Skipping work happy hours?
Hey guys, I’m an analyst 1 at a BB. Pretty much I don’t like a majority of the juniors on my team and plan to do the standard 2 years and out. I have 0 desire to make associate.
I don’t care about making top bucket either, I grew up poor and am just happy to be here. Also don’t want to be staffed too heavily since I have a life outside of work that doesn’t revolve around finance (my group has decent WLB). This job is more a means to an end for me, work is work type stuff.
My question is has anyone gotten fired for skipping work happy hours or had it come up in performance reviews? My colleagues are pretty lame and I’d like to not see them outside of work.
Lol what fired for skipping HHs?
Of course not. These are not dealmaking dinners, most people go for 45 min and talk to the same guy they usually talk to. Unless you're having HHs every week this is a total non-issue.
Especially if you don't care about moving up or being top bucket, skip and do not feel bad about it
Hey there, swinging from the branches to give you some insights! Based on the most helpful WSO content, it's not common to get fired for skipping work happy hours, especially if your work performance is solid. However, it's important to consider a few things:
Networking and Perception: Happy hours can be a key part of networking within your firm. Skipping them might lead to a perception that you're not a team player or not interested in the company culture, which could potentially impact your standing or opportunities for certain projects.
Balance and Boundaries: It's totally fine to have boundaries and a life outside of work. If you're managing your workload and delivering quality work, that's what matters most. Just be sure to communicate effectively with your team.
Performance Reviews: While attendance at social events usually isn't a formal part of performance reviews, the relationships and impressions you make (or don't make) can informally influence how you're perceived and reviewed by your peers and superiors.
Alternatives: If you're not keen on happy hours, maybe there are other ways to engage with your colleagues that are more aligned with your interests. This could be work-related groups, volunteering, or other team-building activities that don't revolve around drinking.
Remember, it's all about finding that sweet spot where you can maintain your professional relationships without feeling like you're sacrificing your personal values or time. Keep swinging high, and don't let the office politics drag you down!
Sources: Trouble with HR - intern overdrinking, Fired from PE firm for getting too drunk at company outing, Fired from PE firm for getting too drunk at company outing, The Work Always Gets Done, How Do You Deal With the BB Sweatshop Hours?
Which group? I also want a group with decent WLB
Would definitely gauge the temperature of the room in your group. Completely agree that you shouldn’t have to worry about attending socials but I’ve seen more than one colleague in past firms get pushed out for “not being the right fit” for dodging drinks and such.
Here's what I recommend -- attend just enough of them but not all of them. 1 in 2 would be a good ratio, at worst 1 in 3 should let you slide by
A quote a mentor gave me early on in my career with this type of stuff sticks. He said:
"I dont want to go to all the happy hours, but I want to be invited to all the happy hours"
Basically if you say no enough times they will just exclude you from everything. Even if you dont want to go to company events all the time (and tbh going less may be nice, limit your supply therefore increase your demand) it's nice to go to enough where you are still considered for an invite
No one would even notice
This is a terrible outlook. You don’t have to go to every happy hour but you should certainly make an effort to connect with your analyst class. Almost everyone has something interesting about them whether it’d be their views, life experience, hobbies, or whatever else if you can draw it out.
Moreover, from a pure self interest standpoint, people from your analyst class will become more influential over time and some percentage of them will be hyper successful. You have zero social capital to draw on if you close yourself off, and that dynamic doesn’t just apply to some distant future. What if you want to work at a company one of your fellow analysts left for? Can you call on them for help in securing a role?
I can tell you from first hand experience that a sizable percentage of business completed in my last job was because the leaders at the company called on their analyst/associate friends from the time they were juniors.
If you are a nepotism hire, then you can afford to act standoffish but you are not. I urge you to change your outlook, and this advice is coming from someone who came from a similar background as you.
Love this answer. Even if you don't drink alcohol for personal, religious, etc reasons it makes no sense to exclude yourself from a professional social context. Just get a soda or whatever and be friendly with everyone.
One of the few reasos I'm still in this industry, outside of being able to perform, was just being social and getting opportunities typically word of mouth. I got a 2nd chance from an analyst (now PM) because we had an insanely hilarious conversation, and he still remembered our inside joke.
Spot on. You can also find another group on your floor or wherever that’s cool and just chill with them rather than your direct colleagues. Leaving the bank having developed no meaningful relationships will come back to bite you OP.
I had a COO that wanted to hook up and for me to go to happy hour every night, but I was trying to cut weight and I started declining, then we had a really bad month at the company and I was kicked off of the executive team.
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