids' school holds charity events and often liquor is donated and those donations cannot even be brought onto school grounds (as if the school not informing us of this would mean 550+ bottles of rum would be carried to school in children's backpacks.)

Edited b/c I spelled liquor wrong - go figure.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I had a boss once who would go home for lunch and come back reeking of bourbon. He was always in a great mood when he got back so we never really minded!

Another boss loved to get cocktails after we had appointments all day, but sadly that was only when we traveled. And of course the booze was always flowing at dinners after trade shows, etc.

I'm not much of a day drinker so I don't think I've ever had drinks with lunch. The only way I'll start drinking early is if I know the party will go on until bedtime!

Okay, WHICH JOBS are politically-correct positions where employees can be drunk and nobody really cares? I just need to know for when I go back to school.

 

[katamari]

I have no problem having a drink during the workday, though it is uncommon unless I am working from home. I often drink a beer or a glass of wine on my writing days when I need to get ideas down. It keeps me from sentence-crafting.

 

[Cehrabehra]

I've never had a drink with lunch as a teacher, though. I can only imagine the phone calls that would come in after a kid walked into the English Department and saw 20 teachers sitting around with beers in front of them.

You've never taught in Scotland, I take it?

The teachers in america are supposed to be puritanical. No drinking, no smoking, no sex, no nothing. Any hint that you do any of that stuff even in your time off with start the rumor mill.

 

[iheartscience]

I had a boss once who would go home for lunch and come back reeking of bourbon. He was always in a great mood when he got back so we never really minded!

Another boss loved to get cocktails after we had appointments all day, but sadly that was only when we traveled. And of course the booze was always flowing at dinners after trade shows, etc.

I'm not much of a day drinker so I don't think I've ever had drinks with lunch. The only way I'll start drinking early is if I know the party will go on until bedtime!

Okay, WHICH JOBS are politically-correct positions where employees can be drunk and nobody really cares? I just need to know for when I go back to school.

I wouldn't say *no one* cared...he ended up becoming a former boss.

 

[elrohwen]

I "do lllunch" quite often in my line of work, but sadlly we only joke about margaritas with lunch when we go out for Mexican on Fridays. I have to take physicians to dinner or do businees meetings at night which often will entail alcohol, which is always welcome l

My last job had "summer hours" on Friday, which meant we could leave at noon if we wanted and there weren't supposed to be any Friday afternoon meetings. There were many days that we went out for Mexican and margaritas then! I miss that at my new job ... no half day Fridays with margaritas

 

[annadragon]

You all should come work in New Orleans!
While my current company does not allow drinking during work hours it is not at all unusual to see business types out lunching with a glass of wine, a martini or a beer.
In fact, some of the more upscale restaurants advertise premium liquor martini's for $0.25 at lunch, limit 3

In fact, I think if you work near the French Quarter it is actually acceptable to go to lunch on Friday's and not come back to the office!

 

[mayerling]

In fact, I think if you work near the French Quarter it is actually acceptable to go to lunch on Friday's and not come back to the office!

I'd love that job!

 

[PilsnPinkysMom]

I've never had a drink with lunch as a teacher, though. I can only imagine the phone calls that would come in after a kid walked into the English Department and saw 20 teachers sitting around with beers in front of them.

You've never taught in Scotland, I take it?

The teachers in america are supposed to be puritanical. No drinking, no smoking, no sex, no nothing. Any hint that you do any of that stuff even in your time off with start the rumor mill.

Haha... I think this is true in the eyes of parents and students, but I know some teacher cliques who are seriously devoted to their Friday post-work happy hours. They don't get sloshed, but they certainly throw back a few drinks.

Side note: I want to teach in Scotland! I think a nice, cold pint in the afternoon would inspire some creative lesson plans and turn me into the "cool", "fun" teacher

 

[monarch64]

I had a tall (16 oz?) beer once during lunch and went back to work...argh! I had a slight headache and had to pee the entire rest of the day. Never. Again. That was 8 years ago...

I now work in a downtown location in a college town, and am close to a lot of pubs and bars. My co-workers (who are all in their late twenties-early thirties) like to have a couple beers during their lunch breaks and it's accepted in our company. My boss doesn't mind that they do it, but I like to reserve my drinking for times when I know I can continue to relax and not have to go back to work. I'd rather drink at happy hour after work than suffer through the rest of the afternoon with a headache and an overactive bladder, but that's just me.