Alaska News

Lynne Curry: Is it OK if bar employees drink on the job?

Q: My brother is ill and I'm temporarily overseeing two of his business holdings, one of which is a restaurant with a bar and liquor license. Although I promised him I wouldn't "gut everything" he's built up, several things going on worry me.

The employees apparently think it's OK to have a drink now and then when they're working. Supposedly they pay for what they consume, but since we take in cash as well as credit, I haven't been able to substantiate whether that's true. I suspect my brother turns a blind eye to this and considers it a perk that keeps employees there.

What are best practices for restaurants and bars concerning employee on-the-job drinking?

A: Alaska's alcohol beverage laws don't prohibit licensees or their agents and employees from drinking. Like many other smaller employers, many bar and restaurants lack policies banning alcohol use during working hours. Further, most restaurant and bar employees work hard and some party even harder. While some bars and restaurants prohibit drinking during or before shifts, other employers provide employees free end-of-shift drinks, and some allow bar employees to do shots with regulars.

These practices expose these employers to liability as employers can become liable if their employees get into vehicle accidents on their commute home. Allowing regular workplace drinking also places employees at risk, leading some of them to slip down the slope into alcoholism, which is endemic among bar and restaurant employees. After all, when almost everyone around drinks steadily, employees forget that this isn't normal behavior but more how people act when out for the evening or socializing.

Best practices? You may need to tighten your business's parameters for workplace drinking; however, if your brother has allowed alcohol as a perk, you'll likely fight an uphill battle.

Q: We recently advertised for a hard-to-fill position in our company. We made an offer to the top candidate prior to completing his reference checks. He accepted, and now we're worried. Several of his references describe him as arrogant, abrasive and a superstar who believes his own press releases and doesn't care who he ticks off. This stunned us as none of this behavior showed up in the interview.

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We've decided to take a risk; however, we want to know what we have to do so we don't regret hiring him.

A: You have a one in five chance to turn your superstar into a kinder, gentler Darth Vader.

Start by letting him know what you learned during his reference checks. The information you give him may shock him. If it doesn't, you may want to cut your losses now, as you've hired someone who doesn't worry what others say about him because he knows he can charm prospective employers when you decide you've had enough lone ranger drama.

As you've learned, your new hire can handle himself well when necessary, as he did during his hiring interview. Let him know you expect him to continue what he showed you and the other interviewers. Additionally, outline the type of cooperation, communication and team-play you consider acceptable in your company and the consequences if he runs roughshod over his peers, employees or customers.

Next, don't expect to change him by edict. Many highly talented, high-performing employees got where they are, for good or bad, by demonstrating ambition and singular focus. Instead, give him materials that widen his perspective, such as the Arbinger Institute's Leadership and Self-Deception.

Finally, stay in touch with this situation and don't wait until problems erupt to intervene. Your company and new hire have a chance -- don't waste it.

Lynne Curry | Alaska Workplace

Lynne Curry writes a weekly column on workplace issues. She is author of “Navigating Conflict,” “Managing for Accountability,” “Beating the Workplace Bully" and “Solutions,” and workplacecoachblog.com. Submit questions at workplacecoachblog.com/ask-a-coach/ or follow her on workplacecoachblog.com, lynnecurryauthor.com or @lynnecurry10 on X/Twitter.

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