Politics of Post-Work Drinks

if you like them, go as often as you can. (good fun)

if you can tolerate them, go as often as the average person in your office. (good manners)

if you don't like them, go as often as you must. (good god don't get drunk though)

Politics of MMMM....FEELING GOOD!

darraghmac OTM

My company is owned and run by non-imbibing LDS churchfolk, so there is the added frisson of "should I get a glass of wine w/ dinner if the big boss is there?" among my co-workers. I don't really care, so drink if I feel like it. Drinking w/ co-workers - darraghmac's advice otm.

Is it important to you that you like the people you work with?

Less so, now than in the past. If they're good at what they do and don't make my life any worse, then just tolerating them is okay.

not doing this has almost certainly impacted my career negatively, in some respects

I have only rarely worked in places where this was even an option. Damn responsible family types!

Also, I've been unblessed enough to often work with a buncha damn teatotallers.

i don't mind my coworkers but i don't really want to hang out with them. so, i dont

we break out the wine on fridays but no one in my office goes out to bars for drinks. I pretty much like everybody tho, to varying degrees, and have definitely hung out socially with all of them (admittedly some more than others).

(based on when i had a job natch)

Do you get on with your workmates yes and do you go for drinks with them? no

If so, do you feel it benefits your job? it would not have done, no.

If not, does it impact negatively on your job (e.g. bad vibes, weakens relationships) maybe a bit, but not much.

If you don't like them but still go for drinks, how does this work out? not too well. not mega-badly.

Is it important to you that you like the people you work with? yes Is it important to you that you're able to go for a drink with them? no

i work with 100% drunks so it's really Politics of At-Work Drinks

people at my job love to booze it up together but hardly ever join them.

when i worked at a restaurant it was pretty much a mandatory thing to get drinks with your coworkers basically because of the weird hours we had in common.

Do you get on with your workmates and do you go for drinks with them? Yes x2.

If so, do you feel it benefits your job? Has no bearing on my job whatsoever.

If not, does it impact negatively on your job (e.g. bad vibes, weakens relationships) Some of them get sort of whiny if you don't go at least once in a while, but it again, it really has no bearing on my job.

Is it important to you that you like the people you work with? Is it important to you that you're able to go for a drink with them? I prefer to like them all a lot (although it obviously doesn't always happen), and it's nice to be able to drink with them, but my world certainly wouldn't end if we stopped doing it.

The one place workplace where I went for after-work drinks was Kinko's. There was a microbrewery w/fantastic beer next door, and all the other 5 guys and me who worked the 1-10 shit would go wind down with a beer or two afterward. My manager usually insisted on paying. We all liked the same movies/comics/books/music and so we had fun conversations about that. Mainly, though, we'd discuss our jobs. Some "aaaarrrrrggghhh fuck" stuff, but surprisingly, we mainly encouraged each other in solidarity. The place got bought out by FedEx recently and a lot of things were changing, so we'd just grab each others' shoulders all dranked out and pep talk each other.

It was encouraging, but we all ended up quitting within the same two-week time frame. We were some of the best employees there but we'd got over 1. our mutually-shared need & encouragement to excel and 2. guilt about how the other employees would have to deal with losing six employees.

I think if we hadn't been so solidaritied-out with one another we would have all come to our senses and jumped the sinking ship far sooner. In this way, it was a drawback to my working life.

oops, 1-10 shift, but an appropriate freudian slip

My cow-orkers are going for one of these tomorrow night. I've still never done it. This time's in my neighborhood, so somewhat toying with the idea...

...no, no, what am I thinking?!

i'm calling them cow-orkers from now on

I stole it from some classic epic-length ILM thread... I think the 1n5an3 C10wn P0553 one?

IT IS A CUSTOS JOKE

It's from one of those awful Scott Adams' how-I'd-run-the-world books.

Do you get on with your workmates and do you go for drinks with them? I get on with most of them but I have slightly different hours so I only drink with a select cadre of heroes.

If so, do you feel it benefits your job? Inasmuch as it builds camraderie and complicity, yes, but I'm not always a huge fan of talking shop.

If not, does it impact negatively on your job (e.g. bad vibes, weakens relationships) In one case, I have a co-worker who is otherwise fine, but were he not my co-worker, I wouldn't be seen dead drinking with him. He drinks vile drinks, gets loud and obnoxious, and is completely oblivious to what a boor he becomes, unlike me who remains a perfect angel at all times.

If you don't like them but still go for drinks, how does this work out? "I gotta go. I forgot, I'm taking care of someone's cats and I need to go feed them."

Is it important to you that you like the people you work with? Is it important to you that you're able to go for a drink with them? At the workplace, I prefer people who are competent but not sociable to people who are great company but make work harder or more complicated. At the end of the day, I don't go to work 'cause I like anybody, though that's a plus, but for the money. I've worked with and for loads of people with whom I never socialized and been perfectly fine with it.

i am really happy my current job doesn't have any social obligations like these! the worst was working for an insurance company with a bunch of unhappy, terrible drunks...my then-boss once came on to me and when i said no then tried to insist on giving me money (?! i'm not sure what the intention of this was?) wow that was really awkward. he was married with a kid on the way, ugh.

"Oh god I'm so sorry, that was inexcusable of me... here, take this... we're even-steven now, okay? Okay?"

Also, I had no idea "cow-orker" had such a sordid history.

yeah, he was pretty far gone and i'm not sure if he even remembered any of it. that company was just awful. the dudes were always expensing client meetings that ended up at scores.

Wowowow. You and Ally should talk sometime, she's got a DOOZY of an employment history.

i'm just realllly happy that everyone in my department is female or gay. horray! (no offense to non-lecherous straight dudes)

Do you get on with your workmates and do you go for drinks with them?

Yes, mostly. My least favorite ones, the ones I don't really want to have a drink with, are such lightweights that they're gone by 7 anyway.

If so, do you feel it benefits your job?

It helps, sure. It's good to get all fuzzy and spill all the current gossip and hearsay. Builds camaraderie.

Is it important to you that you like the people you work with?

I don't have to like all of them, but there have to be people around to relate to, and make the unbearable ones bearable.

Is it important to you that you're able to go for a drink with them?

Important? I dunno... maybe. It's nice sometimes. I could live without coworker beers, I suppose.

xpost what about lecherous-to-women gay dudes? (e.g. 5urm0un73r)

What about clingy fag hags who won't leave gays alone?

What about clingy fag hags who won't leave gays alone?

None work with me. I do work with a couple of clingy male fag hags.

I usually go to happy hour with coworkers, former coworkers, friends we've in common, and my boss on occasion. There's no tension and we get on fine.

try knowing me jon lewis thanks.

i hate going out for drinks with coworkers out of guilt, which happens like all the fucking time. sucks.

"guilt"?

catholic guilt?

i need a good excuse to get out of this

yes, this one person in particular doesn't have many friends. and i ALWWWWWAYS know when we're working together, she's going to ask me, and i feel BAD for her. guilty if i don't go. so i always do which SUCKS cuz i'm wasting money and time.

lunch.