Are they a thing in most industries?
Is there an unofficial rule that you must go because it puts your name out there and helps with promotions?
Are they a thing in most industries?
Is there an unofficial rule that you must go because it puts your name out there and helps with promotions?
Comments
It was more so, pre covid
I’ve gone to some, not gone to others. Never felt like I was held back or whatever when I didn’t go. I guess if you’re the “networking” and/or brown nosing type it’d be a good opportunity to talk to the bigwigs and put your name and face out there. I knew one person who was pretty incompetent but good at playing that game, it briefly got their foot in the door, but that figurative door slammed shut pretty quick when their incompetence inevitably showed itself.
Common. Usually happens more in male dominated office environments where they’re either looking for an excuse to unwind, an excuse to not be home, or to flirt with female coworkers.
50% of the time the night ends with a couple of the guys going to a strip club and sniffing nose candy off a strippers Georgia peach, while they ramble about company policy and metrics before vomiting into the nearest houseplant and getting a DUI on the way home.
One of the reasons I got a promotion to being a team lead, basically an assistant to the manager, is by going to events and happy hours where my head boss was at. I’m very out going and he could see how I interact with everyone. The small promotion has allowed me to be a part of projects where I am able to shine and show my value. My head boss doesn’t know many people due to work from home and starting to hire around the country but he does know me due to being in person and a couple happy hours.
Depends on the job. I’ve only had jobs where it was occasional, and I’ve only joined in a couple of times. But I was never in the popular groups. I strongly prefer to keep work and leisure time separate.
It’s very job specific. I would say most don’t care.
My rule of thumb is that while you shouldn’t feel obligated to go to every one, you should go sometimes.
Getting to know people outside of work means that your name is going to come to mind more naturally when opportunities come up. It also makes it more likely someone saves you at the last minute when RIF time comes around.
You need to have friends at work, but not everyone at work needs to be a friend. Even people at your level can help you out especially if you are at the same company or (to a lesser extent) in the same field for a long time.
Depends on state and where you work.
I’ve never worked in a job where it was expected, but it wasn’t unheard of. More of a “couple guys are getting together after work” than an organized event. I don’t drink so I rarely go.
It always feels good the first time you’re invited after starting a new job.
Not a thing where I work. I work 10 hour shifts in a factory. Nobody’s going out drinking after work. We all go home because we’re tired. Also nobody can afford to go out drinking anymore.
Hanging out with a few buddies after work for drinks likely won’t get you anywhere. I rarely do that as I have places to go and other things to do. However, my job often has charity events, community programs and work social hours. I go to all of them , especially the ones during work hours. Part of my job at my level is I must have “stewardship” hours. These types of things will definitely get you seen if you’re trying to put your name out there . My favorite are working with Habitat and the local Food bank.
I would say that drinks after work are not a huge deal. Not everyone drinks, and there are other ways to get your name out there. If you’re wanting to climb the ladder . Higher ups and other ladder climbers at your job aren’t likely to be hanging at the bar after work, they are bound to be doing something more productive.
I have spent my career in software engineering. Developer, manager, director, and VP for multiple companies. It hasn”t been part of the engineering culture at any of them. Special occasions, and some friday after work happy hours. That’s it.
I work a 12 hour shift. Nobody is doing anything but going home after work is done.
It’s not a thing where I work. People hate in office days and just want to get home.
Management has tried to host afterwork get togethers but no one was interested. Most recently, they tried a family easter egg hunt on a Saturday but ended up cancelling because nobody signed up.
Not a big deal for the most part. It also depends on age. Most people in the 25-50 demographic has kids and needs to get home.
I went for after work drinks more in the UK than I ever have in the US.
I work in software and have never been in a workplace where people grab drinks after work. The only one I could see is a stressful job, like sales or restaurants.
In my experience it’s only ever been the more junior people going out. More senior people usually are trying to run out the door for family obligations after work.
Definitely not as common and popular as it once was. In the 1970s-80s there definitely more pressure to participate, more business deals made, and promotions secured outside of work back then. The best paying most secure jobs typically had a social obligation tied to them.
My old job had a “popular crew” and they went out for drinks. They never invited me and denied they were going the one time I asked if I could come. So I got the hint and didn’t join them.
