# Drinking On The Job Does It Help Productivity



## tonyc56 (Nov 9, 2008)

> Where am i lacking in class? If you think drinking while on the job will positively affect your business, go for it, it only creates a better business environment for professional contractors.


You obviously have a problem with reading comprehension. I stated that some experts "not me" believe that allowing employees to drink on the job increases productivity and morale. As for you falling under the category of professional contractors---I highly doubt it!


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## Smithanator (Feb 18, 2013)

I agree I would never drink on job site or allow my workers to. But if a home owner is insisting I will have a beer or two with him after work hrs. Keyword 1 beer .we as a society use drinking as a social experience right? Or wrong? And a lot of business is done in such settings


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## plazaman (Apr 17, 2005)

no drinking on the job period .


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## Morning Wood (Jan 12, 2008)

I have a kegerator and 3' glass tube in my tool trailer always. Keep my herb in a systainer.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Morning Wood said:


> I have a kegerator and 3' glass tube in my tool trailer always. Keep my herb in a systainer.


3' wow that's a long crack pipe. :laughing:


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## Dirtywhiteboy (Oct 15, 2010)

“One drink is just right,
two are too many,
three too few”


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## Dirtywhiteboy (Oct 15, 2010)

So no beer with lunch:blink:


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

I used to have a Boss that was known to have a nip or two by break! I was his lead so I protected him at all cost. We traveled as a team for many years. 
One time I went to report to him the days happenings and I didn't drink but I noticed he had a beer between his knees sitting in his truck. I said, "man that beer looks good" he replied, "not near as good as that third one Was".


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Dirtywhiteboy said:


> So no beer with lunch:blink:


Like you guys always say....we are becoming a nation of pussies when you can't safely handle a beer at lunch.


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## ArtisanRemod (Dec 25, 2012)

tonyc56 said:


> You obviously have a problem with reading comprehension. I stated that some experts "not me" believe that allowing employees to drink on the job increases productivity and morale. As for you falling under the category of professional contractors---I highly doubt it!


I see you edited your post. Wonder why. I clicked on your name here, and by the looks of your previous 58 posts, you haven't contributed much to this site. I take my profession seriously, and I think there is a time and a place for everything. Have a good day, I'm out.


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## tonyc56 (Nov 9, 2008)

> Have a good day, I'm out.


Have a nice day to you as well!


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 17, 2008)

during work hell no. if something happens how do you explain it to the compensation board. 

after work at the end of a really productive week sure.. but make sure its limited to 1 or 2 per person and make them hang around for an hour or two so their fine to drive home


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

maxwage said:


> Some cold ones in the cooler for IMMEDIATELY after work, sure, but during work, bad news.






Not to throw rain on anyone's' party however,years ago JLC ran a blurb warning employees / subs to NOT be allowed to drink on job site premises even after work.

Should an accident occur the employer could be held responsible just like a bartender over serving !!!!


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

woodworkbykirk said:


> during work hell no. if something happens how do you explain it to the compensation board.
> 
> after work at the end of a really productive week sure.. but make sure its limited to 1 or 2 per person and make them hang around for an hour or two so their fine to drive home


Were talking about a drink...not getting intoxicated.


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## BuilderToBe (Oct 24, 2013)

I couldn't imagine a client being happy if he found a beer can. People come from different cultures though.

During the summer we were working in a house with an Irish fellow living in it. There was whiskey everywhere. I took every opportunity to step outside for some fresh air.

Years ago my dad was on a job with his helper. Dad went out to the truck or something to get a tool he needed. The helper must have found the clients stash, and it was some strong stuff. When dad came back in the helper was passed out on the floor. Maybe he had been drinking the whole time and dad just didn't notice. Dad thinks he drank enough to pass out during the time he was outside.


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## Dirtywhiteboy (Oct 15, 2010)

Every Friday end of the day it's Beer and Poke:thumbsup:


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## stuart45 (Oct 7, 2009)

Worked in Germany years ago when work was tight here. 
The builders there drink all day at work. Have a beer or 2 first thing in the morning, and then steady drinking all day long.
At 10.am they used to send the apprentice over to the supermarket with a wheel barrow to get all the booze in for the day. 
Notice the beer bottle on the wall in this clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTU1bFdoDPk

They say that work is the curse of the drinking class.


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## IHI (Dec 25, 2004)

We'd had clients over the yrs that would offer us a beer, I'd always tell them once we were done for the day we'd love to have a beer with ya..the key word A beer. It's a nice socializing event, kicking back and having a cold one with somebody, gave a nice "off the record" time for the homeowner and me/my crew to connect on a different level other than customer/worker. We were never a high production crew, charged more/worked less than a lot of other's but we made a lot of friends along the way which is nice since I see them at public events and it's like reconnecting with lost friends.

As for drinking during work, I personally would never allow that, too much liability on a personal and business level. Would I allow more than 3 beers to be consumed by my guys after work with a homeowner...no, and they knew it too since they all had my trucks to get back home, they didn't want a OWI and I didn't want the headaches...we had a few jobs the HO would bring a 12-18 box home DAILY to sit and drink after work with us...which was a lil different since I was buddies with him before he hired me, and we had everything on site for the 2 month duration so the guys rode with me back home.

