Drinking on The Job

I was reading this thread.

And many people in some higher level positions have admitted to having a bottle of alcohol in their office, or a case of beer in their desks. Does anyone else drink on the job, or seen their boss do so? I can't imagine this being done at some of the bigger BB, but perhaps in the smaller HFs...maybe I'm wrong though.

 

I mean some groups will have beers together friday evening, perhaps in the office depending on firm policy. There are senior guys who keep nice bottles of liquor at their desk. But I've never seen anyone pour themselves a double after getting bad news, if that's what you mean.

 

Americans are such pussies about drinking on the job. When I was in the UK, my boss bought me a round my first day at work during lunch. And it was cool to drink on the job as long as there wasn't a client around.

Now that I'm back in the states, I see people freaking about this and other stupid shit. On one of my interviews after coming back, the interviewer took me to a British pub for lunch, i guess they assumed I'd feel at home even though I'm local. When I asked them if it was cool we get a pint they looked at me like I just shat all over the table and rolled in my fecies.

I had to explain that everyone drinks in Europe and apologized for the faux pas. In the end I didn't get that job. So I'd be careful about talking about drinking at work.

 
cibo:

Americans are such pussies about drinking on the job. When I was in the UK, my boss bought me a round my first day at work during lunch. And it was cool to drink on the job as long as there wasn't a client around.

Now that I'm back in the states, I see people freaking about this and other stupid shit. On one of my interviews after coming back, the interviewer took me to a British pub for lunch, i guess they assumed I'd feel at home even though I'm local. When I asked them if it was cool we get a pint they looked at me like I just shat all over the table and rolled in my fecies.

I had to explain that everyone drinks in Europe and apologized for the faux pas. In the end I didn't get that job. So I'd be careful about talking about drinking at work.

 

When I used to work in finance we had an office rule that any time one of the sales guys closed a 1mm+ sale everyone in the office had to take a shot.

Follow the shit your fellow monkeys say @shitWSOsays Life is hard, it's even harder when you're stupid - John Wayne

Its one thing to have an occasional beer during lunch at a restuarant, or even pop open a bottle a champagne in the office during some special occasion, but to keep a bottle of vodka in your cabinet so you can swig away during a mundane day just seems a little ridiculous.

And regarding BBs, I've heard stories of prop trading desks opening champagne, in the office, after a really good day/month.

 

Worked in MO profile with a small HF...and on those chance fridays with top brass all gone and only we left to man the tower! we smoked weed, got high and still did the job!! but that goes without saying, in ops, life is easy and it takes 1/10th of your brain to get through the day smoothly...

"A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it." ~George Moore
 

Do you think a nation's drinking culture has anything to do with its development and progress? Level of corruption? I'm from Ukraine and when I go back, people drink all the time. Like, vodka with every meal. It's just a normal thing. It's also one of like the top 10 most corrupt countries in the world.

 
bic:

Do you think a nation's drinking culture has anything to do with its development and progress? Level of corruption? I'm from Ukraine and when I go back, people drink all the time. Like, vodka with every meal. It's just a normal thing. It's also one of like the top 10 most corrupt countries in the world.

Astute observation. I'd never really thought of the correlation between lots of booze and corruption, but I get it.

In my group it's acceptable to drink at work, but we're too busy to be drinking at lunch on any regular Tuesday. It's the events, Fridays, and special occasions in general where it's socially perfectly acceptable to have a few drinks.

 
Best Response
Matt H.:

Doesn't seem worth the risk...drinking alcohol or even having it at work can look very unprofessional

Fucking nerd.

"For I am a sinner in the hands of an angry God. Bloody Mary full of vodka, blessed are you among cocktails. Pray for me now and at the hour of my death, which I hope is soon. Amen."
 
udkeudke:

Over in PE land, every time we close a deal, the entire deal team smokes Cubans and drinks scotch to celebrate.

So basically...you never smoke Cubans or drink scotch?

speed boost blaze
 

I'll grab a few beers at lunch with the other analysts if things are slow. No one notices.

Occasionally on a Friday the partners here will send us out to pick up some beer and liquor and we will drink at the office, usually starting around 4 pm. Again, only when things are really slow.

"For I am a sinner in the hands of an angry God. Bloody Mary full of vodka, blessed are you among cocktails. Pray for me now and at the hour of my death, which I hope is soon. Amen."
 

This thread really grew from what I had initially expected it to be. Glad to see many drink in moderation on the job. Airplane size alcohol bottles it is!

Once I did bad and that I heard ever. Twice I did good and that I heard never.
 

So this guy at my bank where I interned would order a normal dinner over seamless, and then change it to all beer over the phone. Worked pretty well, got a 6 pack out of it.

 
KermitBee:

My cousin works in High Finance... he definitely "Rails" a few down during lunch. But then again, he's up there.

Tell me more! Sounds like your cousin is the shit!

"For I am a sinner in the hands of an angry God. Bloody Mary full of vodka, blessed are you among cocktails. Pray for me now and at the hour of my death, which I hope is soon. Amen."
 

What a load of shit, it's not illegal unless you drive or operate heavy equipment for a living. However it could get you fired if your bosses are a bunch of tight asses.

Follow the shit your fellow monkeys say @shitWSOsays Life is hard, it's even harder when you're stupid - John Wayne
 

When I worked at a UK BB in IBD I'd drink copiously on the job. Beers at lunch were routine, and sometimes on slow summer days I'd get wasted at lunch and say "fuck it" and go home.

I also kept several bottles of whiskey in my desk and would pour myself and coworkers some once it got late. When we were working weekends lots of people would have beers at their desk.

 

Personally, I never really understood this. Boozing in the office usually doesn't happen in the bigger shops from my experience. Personally, I'd rather down some coffee, put my head down and bang out the work...so I can actually enjoy myself at the bar OUTSIDE the office.

Please don't quote Patrick Bateman.
 

I'm with a CRE firm based in Orange County (interning). Never seen so many people drink booze at work in my life. This is all during special occasions or in-office events of course.

I had a flair for languages. But I soon discovered that what talks best is dollars, dinars, drachmas, rubles, rupees and pounds fucking sterling.
 

Tech company I was at last summer (extremely well-known company, ~1000 employees) always had some beers in the fridge. Was pretty drunk at work during an internal hackathon and during our summer carnival. Moreover, beers on Friday afternoon were very common.

Just about every company I did an on-site with for next summer either had a great beer collection in their fridges or openly advertised their Friday boozing during interviews.

 

in the week before christmas a few guys had a beer during the day due to a fire alarm but then again half the office was in the pub during that fire alarm and the week was way more chilled out in general. A few times I went for a beer late in the evening with a colleague and came back to finish some easy stuff. I've never seen anybody actually drunk in the office other than people who were just coming back from nearby places to avail of the free cab service onwards to their next drinking spot.

 

Sometimes if we're working late on a Friday/Saturday but not too slammed, a few other analysts and I will order some beers or a bottle of wine with our dinner allowance.

No crazy stories though.

  • Capt K
- Capt K - "Prestige is like a powerful magnet that warps even your beliefs about what you enjoy. If you want to make ambitious people waste their time on errands, bait the hook with prestige." - Paul Graham
 

How about during the day anybody bring some vodka/water mix in a water bottle? Seems like a good strategy ill let you guys know how it goes.

Theres a fine line between jacking off into a window and out of a window

 

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