But an increasing number of workplaces now have their own licensed bar that serves drinks at a low price, or sometimes even for free. This space can rival the surrounding bars and restaurants in terms of quality, the aim being both to keep staff within the building outside of office hours, and to entertain clients.
Alcohol in the workplace is back in fashion. Living the Mad Men dream and refuting the notion that you can’t mix work with pleasure, global advertising agencies such as Saatchi and Saatchi, JWT and Ogilvy & Mather now have slick work bars for staff and clients alike to enjoy.
But it’s not just the hip ad agencies who are riding this trend.
Everyone from boutique creative agencies to technology start-ups are climbing — unsteadily — aboard the booze bandwagon. San Francisco-based Twitter, supplies wine and beer in its staff fridges. And in the same city, Yelp, a local business search engine, has a keg refrigerator providing a never-ending supply of beer to employees. An iPad app attached to the keg records what staff members are drinking — and adds them to a leader board.
“If you’re at the top of the leader board consistently, I don’t know if that’s a place that you’d want to be,” said Eric Singley, director of Yelp consumer and mobile products. “Luckily, that hasn’t really been an issue.”
For some companies, the need for a bar is obvious. Luxury drinks conglomerate Moët Hennessy recently had its Grade II-listed Georgian building in west London fitted with a permanent space for staff to host clients in. The design was specified to be luxurious and timeless, to match the brand, this was achieved using high-end materials and fixtures; the back bar is fitted with a bevelled mirror, glass shelves, and an anodised aluminium frame with a lacquer border. The front of the bar comprises chevron-patterned tiles, and the bar top, hand selected by Strata Tiles, is deep brown granite, with a complex edge detail.
“Whether a bar is in an office or a five-star hotel, the surface finishes must be representative, first and foremost, of the company’s brand,” explains Jonathan Wiles, director of Strata Tiles. The aim, he suggests, is to serve as a constant reminder, to staff and clients, that Moët Hennessy is a world-leader in luxury goods.
Not every company will have the resources or the need to indulge in this level of opulence. But the issue of staff drinking alcohol in working hours, or on the premises, needs to be considered by facilities managers and HR directors alike. FMs, will, for example, need to think-through the issues involved in managing an alcohol fridge or a bar in the workplace.
A dangerous cocktail?
Employers recognise that staff are increasingly mixing their personal and work lives. There is also an ongoing need to reward staff for their loyalty. Staff working into the small hours and at the weekend have, you could argue, earned a beer or two.
Many employers say they are not worried about staff being drunk on the job. “When you’re working at a start-up, you’re working 24-7 and it takes over your life,” said Joe Beninato, chief executive officer of Tello. But in terms of the social aspect, Beninato plays down the fun-factor: “It’s not like it’s a wild fraternity party or something like that — we’re all adults.”
Employees have to consider that a bar on site can boost staff enjoyment of their workplace and encourage teams to celebrate their successes. This increases the likelihood they’ll network with other teams, which is definitely good for business. Also, being able to offer clients a drink or two can work well in business situations.
When global media network business Mindshare moved into the top two floors of the new Central Saint Giles development in central London, the company decided to install a bar, a restaurant and a roof terrace in the new space. According to Colin Macgadie, creative director of its designers BDG, this establishes Mindshare as a progressive, modern company that cares about the experience of its people: “The fact that you’ve set up your office in this way, or included these kinds of spaces within your workplace, says much more about your company than brand colours or logos on the wall ever will.”
The venture has been a real success, with staff eager to share the space with their clients — who, in turn, want to share it with their own clients.
“The roof terrace is a fantastic offering for staff,” confirms Macgadie. “Clients are now hiring the space for their clients, for functions and workshops. The views, the neutral space, and the catering facilities make it a strong commodity. You can’t put a value on that, when you’ve got your clients bringing their clients to your workplace for a meeting.”
Past the legal limit
Even some traditionally conservative banking and law firms are starting to see the benefits of an on-site offering. Although providing a stocked bar is still fairly rare, several are choosing to add vibrancy and colour to restaurant areas, which are then used as temporary bars and function areas.
Future Designs, a lighting company with many City clients, has coaxed the corporate sector into a new treatment of space using LED lighting. For law firm Clyde and Co, Future Designs recommended up-lighting in the restaurant area that is blue or purple by day and yet uses warmer tones by night. “LEDs have made lighting design feasible and financially viable for the corporate environment,” explains director David Clements. “Colour-changing LEDs present a cost-effective way to take one space and turn it from a breakout area to a more recreational space.”
