Do you go for drinks after work

dotsman

Friday drinks with colleagues is essential. Not every week, but at least once a month.

If you can't drink with your workmates, you shouldn't be working with them.

Ciaran_B

If my work crush is going out, then yes. Otherwise, no.

Wanderer2010

dotsman wrote: »

Friday drinks with colleagues is essential. Not every week, but at least once a month.

If you can't drink with your workmates, you shouldn't be working with them.

You are exactly the kind of workmate I would avoid. The thought of spending time in a pub listening to someone like you would do my head in! I'm not trying to be mean but seriously, to say something like if you cant drink with workmates you shouldn't be working with them is either ignorance or naivety. You must be working with carbon copies of yourself or are lucky enough to gel with everyone around you.
In the real world, you have to work with people who you have absolutely nothing in common with, some whom you downright despise and others who have odd and weird methods of interacting with others or poor hygiene etc but for the sake of peace you have to get on with it. Finding one, maybe two people who you like is a pleasant surprise. Then you have people who don't drink, others who are religious, more still who are alcoholics.

dotsman

dotsman wrote: »

Friday drinks with colleagues is essential. Not every week, but at least once a month.

If you can't drink with your workmates, you shouldn't be working with them.

Well said, in fact I'd find it strange working in a place and not making friends with at least a few people. Where I work now the people I work with have turned into a group of friends who I go out with regularly, meet up outside work even go away for weekends with. Previous places I worked have been similar. So much easier to work with people you have the craic with and are friends with so I would always try to make friends in a new work place.

More often than not the conversations had down the pub after a few pints are the ones that help your career move forward also as you get to talk to more senior people etc that you might not normally and then you end up talking to them at work too etc and opportunities can arise.

dotsman

Wanderer2010 wrote: »

You are exactly the kind of workmate I would avoid. The thought of spending time in a pub listening to someone like you would do my head in! I'm not trying to be mean but seriously, to say something like if you cant drink with workmates you shouldn't be working with them is either ignorance or naivety. You must be working with carbon copies of yourself or are lucky enough to gel with everyone around you.
In the real world, you have to work with people who you have absolutely nothing in common with, some whom you downright despise and others who have odd and weird methods of interacting with others or poor hygiene etc but for the sake of peace you have to get on with it. Finding one, maybe two people who you like is a pleasant surprise. Then you have people who don't drink, others who are religious, more still who are alcoholics.

Fine, you don't have to come to the pub with us! But you'll end up just hating your job and your life even more.

In my "real world", I have never despised anyone I've worked with. Even those who I'm having difficulty with in the office, I have enjoyed drinking with (and often finding out how to overcome our difficulties). Throughout my career, working with different teams, I have worked with people of all ages, from all types of backgrounds, at least a dozen countries, several religions and it has never stopped me interacting with them as a friend. We would often be joined by "non-drinking" (for religious reasons) team-mates who would still have a laugh and unwind for a few hours.

Ultimately, I spend more time with my colleagues than I do my own family and friends. I would find it absolutely miserable to have to spend so much of my life in the company of people and not enjoy said company for a few hours on a Friday evening away from the pressure of the office.

From a work environment, I feel it is also essential. Working in a high pressure environment, where you are so dependent on others, you simply can't get the job done (well) if you're not on friendly terms with everyone.

Wanderer2010

dotsman wrote: »

Fine, you don't have to come to the pub with us! But you'll end up just hating your job and your life even more.

In my "real world", I have never despised anyone I've worked with. Even those who I'm having difficulty with in the office, I have enjoyed drinking with (and often finding out how to overcome our difficulties). Throughout my career, working with different teams, I have worked with people of all ages, from all types of backgrounds, at least a dozen countries, several religions and it has never stopped me interacting with them as a friend. We would often be joined by "non-drinking" (for religious reasons) team-mates who would still have a laugh and unwind for a few hours.

Ultimately, I spend more time with my colleagues than I do my own family and friends. I would find it absolutely miserable to have to spend so much of my life in the company of people and not enjoy said company for a few hours on a Friday evening away from the pressure of the office.

From a work environment, I feel it is also essential. Working in a high pressure environment, where you are so dependent on others, you simply can't get the job done (well) if you're not on friendly terms with everyone.

Its great that you have worked with diverse people etc but it wouldn't be the experience of a lot of people to get on with and drink with many of their workmates and that wouldn't necessarily make them miserable just because of that. I also work in a somewhat pressured environment where I must work as a team and talk to all types of people. That's work, you bite your tongue sometimes but get on with it and be professional.

But when its over I get on with my life, enjoy my hobbies and spending time with family and friends. There are a few people I like chatting to in work but they also have their lives out of work so I don't meet with them out of work. Id be careful to insinuate that people (even non-drinking people) who don't choose to spend even more time with workmates are somehow miserable and I certainly don't hate my life even more, where are you coming from with that?! Ive been to a few of these events early in my career and they tend to be dominated by people who like the sound of their own voice whilst loudly exclaiming to others how much of a legend they are.

