Booze bans for staff? Recruiters give their reactions

Recruiters are largely against following the lead of Lloyds of London in imposing booze bans for staff and anyone entering their offices.

Earlier this week, the insurance firm, who two years ago banned its staff from drinking between the hours of 9am and 5pm, announced it would be going one step further and ensuring anyone deemed under the influence of alcohol or drugs would be barred from the building, with security guards be given the right to confiscate passes of anyone breaking the new rule.

On a day in which recruiters across the country will repair to the pub to celebrate hitting targets – or simply because it’s the weekend – Recruiter spoke to agency bosses for their take on Lloyds of London’s move.

Former Apprentice winner and managing director of Hyper Recruitment Solutions Ricky Martin told Recruiter it’s a given that staff should know not to be drunk in the workplace.

“To have to spell this out is either telling the world they have a drink problem, or it is telling the workforce to suck eggs. Sounds to me like they are looking for a caveat to remove people via zero tolerance, as opposed to fostering a positive culture.”

Martin added there was no way he would adopt a similar policy at his agency, telling Recruiter he would allow his staff to make their own decisions.

“If credit is due, which means people want to celebrate at lunch, then they should be able to have a drink at lunch, if they choose. Likewise, if they don’t want to have a drink outside of hours on social events, again it should be respected.

“[Being part of] the workforce these days is all about freedom of choice, having a sense of purpose and the ability to be respected. The minute we disrespect our workforce by adding additional provisions on top of what is already quote a ‘risk-averse’ list of policies in employment contracts, we might as well call it school.”

Sophie Milliken, MD at Smart Resourcing Solutions, agreed, telling Recruiter she would never introduce such a rule to her business but added: “There are unwritten expectations about how to behave and I would not expect any of my employees to be drinking during working hours. At work-related evening events, I would expect total professionalism, and this would include not drinking too much.”

Olivia Spruce, CEO at Positive Healthcare, told Recruiter that while a unilateral ban on all drinking between office hours doesn’t sound too outrageous, it does feel like rather a "nanny-state approach". "I love to celebrate success, whether this be in the form of buying breakfast for my staff, getting pizzas at lunchtime or leaving the office early sometimes to take them for a well-earned drink to celebrate a job well-done.

"I don’t see the harm in adults celebrating success over a working lunch or on an office night-out, where alcohol is inevitably involved.

"Like everything, this needs to be engaged in, in moderation but I would rather a culture of openness and treating employees like the responsible adults that they are rather than imposing bans."

Peter Livingstone, director of contracts & interim and Redline, told Recruiter he would only consider imposing such a ban if alcohol consumption became an issue.

“Employees who become impaired are more likely to say or do things that could lead to claims of a hostile work environment. We’ve all heard horror stories about things that happen at company parties. Now imagine that scenario every Friday or every day. Here at Redline, we expect our employees to demonstrate responsible behaviour at work, remain professional and fit for work at all times and to act in a way that will not have a detrimental effect on our reputation. 

“Fortunately, our work ethics have been set in stone, which allows us as a company to enjoy Friday drinks, which since its introduction, has never posed an issue with alcohol consumption. At the end of the day, what matters is the effect on performance. If it became an issue, we would impose a blanket ban.”

However, Mary Cox, MD at gotpeople, told Recruiter she favours not having a drink at lunchtime at all: “I believe it’s a good idea for lunchtime drinks to come to an end; they leave you sleepy! By all means go out to the local bistro or bar for lunch and enjoy food and a soft beverage or water.

“Alcohol-induced lack of concentration isn’t a good idea in any work environment. Reward success with money and recognition; alcohol shouldn’t come into it.”

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