My current job will send out an email to everyone when there is an event. I like that they are including everyone.
Not a thing in any job I’ve ever worked. I always assumed it was something the older generations used to do. Not really done anymore.
My after work drinks consist of me alone in my garage.
I’ve never worked somewhere that was a thing (I’m a woman in my early 40s). I’ve worked primarily in government (state and federal) and academia, both women-dominated in my field. If we do something to celebrate a coworker, we do it during the work day and it never includes alcohol.
I worked for a Korean company where it was expected. They gave employees a stipend to go out after work and drink with co-workers. It also broke down rigid social barriers. A junior employee could go drinking with a senior manager.
Back in the day, I used to work in Boston tech startups that had beer and pizza roughly one Friday per month. Same sort of idea of team building and breaking down social barriers. With liability law, those days are long gone.
My first job out of college, I took a job in a crappy blue collar small city where my little engineering group was the only people I socialized with. It was very unhealthy. I lasted 20 months and bailed out to Boston where I could have a social life without co-workers. After work drinks and dinner with friends is fine. I always tried to limit it with co-workers.
I work in tech sales. It’s a pretty big deal at my company. With that being said, as long as I show my face and shake a few hands, I can be in and out in less than 30 minutes.
lol no mom is going to drinks after work. We have to get kids from daycare, rush home make dinner, any sport practice kids have.
I could go on and on but I won’t bother.
Most of my employees leave immediately after work and go home. Go be with your families, get a hobby, etc. You can rub shoulders with coworkers at work, enjoy life.
I have never had a job that did this. My husband has had one job that did it, but he transferred recently and his new boss doesn’t do them (which he prefers).
I’ve never worked somewhere that this was a thing nor do I know anyone that has. Not really sure what industries do it or if it’s just a size thing.
Yes, worked for me for years. For exactly (and more) of where I wanted to be, despite being wildly under qualified.
It was an occasional thing after work in one of the departments I worked in at my current job (I’ve worked 5 different departments over 23 years), with a couple of different groups. It wasn’t an expectation, it was just a way to get together outside of work and have fun. Not attending would not affect chances of getting promotions, as a lot of the people who attended weren’t even in the same chain of command.
I’d say 30-40 years ago, probably a much bigger deal than it is now, where we embrace individuality and the right to say no
We do an occasional happy hour, probably once every 4-6 months. I wouldn’t say it helps getting your name out, but it does lead to people loosening up and communicating in a more casual sense which helps with team building.
I think it’s important, but not to the extent you’re referring to.
Depends on industry and location.
In the suburbs, it’s a lot less common because you have to drive.
Go every once in a while, but don’t fall into an every day / most days pattern.
In my experience, working for family owned companies, regional companies, and large corporations…going out for drinks after work with something that your direct team/coworkers did.
It would be rare that anybody in a leadership or executive position would be part of this. So going out for drinks was more because we genuinely liked each other, not because we were playing a game, trying to climb the corporate ladder.
The only time I can recall “the bosses” being involved would be if we were traveling as a group to a conference, seminar, etc.
The act of gathering is common but nobody cares if you drink alcohol or not. (At least not at my firm.)
We invite clients/prospects to happy hours so it’s important to be there.
My experience in several office jobs: it’s not that big of a deal and it varies widely by the company and team how often these things happen. Some do it almost weekly just because. Some do it only a few times a year only for special occasions.
You’re definitely not expected to go every time, but if you never go and never have any sort of “valid” excuse beyond “I’m busy” or “I can’t”, you might get a rep as “person who never hangs out.”
Is that bad? Not necessarily. Especially if you don’t plan on being at that place very long. But if you are trying to stay at that place a long time, you’re trying to get promotions, etc, it would be better to go at least once in a while.
In some industries, but most people have commutes and just want to go home after work
It’s typically more the people than the jobs, and younger crowd is most likely to partake. I used to work thirds at a factory Sunday to Thursday. And Friday mornings were the bar day, if we worked f Friday night, then Saturday morning was also the bar day. Go out have a few drinks and head home. There were 3 or 4 places open for the morning crowd. The one place did power hour from 7 to 8 so 1 dollar shots, beers, and mixers.