Sometimes but it's usually a quiet pint by myself. In another life I worked in a place that would organise regular nights out. I think I went to two in all my years there. It's not my thing at all at all.

dotsman

Wanderer2010 wrote: »

Its great that you have worked with diverse people etc but it wouldn't be the experience of a lot of people to get on with and drink with many of their workmates and that wouldn't necessarily make them miserable just because of that. I also work in a somewhat pressured environment where I must work as a team and talk to all types of people. That's work, you bite your tongue sometimes but get on with it and be professional.

But when its over I get on with my life, enjoy my hobbies and spending time with family and friends. There are a few people I like chatting to in work but they also have their lives out of work so I don't meet with them out of work. Id be careful to insinuate that people (even non-drinking people) who don't choose to spend even more time with workmates are somehow miserable and I certainly don't hate my life even more, where are you coming from with that?! Ive been to a few of these events early in my career and they tend to be dominated by people who like the sound of their own voice whilst loudly exclaiming to others how much of a legend they are.

Well, clearly you lead a very different life (and work environment) to me. Why do I think you are miserable in your job? Because the work life you describe sounds very miserable to me, and the language you use to describe it certainly implies that you find it miserable as well

• "to work with people who you have absolutely nothing in common with, some whom you downright despise and others who have odd and weird methods of interacting with others or poor hygiene etc but for the sake of peace you have to get on with it"
• "Finding one, maybe two people who you like is a pleasant surprise"
• "I must work as a team"
• "you bite your tongue"
• etc

For me, my work is one of my hobbies. It is something I enjoy (and if/when I don't, it's time to move on). I'm not going to waste a huge part of my life doing something I don't enjoy with people I don't enjoy spending time with. As an example, I left a job over a year ago now and still regularly meet up with my ex colleagues for nights out (maybe about once every 2 months), and hopefully will for years to come.

Friday nights are about unwinding after the week. They are about finding out that you do, in fact, have a lot in common with your colleagues. They are about laughing at the problems you faced during the week and the problems you expect to face in the coming week. They are about talking about non-work related things. They are about meeting new people who work on other teams. They are about resolving office conflicts in a fun, friendly way. They are about catching up with people who you used to work closely with on a previous project. They are about talking to teammates about private, intimate things happening in your/their lives. They are about exploring possibilities for career advancement. They are about meeting new people. They are about forging relationships with people you may some day end up working with. They are about talking to people from other teams and discovering interesting things that they are doing. They are about hooking up with someone from the office. They are about interacting with more senior members of the organisation in a non-formal setting.

But most of all, they are simply about having fun.

I just cannot comprehend how anyone has a problem with that.

Oh, and P.S., in all my Friday nights out with work colleagues, I have never heard anybody exclaim how much of a "legend" they are (or anything to that effect)

Adyx

I work in a pub so yes, except I don't really go anywhere.

Miss Demeanour

I don't.
I find I have enough in the hip flask and filing cabinet to get me through the day.

Sunny Disposition

Used to do it years ago when I didn't have to drive home. Would still have a few drinks with colleagues a few times a year, have some good friends at work, but don't think it's a great idea to do it every week or two, because I work in an office and we already spend a load of time together. The problem is if you go out with colleagues you inevitably spend a good while chatting about work, that's good to do occasionally but only occasionally.

Mrs OBumble

mariaalice wrote: »

My husband once worked for a New Zealander who would brake out a case of beer on a Friday afternoon they would finish an hour early and drink the beer in the office.

Indeed, a very common practise in lots of offices there. One of the things I miss, I don't get to know colleagues here nearly as well.

Over here on the west coast of Ireland some people dont even go to the office on Fridays. Many others finish work and have to drive for an hour to get home, so no drinkies for them. Work drinks are a rare thing indeed.

everlast75

damo86 wrote: »

If you can't do your job pissed....you can't do your job!

I just might get that tattooed on me I love it so much

TimeToShine

Wanderer2010 wrote: »

You are exactly the kind of workmate I would avoid. The thought of spending time in a pub listening to someone like you would do my head in! I'm not trying to be mean but seriously, to say something like if you cant drink with workmates you shouldn't be working with them is either ignorance or naivety. You must be working with carbon copies of yourself or are lucky enough to gel with everyone around you.
In the real world, you have to work with people who you have absolutely nothing in common with, some whom you downright despise and others who have odd and weird methods of interacting with others or poor hygiene etc but for the sake of peace you have to get on with it. Finding one, maybe two people who you like is a pleasant surprise. Then you have people who don't drink, others who are religious, more still who are alcoholics.

