Drinking at Work

I drive so it's almost impossible. Except if I find myself on a site at lunch time and will not be going near a car until after 5pm, then I could risk a half pint with lunch but that is so rare as to make it pretty much never for me I'm afraid.

Slightly OT but a few years ago I worked in a consultancy in New Zealand. The office environment was fairly uptight and there wasn't much craic there, except that ever friday at 5pm they opened a bar. In the office. In the company boardroom.
Each week a different department would be the bar staff and it was all subsidised by the company so that it only cost 50c a beer.

The thing is though that nobody really abused it. Like most people would come down for 1 drink before heading off with only some of the younger members of staff staying longer.

All I could think of was, how this could never happen in Ireland for so many reasons (VFI up in arms, people getting messy etc)

Mike 1972 wrote: »

I didnt mean dangerous for you specifically



The problem: Excessive alcohol consumption
The solution: Consume more alcohol.

Jaysus, Mike1972, you're great craic :rolleyes:

rorymcgrory wrote: »

So drinking a couple of times a month is alcoholism? Wow.

Well, yeah, potentially. It's not what you drink or the amount but the effect it has on you that makes that call. Somebody can drink 2-3 pints a night, 5 nights a week and that's not alcoholism. But somebody else can drink 3 times a month and if each of those is a massive 12 hour binge or whole weekend binge which causes problems, even small ones, then that's potential alcoholism. Having a few pints at lunchtime after a heavy session as a once off is one thing - but if this is something you've done before or if you find yourself repeating it further on down the line ("ah sure it was grand before, I'll do it again, it'll be grand this time too"), then you might be starting down that road. Using phrases like "a sneaky few pints" to belittle the fact that you're drinking at times that you shouldn't be is really just ignoring what may (or, in fairness, may not) be a potential problem.

fearbainne wrote: »

Was in Chicago for the summer doing carpentry, every single day the boss went to the offy for a 12 pack of miller high life for us after lunch..

That was the life...:rolleyes:

Rather drink water to be honest, if he was sound I would have sent him back for some good beer

I think it's not done in Ireland because the concept of having one pint is strange where elsewhere having one drink is normal. In other countries beer comes in smaller measurements so less chance of getting the taste for an afternoon on the lash.

When I'm away on hols - some place in Spain, say.. Am always amazed at the people having pints & red wine with their breakfasts - and these people wouldn't be Irish!

The drinkiest at work nation I have ever seen is England, especially London. Temped in an office where all employees had their favourite beer stocked up, and replenished weekly. I have heard that they will get a big tv in the office for the rugby world cup, as the finance director is a thirsty kiwi. Would love to be back there now...

yupyup7up wrote: »

Of course I'm going to be defensive about it! Why the hell should anybody be spoken to in that manner by people like you? What difference does it make to you if somebody wants a drink? I'm not an alcoholic but I do enjoy having a pint whenever I feel like it.

Who are you to criticize people on what they do in their spare time? Are you the genius that opened up the alcohol free nightclub in Temple Bar by any chance? I don't go around criticizing pioneers, so what's your problem?

We'll need a cherrypicker to get you down, because that's one seriously high horse.

Yeah, right you are.
I drink just like everyone else, and have done since I was a teenager, just like most people in this country.

I just don't see how anyone feels the need to drink during work, even though they know their jobs may be on the line if caught, and then try to justify it!

The first step is acceptance!

yupyup7up wrote: »

sure whats wrong with a pint at lunch?

Nothing at all.
Unless of course you have to go back and do a job that will give you a warning/fire you if caught.
And especially if your alcohol intake compromises your ability to do your job.

This thread has me dying for a lunchtime pint now.

Used to work in advertising so there was always booze onhand in the kitchen. On a particularly difficult brief we'd reward ourselves with a shot for coming up with an idea. Always drinks at your desk on Friday afternoon, normally after a couple in the pub at lunchtime.

Now I work at home and the pub is too far away. But will often have a drink at the end of the working day on Thurs or Friday.

We're getting too American in our view on alcohol in Ireland. Making drinking alcohol taboo under certain circumstances just creates problem. We need freer alcohol laws and culture to take the focus of alcohol as a nation.

If you say people are alcoholics by drinking a couple at lunchtime (like the rest of Europe), then they become by default alcoholics.

Not a problem in the rest of Europe.