In this episode we talk about how quickly good vibes at work turn into compliance catastrophes. Ryan Leary and William Tincup are live from the Fama booth at HR Tech, joined by Jenny Olson of NPR and Dave Wentworth of Schoox. The conversation pulls zero punches as we explore the liability, culture erosion, and plain old foolishness that comes from mixing alcohol with the workplace.

Key Takeaways

➡ A conference planner got so drunk at her own event she cracked her head in the hotel lobby

➡ The CEO had to personally drive her to the hospital

➡ In-office happy hours might seem fun, but they’ve led to DUIs and toxic behavior

➡ Encouraging on-site drinking to “bond” staff is often a lawsuit waiting to happen

➡ A book called Corporate Drinker is calling out this exact issue in modern workplace culture

➡ Free alcohol is still the go-to draw for many companies trying to feel cool

➡ Ping pong tournaments, food trucks, and family days are safer and way more inclusive

➡ Banning alcohol at work and work events is the easiest way to prevent a PR disaster

➡ The pressure to “be fun” often leads to long-term damage to morale, trust, and safety

➡ Real employee engagement comes from thoughtful experiences, not open bars

➡ If common sense were common, we wouldn’t need HR

Chapters

00:00 Live at Fama’s booth from HR Tech

00:20 Intros with NPR and Schoot

01:00 The head injury that changed the vibe of the entire event

02:30 Why no one thought to prevent it

03:30 Office happy hours that go off the rails

04:15 Corporate Drinker and the case for alcohol-free culture

05:00 Alternatives that actually build community

05:40 Why it’s so hard for employers to say no to booze

06:10 Bringing families into workplace culture

This limited series is brought to you by FAMA, Modern Candidate Screening. Talent teams use FAMA to improve candidate quality, create safe and inclusive workplaces and place the right leadership for their organizations.

You can subscribe and listen to the #9to5Nightmares podcast here https://fama.io/podcasts or here

Guest Info

Jenny Olson, Head of Communications, NPR

Website: https://www.npr.org

Dave Wentworth, Talent Platform Evangelist, Schoot

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmwentworth/

Website: https://www.schoox.com/

Connect with us

William Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup

Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary

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