In most offices I’d say it’s a thing coworkers who are friends do like once a week, but it’s in no way required. Definitely more of a younger worker thing. Some industries, like advertising, it’s a bigger thing. Also probably matters where you work. It’s a lot more convenient when you’re downtown in a big city and have a bar a block from the office and don’t have to drive home after.
I haven’t been to a happy hour in at least 5 years.
I get together with co-workers after work about once every month or two. It’s not required, but it can be nice.
But it really depends on your job, I think. I’ve lived in the greater DC area most of my life, and I’ve heard that if you work for an intelligence agency, you’re strongly encouraged to socialize with your coworkers and tell them everything about your life. Basically, be friends with other people who are also vetted by the government and don’t have secrets, because secrets create room for blackmail and stuff like that.
Not a thing, if anything it makes you look like an alcoholic in 2025.
After work drinks are for people who get along well with their coworkers. If coworkers aren’t friends, there is no reason to get drinks unless it’s a networking thing. And if it’s a networking thing, it’s probably not that often unless you are in sales or something.
I work from home, where I don’t get a lot of contact with other adults and my wife works with dying babies so we get after work drinks often.
It’s the sort of thing that’s good for the outgoing to be seen and recommended by other outgoing folks, but if you’re not, it’s not going to help.
It can help, you get to know your co workers better, and they get to know you.
It doesn’t mean you have to match them drink for drink, but once in a while you might want to join them.
In my industry (finance) they’re a pretty big deal. The days are pretty busy and they’re one of the only chances you get to purely socialize with your coworkers and get your name out there with people above you.
It’s by no means impossible to get promotions if you don’t attend, but it definitely helps. You also don’t have to drink at these events, it’s more important that you’re just there.
Most of my coworkers have spouses and kids. They’re not looking to hang around work any longer than they have to, let alone stay out an extra hour or two drinking after work.
Most of the happy hours I’ve been invited to have been more of a low-level or younger employee thing. I’m certainly not in a fancy enough industry that the higher-ups are rubbing shoulders with the rest of us at a local bar at happy hour.
Not a thing at all at the home office. However… I go to 5 or 6 trade shows a year, and its drinks all day. Some open up the bar on the conference floor around lunchtime, and then dinner and drinks with clients and co workers later, every day, for a week. Exhausting.
I don’t need a chance at a promotion to go get free drinks after work.
My department often does go to lunch/dinners during/after work. My specific team even more often.
But yeah, you should play the game imo. Anything that helps your relationship with your boss/team. Great way to make good impressions.
Unless you’re an idiot while drinking, then maybe stay home.
At my last job we did it once or twice a month, or as a send off for someone leaving. I tried to go to most. Sometimes I didn’t drink alcohol, and sometimes I left early.
Most other places I worked didn’t have this culture.
Lol no happy hour is what ever you want. Alone , coworkers , or real friends. It’s not a mandatory job thing. It’s to forget about the job.
Budding alcoholics events
Alcohol shouldn’t be a work expectation!
It’s really job specific. My sales guy is always going out for drinks because it does drum up business. Im typically lead engineer and I don’t usually go out for drinks unless me and my guys are on the last days of a big job but I do buy them all dinner each night. If they go out for drinks on their own I don’t mind as long as they come back for work the next day and aren’t totally hungover
I’ve worked in restaurants, factories, and offices. This has never been a thing that people did.
The only time I’ve gotten together with a group of people from work, “after work”, was when the company would treat us to breakfast for some reason. We worked overnights. It would be scheduled for the day shift to come in early, we’d leave an hour early, and go to a local diner for breakfast.
Not as much as in the past. One of the main reasons is that people really do drink less on average.
Very job specific. We don’t have an overall culture or expectation around this that way I’ve heard that Japan does, for example.
When I worked in consulting, it was common to go out to dinner after a day working on-site. There weren’t any real expectations but it would have been slightly odd to not go considering everyone was travelling and just going back to the hotel after work anyway
At my current job we’ll have an occasional outing on special occasions (e.g. after a release or other accomplishment) but nothing regular. Again, not a big deal if you have another commitment.
If there is a place where this is the “expectation” it would be employer specific and in my opinion it would be specific to a particular manager.
It is most common to get promotions in many industries based on job performance / merit or changing roles/increased responsibility. There are other industries where promotion to certain levels are tenure based but nothing that hinges on going out for drinks.
