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How Much Should I Drink? The Employee’s Party Guide

If you’ve been employed for any length of time, you’ve undoubtedly attended an office party, been taken on a night on the tiles after a corporate event, an awards ceremony or even been invited to a boss’ wedding. Each and every one of these situations calls for a different etiquette, but they all share one common element: alcohol.

There’s no crime in enjoying a drink and least of all if your employer has brought in a mobile bar or cocktail mixologist to whip up something special, but many will still find themselves scratching their heads wondering if mixing business and pleasure this way is a good idea.

How Much Should I Drink? The Employee's Party Guide
cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo shared by geckoam

Whether you’re at a networking event or enjoying your colleagues’ company at an office do, the decision about whether or not to partake of a libation, and how much you take, is never easy. Take your first cue from the corporate culture both of your employer and the people around you: if those senior to you in the organisation are drinking freely then you should feel relaxed about drinking too.

This, however, might apply in reverse if you are a senior manager. If you have a number of employees below you, you might want to keep your professional and personal relationships very separate by sticking to just one or two drinks. However, many managers find that allowing themselves to enjoy a drink with their employees is a fantastic team builder and enables the team to be more sympathetic with one another. Take your cue from your relationships with your employees and you can’t go wrong.

Another signal to look at is whether alcohol is provided at the event and if so how many drinks are put aside for each employee or delegate: many companies will provide a bar that allows for around two drinks per head, or even hand out coupons for employees to redeem for their fair share of drinks, after which they’ll have to pay for their own. This gives you a fantastic idea of how much your employer expects you to drink, so pay attention.

With this out of the way, consider how well you can handle yourself when inebriated. Does it make you the life and soul of the party, or do you say or admit things you’d normally keep to yourself? If the latter, you might want to stick to just one or two drinks and sip at them slowly, but if you cope well with alcohol and the atmosphere around you is relaxed then you could afford a couple more spread out across the night.

The last and most vital thing to consider before you enjoying a couple of drinks at your corporate event is about how you feel about letting your personal and professional lives intersect. If you would rather keep them separate, then nurse your beverages and bow out early, but remember that alcohol can be a great ice breaker and you may be missing out on networking opportunities and potentially beneficial professional relationships if you do.

Whether you choose to drink until the bar closes, or leave before any serious drinking gets done, remember that the point of any corporate event or office party is to have fun. As long as you do that it will surely always be a night to remember.


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