Years ago I was doing some conflict management at a large brewery. It was a shock at 3pm when the participants headed to the refrigerator to collect their afternoon refreshments. They explained that in the past the bar was open all day but there had been too many forklift accidents – so now office staff waited until three and factory workers collected a case to take home at the end of their shift.
Fast forward to a recent meeting concerning the organizational culture at a growing Internet business in California. One of the things people told us they really liked was the availability of alcohol at work – especially when they worked late or when there was a celebration. The consensus was that the policy on alcohol demonstrated the firm’s trust in its staff and it created a cool vibe at work. This was not a unanimous opinion. The new head of HR highlighted the litigation risks should someone leave work and get into an accident. The CEO acknowledged his dilemma but wasn’t ready to shut things down.
The CEO is not the only one with a dilemma, a recent article in Bloomberg News, (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-13/booze-makes-comeback-in-workplace-with-silicon-valley-twist.html) highlights the issues and risks as well as the growing trend toward making alcohol part of the workplace. The bottom line is the bigger an organization gets the greater the risks. Risks include increased accidents, sexual harassment and litigation.
Centauric Thinking 