Roy Parrish, managing director of interior design and build company Ranne Creative Interiors, agrees. “We’re seeing an increasing number of clients using impressive reception areas as informal party areas. Clever organisations want to get as much use as possible from what is usually a large, welcoming space with plenty of organisational branding.”
On the rocks
Few would dispute that employees enjoying the occasional break in a recreational space can have a positive impact on productivity. But the same is not true of alcohol. Some say that introducing alcohol to the workplace is simply fuelling an already problematic drinking culture, which impacts the bottom line and workers’ health.
Last year the charity Alcohol Concern called on the government to introduce a specific policy in the corporate governance code to address alcoholism in the workplace. The group pointed to official figures showing 14 million working days are lost each year, at a cost of £6.4 billion annually, due to forfeited productivity and absenteeism because of excessive drinking.
Eric Appleby, Alcohol Concern’s chief executive, was reported in The Telegraph as saying: “Companies simply have to address attitudes to alcohol and drinking behaviours — it is costing the economy billions every year.” At the start of 2013, the charity launched a campaign to encourage social drinkers to give up alcohol for the 31 days of January. Also, Cancer Research UK launched a ‘Dry January’ campaign for 2013.
According to the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS), there is no direct legal requirement for employing organisations to implement alcohol policies. “However, health and safety at work legislation requires both employers and employees to maintain a safe working environment,” according to an IAS document entitled Alcohol and the Workplace.
“Were an alcohol-related accident to occur, then, depending on circumstances, the employer, the employee concerned, or both, could be liable.”
Despite there being no legal requirement to have a policy, the IAS document notes that many organisations now have one. Typically, these are designed to ensure that employees are sober during working hours and to identify and help employees with a drink problem.
Examples of employing organisations with alcohol policies include British Rail, Ford, Royal Bank of Scotland, Marks and Spencer, Whitbread, Manchester City Council, and Nuclear Electric.
But there may be licensing laws with which organisations need to comply, says Mark Nelson, director of catering at international total facilities management provider OCS. “Having alcohol in the business can be a complex issue. If you charge, you will need to obtain both a premises licence and have a responsible person who obtains a personal licence. If you give away the alcohol, you don’t need a licence. But is giving out alcohol best practice?”
Nelson advises that companies need to consider the pros and cons carefully before going down this road. “Under corporate responsibility, a company risks being liable for the actions of its staff. So, if a member of staff gets drunk and then has an accident, to what extent is the company liable?” Ultimately, the courts might have to decide.
According to Nelson, for city-based firms whose employees are often not driving home, cracking open a bottle of wine on a Friday afternoon to thank half a dozen staff might appear harmless enough and even possibly a good motivator. But, he warns, “the lines of engagement can get blurred very quickly and I would advise caution to any company considering this approach.”
From an FM and HR perspective, it’s a good idea to have a policy in place, covering issues such as how to deal with rowdy members of staff, especially senior staff who may not take kindly to advice. This ensures there are some guidelines for difficult situations.
Bespoke hospitality services business Bennett Hay offers situational training and workshops to its front of house staff. It also works closely with clients to form a policy that is agreeable to the client in their environment and that serves to protect Bennett Hay’s FM staff. This is very useful for when they have to usher tipsy staff out of the building when the party is winding down.
The policy establishes protocol for dealing with situations, identifies the host of the event and their responsibilities, and advises front-of-house staff to identify a more sober client staff member with authority, who can offer support and guidance.
“While the customer is the priority, our duty of care is to our people. Their safety is the most important thing,” said Anthony Bennett, director of Bennett Hay. “It’s important to have a policy, otherwise you’re expecting your front-line team to think on their feet, which leaves them a bit open. It is then about making sure you’re joined-up with the client on the policy.”
Last orders, please
Bennett thinks that having a bar in a workplace can bring real benefits — but that the potential downsides have to be planned for. “Offer a client a glass of wine and chances are they will thank you for it as it helps them to relax.
“It’s also a great way of bringing teams together. From my observations, when alcohol is freely available in a workplace it loses its appeal, and you don’t tend to get an abuse of it. But, still, things do sometimes get out of hand especially at Christmas time when there’s more drinking going on, and it’s important to plan for that.”
