Ethics Question - Lunch Beers

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How did this thread get buried in General Engineering and not in STB???

The answer is to use common sense.

There is no reason to go get hammered at lunch... but a couple of drinks with a subcontractor, client, vendor, etc. at a lunch is acceptable. Good rule of thumb - if you know you have a lot of important work to do (or face time with management) don't drink!

 
How did this thread get buried in General Engineering and not in STB???
The answer is to use common sense.

There is no reason to go get hammered at lunch... but a couple of drinks with a subcontractor, client, vendor, etc. at a lunch is acceptable. Good rule of thumb - if you know you have a lot of important work to do (or face time with management) don't drink!
Agreed. Unethical? In moderation, no....Unwise? probably.

If you're with a client or boss and they do it, it's ok. If you're meeting with them after (and they're not with you), don't do it.

If you're doing calculations/work where the safety of others is involved, don't do it.

If you have ANY doubts at all, wait till 5:00pm. It's really not that long.

 
I suppose hooking up with a customer during a company sponsored happy hour at a trade show would be right out then... For most people anyway.

{Not me, but a coworker... she hooked up with a customer while we were at a trade show... eventually she quit and moved to be with him. Lots of nudge-nudge raised eyebrows for a while though, ha ha.}

 
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If you're doing calculations/work where the safety of others is involved, don't do it.
With adequate precautions, I think it is still OK to attempt to perform work after 2-3 drinks. Safety is not really compromised. Beyond that, though, performance tends to fall off, regardless of safety precautions.

 
I generally work through lunch to leave early, but when I was working on my PE my pre-boomer PE I worked under we drank at lunch all the time, cant say no if he is buying, if he wasent buying the client was (client purchased booze was usually after work though). Life is to short to be concerned if someone sees you drinking at lunch. You have to learn who to trust and who not to trust at work, and who you say what to. Its all a game you have to play, get moved offices or change jobs you have to learn who the players are, who you associate with and who you dont and if you have to associate with them you limit your exposure.

 
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