by Terry Loving

Created on: August 09, 2008

Absolutely not! First of all, your lunchtime break is still part of company time. When you clock out and go home at the end of your workday, then you are on your own time. If you choose to drink, get drunk, start a bar fight, or drive under the influence, then your company is not liable for your behavior.

I used to work for a small private company with about 25 employees. One of them was an alcoholic, and he was allowed to come to work drunk. Not only did this person start his workday drunk, he would sit in his truck and drink during his lunch break. Worst of all, he was on company property when he drank alcohol. He worked in the shipping department and away from the customers, which was a good thing. But his co-workers, including myself would be subjected to his bad attitude daily.

Being the Christian that I am, I tried to help him. As I worked along side of David, I got to know some things about him. He lived alone with his dog, and he was a very lonely man. He was middle-aged, uneducated, and had a very bleak outlook on life. David even confessed that he once worshipped the devil. He is a former cult member, and was ashamed of many of the things that they did. David is a very troubled person who often spoke of suicide.

I suppose that the owners of the company felt sorry for David, and I suspect they were afraid to fire him. There were rumors that he was "crazy," and that he kept a gun in his truck. Everyone walked softly around David because no one wanted to risk setting him off. Sometimes he was a no-call, no-show, MIA. A person who consumes alcohol can be a danger to himself and to others.

Workers should not be allowed to consume alcohol on company time. Ok, so it is your lunch break. But you intend to return to work. Your breath will smell of alcohol, and you will be offensive to co-workers. What about the customers? Won't they be offended? What will that say about the company in general? And what about the liability involved? Anyone who operates machinery at work should definitely not drink at lunchtime. Alcohol impairs your ability to make clear decisions, and it slows your reflexes. Job performance will certainly be hampered. The company could suffer repercussions, and very expensive lawsuits. Not to mention, people could lose limbs while operating machinery under the influence. And innocent parties could also become victims of neglect and violence. Drinking on the job should not be tolerated, ever.

Learn more about this author, Terry Loving.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.