Now we all know that in the UK this is accepted and normal. But what about here in the land of liquor poor outs and state owned off licences? It's time we found out!

In my former line of work I was not allowed to consume alcohol within 8 hours of starting a shift.

I always assumed this also precluded liquid lunches.

I thought B.C. had privatized at least some of its retail alcohol sales within the last year or two?

Alberta has privatized all retail alcohol sales, however as far as I understand they still have a firm grip on the wholesale end of it.

Without wishing to derail this thread - the BC LCB owns some liquor stores and there are some private ones. The private ones have to buy the stuff they sell from the BC LCB I think.

Back on topic, my job in the UK had occasional lunch time pints. Every now and then we'd just not bother going back to work (maybe once every 6 months or so). I never felt guilty about this as most people I know have done it at some point. The work I do is project based and focused on results rather than hours spent at your desk which might make a difference; I doubt a shift worker could get away with that kind of thing.

you are missing an option in your poll...

The one that says "I don't work so I can drink all I want if I want to..."

Most people in my work culture wouldn't be adverse to a drink at lunch, but what usually happens is that we have a late lunch around four, drink a few pints or glasses of wine and leave between 6 and 8pm.

I miss the UK when you'd go for lunch around 11:30am and after a couple of pints and a bottle or two of wine, would jack the rest of the day in and stay until 11:00pm.

My work involved making sure that all aircraft that I talked to did not run into each other and were able to land safely, so was very much focused on results.

Negative results and alcohol were understandably frowned upon.

Yeah, I miss that too. Those days were never planned - they just kind of happened and were all the better because of it.

Ah, yes. I remember now that air traffic controllers don't drink; It's speed and cocaine that they use isn't it.

Could very well be nowadays.

Certainly not when I worked.

As for not drinking you obviously haven't seen most of them after a shift.

haaaa. this thread is awesome. why, i don't know, but it is.

anyway, as a lowly temp i could not booze-off at lunch time, but i saw others with more job security do it, why yes. however, i used to go hold the table at 4pm for all the drinkers...that seemed to be okay if you were a temp.

I work for a US company - I've mentioned before to co-workers that it wasn't unheard of to go for a couple of pints at lunch in the UK and they think I'm a stark raving alchoholic/mental!

(may well be right)

Several of my cradle Canadian colleagues do it, here and in Toronto.

Doesn't seem to be considered off-side

I don't have enough colleagues to make lunch-time boozing the treat it was in the UK.

I worked in various NHS hospitals and lunchtime drinking was widely practised (some staff got very good with all the practice). My profession is 9-5 and doesn't involve involve life-or-death medical scenarios though). Most NHS hospitals are within staggering distance of a boozer.

When I worked at Derby, they had a pub conveniently located in the car park. It was called the Florence Nightingale I believe.

Nowadays, I have to content myself with a mickey poured into a Subway soda cup......

Sarah

PS. Some of this may be untrue. I tend to get legless on a Brown Cow.

Those were the days, eh? I used to work for the PR arm of a major advertising agency; the office (in Canary Wharf) had a bar on the premises so you could sup a pint or two to get the creative juices flowing. It didn't start serving alcohol until around 5pm, though - until then it was a coffee bar.

Best lunch I (vaguely) remember was after a client review meeting that lasted about an hour one morning. We adjourned to a restaurant (with the client, to legitimise the resulting expense claim) for lunch at around 11.30 and left when it closed for the night in the early hours of the following morning.

Today, not so much. There's never any liquor on company premises; lunchtime drinking is absolutely unheard of; a couple of times in the last few years we've gone for an after-work pint but it's been a pretty sorry affair, one drink and they're off home.

That's pretty much my experience. I don't really bother asking any more.

I have always found it strange that people are unable to make it through a work day without a trip to the boozer. If it is a case of go to the boozer, stay there and then head home, I can understand it, but why anyone needs to have a drink and then return to work is beyond me.

The thought of workers for the NHS doing this, sends shivers down my spine.