The traditional pint after work is dying out as “a shift in attitudes” among remote workers and Generation Z means daytime socials are preferred instead, a report has revealed.
Employers have been urged to replace going to the pub as a way of socialising with “inclusive and healthy workplace cultures” for workers who don’t drink alcohol or work from home.
Changes would also help to include those who have caring responsibilities or disabilities, or who may otherwise struggle to attend evening events.
Recommendations have been drawn up by the Work Foundation, a Lancaster University think tank, and the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking.
Companies have been advised to run activities such as meeting for breakfast or having an “away day”, and to run training for all staff on the “health risks” associated with drinking alcohol.
The report said there is a “need for virtual celebrations when teams are spread out remotely, or an emphasis on socialising within work hours to ensure that those with long commutes or caring responsibilities outside of work hours do not miss out.”
A trend for working later in life means baby boomers born in the 1950s now work alongside those born in the 2000s, but the latest data shows one in five of Generation Z, the term for adults aged 18-27, do not drink alcohol.
Julian Braithwaite, CEO and president of the International Alliance of Responsible Drinking, said: “Older managers need to understand that younger generations, Generation Z, may have a different attitude to what it means to socialise.
“Since the pandemic, more people now live further away from their work, partly because technology enables it. So you can’t assume that employees are able to stay around for an hour or two after work — people have got trains to get.”