Charisma and having productive/collaborative relationships with colleagues in addition to displaying other soft skills such as leadership can help as it’s easier to justify (selfishly) a promotion for someone people like. I think the misconception in this question is that you must attend after work events to establish camaraderie that could help with promotion
I’ve definitely gotten afterwork drinks before. Usually on a Friday but it’s nothing consistent. Unless I go to a baseball game and have a beer but that’s a different scene.
Have family in the oil industry- lots of cocktails and very large bar bills –
I have never worked in an industry where this was a thing. It’ll be basically impossible in mine because you don’t see your co-workers in the day because they are driving around servicing different territories and when they’re done they just go home.
This sounds more of a Japanese stereotype than anything in America.
Depends on the job. I’ve only ever seen like 2 work-related functions with alcohol, but otherwise, it’s usually rare. Personally I like to keep my coworkers outside of friend reach just to avoid drama
It is not a thing at all.
We did it once or twice a year at one place I worked. We were part of a multi-national corporation. No one involved in promoting anyone ever came.
If you are in a big city, people with kids or long commutes would never do this anyway. Maybe it is a small town thing.
When I was in grad school? It didn’t happen often but it was basically mandatory in the sense that they happened when everyone was on board and needed a break.
In my previous role doing B2B consulting? Common and expected.
In my current role of government contracting? Not very common outside networking events and such.
I’ve never felt like I have to do drinks but I’ve definitely felt like certain relationships improve if I do get drinks with someone after work.
Officially, alcohol usage in any setting with anyone with a supervisory relationship is expressly prohibited by company code at my workplace
Unofficially, we don’t really care and occasionally will take an off day and have lunch somewhere.
I see it most often in insurance and sales positions.
I meet my friends for drinks after work, but rarely am I willing to conduct any business after alcohol is involved. That’s just a personal choice.
Several of the software teams I’ve worked in had “beer o’clock” on Fridays at 4pm. Sometimes pays for by the group, sometimes roasting through team members.
In one team we had a number of people who were not US born and they might bring in a liquor from their country of origin.
I look at after work drinks as a time to bond with my coworkers. I don’t think I’ve ever gone out with my supervisors much. Maybe once or twice? But even in those cases it’s bonding.
It’s never required but it is nice to do
Depends on the people and the job. As a nurse, they were a big thing in school, but you’re too bloody tired after work to do anything but go home.
I work remote and it’s not a thing where I work when we have in office days. Pre-COVID I had a job where we did have drinks occasionally after work and I went a few times.
I don’t think doing it would have helped me get my name out there so to speak. I already did that at that job because I was tech support and would speak with/help executives often.
I work remotely so 0%, but even when I was in the office I rarely went out for drinks other than like a Friday/saturday night downtown
I work from home and my team is all over the US, so there are no after work anythings. Except on work trips. On work trips, after the work is done during the day, it is expected that everyone then go out to eat (together). Drinks are not expected or required and the company won’t pay for them, so that’s up to each individual.
It’s not very common at all in my experience. Maybe 20+ years ago it was important, but there is much more concern around boundaries or sexual harassment for it to be essential in today’s workplace.
I’ve never gone out for drinks with people I work with unless it was at a work function like a holiday party. I went to dinner once when a coworker was visiting from the other side of the country, but no drinks were involved. Seems weird for that to be expected.
I’ve had a lot of jobs in a lot of industries, and the only job where we did this was at a landscaping company that just happened to be next door to small neighborhood bar.
Not a rule that you must go but some people take it too far, go once in a while, have A or TWO drinks, no more, and it will get your name out there and get you better aquatinted with colleagues. I’ve heard a lot of stories though of things going really bad when people start getting drunk.
Just keep your head and act like it’s a magical day where you’re allowed to have beers in the office breakroom. All of the rules of professionalism still apply because you’re with the people that see you in a professional manner.
I would only do that very occasionally many years ago.
For most jobs, this isn’t really a thing. Or it’s a thing once or twice a year. For a few types of work, it’s probably pretty regular. But i would say that it’s no more important/common that golf, card games, jogging, cycling, and karaoke.
not a thing at my job at all. we used to have company wide meetings twice a year and all the remote people would fly in and we’d go to a restaurant and have dinner and drinks afterwards, but that hasn’t happened since COVID. And even then it was only twice a year. I’d always beg off early anyway because drinking and coworkers don’t really mix imho.