I don't know what field of work you're in but generally the people you work with would have gone through the same rigmarole as you did to get to where you are and should definitely have something in common with you. You think they just lump engineers doctors and supermodels together in an office and hope for the best? People work in groups and the best teams are those who can have a bit of fun together.

tomwaterford

TimeToShine wrote: »

I don't know what field of work you're in but generally the people you work with would have gone through the same rigmarole as you did to get to where you are and should definitely have something in common with you. You think they just lump engineers doctors and supermodels together in an office and hope for the best? People work in groups and the best teams are those who can have a bit of fun together.

But why would you want to go out with people you work with though??

Unless it was a going away party/xmas or something special....


Your in work long enough.... Make time for friends and family after work

Your Face

I don't really after work but I'll head out for a night if a sound bunch are heading out.

Erik Shin

Your Face wrote: »

I don't really after work but I'll head out for a night if a sound bunch are heading out.

There was a disco in Tralee back in the 90's and their advert on 2fm was "see your face, in the place'...Just made me smile is all when i saw your username

Your Face

Erik Shin wrote: »

There was a disco in Tralee back in the 90's and their advert on 2fm was "see your face, in the place'...Just made me smile is all when i saw your username

I'm stealing that.

robbiezero

Rarely go. I work in IT and on the work nights out, I have found that most of the night is nerds talking tommy rot about nerd stuff or people talking about work, both of which bore the arse off me so I avoid like the plague.

osarusan

Occasionally, but not often. It doesn't happen often and can be a bit gossipy and cliquey anyway.

One of my mates does this every Friday ,
He gets completely wrote off and cant do anything for whole weekend.
what a waste of life.

yourdeadwright

I wonder is it an age thing,
I get on really well with my work mates, I go to the Christmas party and each summer we have a weekend at one of the other office in Europe ,destination changes each time., but I would not go for drinks after work ,
I just after a weeks work want to get home to the missus and kids to start the weekend, and if I do have the chance or time or have the money for a few beer id rather spend it with my normal friends who I don't get to see much as everyone is in there mid 30's now,
When I was in my 20's id go out with work any Friday no problem at all ,
So I wonder is it age dependent,

silverharp

damo86 wrote: »

If you can't do your job pissed....you can't do your job!

as a doctor would say "we are doctors not airline pilots"

Ush1

robbiezero wrote: »

Rarely go. I work in IT and on the work nights out, I have found that most of the night is nerds talking tommy rot about nerd stuff or people talking about work, both of which bore the arse off me so I avoid like the plague.

Yeah I notice this a fair bit in IT. Especially when I have to deal with programmers. Christ some of them need a good shake or a personality transplant or something.

tupenny

Only when I'm obliged to- a leaving do , xmas etc
Rather go out/ spend my time with actual friends, not people who just happen to work in the same building as me. Spend more than enough time with them already

DaeryssaOne

In my previous job there were loads of us around the same age, under similar pressures etc. who really enjoyed meeting up and having the craic most Friday nights and it was always great fun.
In my current job, everybody drives to the office and most people are a bit older and just have no interest in seeing their colleagues outside of work. We have our Christmas party and go along to leaving drinks if necessary but no, it's definitely a thing for the younger generation working in city centres and is something I do miss the occasional Friday when I get home and that's that for the night!

Dravokivich

Used to regularly enough up to about 5/6 years ago. Now I only head out with the crowd a few times a year.

tomwaterford

tomwaterford wrote: »

But why would you want to go out with people you work with though??

Unless it was a going away party/xmas or something special....


Your in work long enough.... Make time for friends and family after work

Becuse the people I work with in all the places I've worked have become very good friends. In particular where I currently work the people I work with are my main group of friends in this part of the country.

I have no desire to keep work people seperate from social life in fact I like the exact opposite where I regularly interact with work friends outside of work. Going for nearly weekly after work drinks would be the minimum, for example a crowd of us from work are all heading away on the pi*s this weekend to another city. Only way we know each other is from working in the same place but everyone gets on and has become friends.

yourdeadwright wrote: »

as everyone is in there mid 30's now,
When I was in my 20's id go out with work any Friday no problem at all ,
So I wonder is it age dependent,

Maybe for some but myself and my work friends/colleagues would be mostly in the early to mid 30's age bracket and nights out would be very regular. Some would have kids but not that many (and they are very glad of the nights out as much as anyone, especially if they have a young child). I think the work place culture has a lot to do with it, nights out are a big part of where I work. There is at least monthly organised nights out and then impromptu ones more regularly.

biko

I do go for drinks after work occasionally, just not with co-workers.
Instead I go with IRL friends.

I used to once or twice a month when I was a younger man without commitments and commuted by train. Sometimes with work colleagues but more often with friends.

I don't these days - the younger workers in the office do go out regularly. When I have gone out at Christmas or for a leaver I don't drink and I drive home.