If your office rarely – meaning quarterly or less- does social events then you need to go to the social events unless you have a very good reason not to.
If your coworkers go to happy hour once a week then you don’t need to go every week but you should go sometimes.
If your coworkers go out drinking every night then more power to you if you like that environment but I’d look for another job. Especially as a woman. Idk why exactly but these work hard play hard workplaces have always been super sexist ime. I know some women manage them very well but I don’t know how.
I’ve never been at a job where it matters. but I’m sure they exist somewhere
It depends on your workplace.
At my last job my boss would buy us rounds of beer at lunch time.
At my job before that, I knew a guy who was fired on the spot because the owner caught him drinking a beer at a restaurant at lunch.
No, unless you’re actual friends with your coworkers or its a work sponsored event, there is no expectation to fake being friendly or anything like they do in japan and such.
Once work is over we all eff off and go home because we have lives outside of work to worry about!
I’ve never worked anywhere where it was a common thing, might happen once or twice a year to celebrate something big, but definitely not regularly. I’ve now worked fully remote for 5 years, so definitely not a thing anymore
Depends on what kind of job you have
Really depends on the industry and company. I can say it’s pretty common in sales.
Culturally, it can help you get a promotion sometimes, or help you get a different job in the future.
It can also hurt you, if you drink too much, and do something stupid. (I’ve seen this happen)
I’d say overwhelmingly no. I’ve never had a job where w everyone goes out together besides food service and that didnt include management at all. In the US I’ve seen that most jobs don’t want to acknowledge that you are a person outside of work at all.
It was more of a thing if you are on travel and meet with a large group at the hotel bar after the convention is over, or something like that. I don’t think it provides a clear path to a promotion, but does allow you to get to know people you don’t normally talk to outside of the day to day work environment.
Industry specific. It’s a huge thing in big law, for example
It’s just not a thing for me. If people are getting drinks after work at my workplace it means they’re good friends.
My department does a monthly happy hour where everyone gets the first 2 drinks and a couple shared appetizers for the table on the company card
It’s a decent time to just relax and talk about something other than work with the people you spend a lot of time with.
I do not feel obligated to go and I do not feel it is my time to impress management and put my name out there.
Going out for monthly drinks is the most frequent I’ve ever experienced in a corporate setting. When I worked as a bartender we basically got drunk every night
They really aren’t.
Never had a job where it was anywhere close to expected.
It’s not nearly as common as it once was and definitely not as common as I’ve seen overseas. Plenty of teetotalers in this country for one reason or another, so it can be a bit of an HR minefield. If employees have a weekly thing at a bar and someone doesn’t drink, that can be seen as discriminatory.
When I worked for a big box store, we had an older coworker file an HR complaint because she’s not a drinker and didn’t like that a bunch of us younger employees regularly met up at a neighborhood bar. Claimed we were discriminating against her. I swear people here are always looking for some angle.
Not as big of a deal as during work drinks
It’s fairly common in corporate roles. It also depends on your relationship with your boss. In my experience, no one is going to think differently if you don’t go.
Idk I’ve worked in mad men style offices where we had bars and just stayed late at the office drinking . Sadly I’m remote now , but basically the same except I have to pay for it.
In my experience, after work drinks are NEVER expected and have no effect whatsoever on promotions.
If they’re good for one thing it’s building good camaraderie with co-workers.
Industry and job specific probably.
Not really a thing in IT (we don’t even want to be in the office in the first place – everything we do is through the computer & we can do it better from home. Social interaction is a distraction).
May be a thing for some of the more people-focused careers, where relationships matter for success….
I get hammered as piss at these and everyone at work knows my name now.99@
I was a driver for a printing company in the mid-1980s. Most Fridays and sometimes other days too, my boss would hand me a 20 and tell me to bus few six packs and a bottle of the cheapest bottle of vodka they had, for the owner. We’d sit in the shipping office until the beer was gone. Pretty typical.
It’s not a cultural thing in America. As in, it’s not an American thing. Happy hour drinking is a company culture or a work group culture. Or maybe a part of blue-collar culture. So, it’s mostly not a widespread thing.
I’ve worked in interactive multimedia and video editing for a decade and it’s only ever come up twice. Both times were due to a new bar having opened in the building where the offices were.
Other than that, Christmas Parties and other scheduled outings (baseball games, other company outings) that happen once or twice a year are the only time it’s ever been relevant in my experience.
It’s not
Real easy way to make solid connections and network.
Depends on the industry but they can be a way to mingle off the clock and get your name out there with higher ups but they’re not mandatory for promotions or anything like that.
when i worked in tech i never got invited or heard of any of my coworkers going to get drinks after work. not saying it wasn’t happening but it was not at all apparent to me if it was.
If your company has extracurriculars like drinks that means leadership wants them and if you want to progress you better become someone they want to invite.
People who say “work is work” and have no personal rapport with management and coworkers are the first to get let go in a RIF and the last names to come up for promotion.
The majority of my career progression has come from personal relationships developed outside of day to day work. That happy hour that went too late with your VP turns into an invite to the next client outing which becomes you getting the nod for that director role over a more senior hire.
Only one of my jobs had anything like after work drinks, and that included only a small (5 or 6) group of colleagues/friends who would occasionally have a glass of wine after work. No upper management at all, and we all worked in different departments.
I might go on a Friday but there is not unwritten rule to participate
It depends on what you mean.
Nobody is obligated to grab drinks in any industry and I’m not sure how much it helps with promotions. I mean typically you’re just going out with your co-workers unless it’s like an actual office event.
I just like enjoying my work life. I’d like to be on good terms with the people I work with and look for opportunities to get to know them better. And, I like grabbing drinks.
Usually the bosses do not go to these things. For me it doesn’t matter. I have gone out after work with co workers but I don’t even drink, I just show up.
Most people where I live have around 45 minutes to hour commute and just want to go home, especially now that we have to be back in the office all the time.
When I was younger in my 20s I went out more, and when I was in a walkable city (Chicago)…and when I actually drank.
It’s seems somewhat necessary at times, but its ultimately dangerous. Don’t let your guard down. People tend to say things they shouldn’t and it creates issues. These are strategic acquaintances, not enemies, but not actually friends.
I don’t know them like that and I don’t want to either. Now my grandparents they worked the same job until their retirement’s their coworkers were their friends parties, bowling, going out after work they did all that. No not me I have friends that I do the things I want to do with. The job is simply funding for those things.
Be careful if you go. Don’t drink too much, and do not overshare. Anything you say can and will be used against you
I have never had a job or had a partner who had a job where after work drinks was a thing. people just want to get home after a long day, not continue to hang out with their coworkers.
Not common in most industries but I work in high end fashion, so far more than I want. Along with parties, etc.
It’s not really a thing in my very white-collar industry. It’s a very conservative state, and that culture bleeds over into its businesses (the ones headquartered here anyway). We have after work team building dinners, but no one is allowed to drink since it’s an extension of the work day.
As a professional bartender it’s very real. Happy hour crowds are huge. A lot of them show up in groups several times a week. As a dad and husband, I don’t see how people do this. They spend a lot of money. They stop on the way home for several hours. Then they go home drunk. Good for them I guess, but it sounds miserable to me. Part of me wonders if these just spend so much time at work, that they don’t have a life outside of work. Who has time for that? Who has money for that? Who the fuck wants to spend a bunch of time with their boss and coworkers outside of work?! It’s weird to me.
In the early 2000’s where I worked, promotions were given to reasonably skilled people, but they were also social with the boss. Then about a decade ago HR got better at calling for formal interviews and postings of in company openings and it became a lot less important. If it’s an on the clock company thing seeing and being seen is still a good thing but you don’t need to golf or drink with the boss. That’s just my experience at one company.
Even before going remote, I just wanted to go home after work. But then again, with a few exceptions, I don’t really like the taste of alcohol. It also just makes me sleepy.
I am so glad I don’t work in an industry where extracurricular activities are required to “be known” for promotions and/or favorable reviews.
This may be more industry/department specific than anything, probably Sales specific. The only times I have ever done after work drinks is during business trips where a coworker was with me and we only had one rental car. Most people want to go home to their families.
Now, I have seen people stay late to use sport courts, but I wouldn’t say it conferred any career advantage whatsoever. But I can only speak for engineering.