Some common sense and adult regulation, a can of beer after work wont kill anybody plus allows a different way to "relate" to your client...which builds repour, and ensures call backs for future work.


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## Texas Wax (Jan 16, 2012)

Dirtywhiteboy said:


> Every Friday end of the day it's Beer and Poke:thumbsup:


What or who do you Poke? :laughing:


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## Dirtywhiteboy (Oct 15, 2010)

Texas Wax said:


> What or who do you Poke? :laughing:


It's Poe-Kay it's dead fish cut into cubes and mixed with different stuff.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poke_(Hawaii)
Poke (Hawaii) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poke_(Hawaii)‎
Poke /poʊˈkeɪ/ is a raw salad served as an appetizer in Hawaiian cuisine. Pokē is the Hawaiian verb for "section" or "to slice or cut".


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Dirtywhiteboy said:


> It's Poe-Kay it's dead fish cut into cubes and mixed with different stuff.
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poke_(Hawaii)
> Poke (Hawaii) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poke_(Hawaii)‎
> Poke /poʊˈkeɪ/ is a raw salad served as an appetizer in Hawaiian cuisine. Pokē is the Hawaiian verb for "section" or "to slice or cut".


Hawaiian version of Ceviche....

Both are very good...:thumbsup:


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## Seven-Delta-FortyOne (Mar 5, 2011)

tonyc56 said:


> Well according to my brother-in-law that spent some time working in Germany. Said he was shocked when at lunch time saw employees drinking beer during working hours. And as we all know the Germans make some the finest products in the world. So drinking can't be all that bad.





stuart45 said:


> Worked in Germany years ago when work was tight here.
> The builders there drink all day at work. Have a beer or 2 first thing in the morning, and then steady drinking all day long.
> At 10.am they used to send the apprentice over to the supermarket with a wheel barrow to get all the booze in for the day.
> Notice the beer bottle on the wall in this clip.
> ...




When Fillippo Bruneleschi was building the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, it took so long to get to the top, that he had lunch catered and brought up to the crew. It included wine, because lunch always included wine. And this was for masons working hundreds of feet off the ground. If I remember correctly, Bruneleschi had no casualties for the duration of his project.


I think it boils down to this. America has no culture of drinking. Hell, it was banned completely 80 years ago. That is something you only see here, and in moslem countries. Now, there are teetotalers, and there are drunks. America has an age restriction on drinking. This is a foreign concept in Spain, Italy, France, pretty much everywhere. Drinking is part of eating and part of life, so having a glass of wine or a beer on lunch is no big deal in Europe. Kids grow up drinking around the table with their parents, and it doesn't have the feeling of something taboo, so there is less need to go drink one's self to death on a 21st birthday. 

Just different cultures.


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## Dirtywhiteboy (Oct 15, 2010)

I still practices my cultural roots :thumbsup:


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## Texas Wax (Jan 16, 2012)

Dirtywhiteboy said:


> It's Poe-Kay it's dead fish cut into cubes and mixed with different stuff.
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poke_(Hawaii)
> Poke (Hawaii) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poke_(Hawaii)‎
> Poke /poʊˈkeɪ/ is a raw salad served as an appetizer in Hawaiian cuisine. Pokē is the Hawaiian verb for "section" or "to slice or cut".


Like Fish and Pico de gallo? - Thanks for the info, don't get much exposure to Hawaiian and related food in the heartland - north or south LOL


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## concretemasonry (Dec 1, 2006)

I remember seeing vending machines (chilled bottles of white wine) in the streets in small German and Austrian towns in the late 1960's. Beer was not served out of machines.

No ID required and anyone could buy, so the kids or anyone could use it freely. Normally it was for kids to get white wine for the family lunch or dinner, but it could have been used to put on cereal (ala old military habits).


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## Dirtywhiteboy (Oct 15, 2010)

When I'm in Japan they have vending machines on the street that sell liters of beer:thumbsup:


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## concretemasonry (Dec 1, 2006)

Most Germans and Austrians did not want bottled beer then because it considered part of a meal, so the kids had to take a pail or big crock to local provider. - Small town on the outside of Munich then.

In the early 1900's in some U.S. cities beer was offered in pails for take-out. My 4 aunts would draw straws to see who delivered the beer to my great-grandfather's shop (upholstery/cabinet) for the crews lunch. Two pails of beer were balanced for one and easier than than the lunches.


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## cbscreative (Dec 17, 2008)

Seven-Delta-FortyOne said:


> I think it boils down to this. America has no culture of drinking. Hell, it was banned completely 80 years ago. That is something you only see here, and in moslem countries. Now, there are teetotalers, and there are drunks. America has an age restriction on drinking. This is a foreign concept in Spain, Italy, France, pretty much everywhere. Drinking is part of eating and part of life, so having a glass of wine or a beer on lunch is no big deal in Europe. Kids grow up drinking around the table with their parents, and it doesn't have the feeling of something taboo, so there is less need to go drink one's self to death on a 21st birthday.
> 
> Just different cultures.


To my understanding, those countries without a taboo on drinking also have lower rates of alcohol abuse. I seriously think the 21 laws do more harm than good. However, because the problem here is cultural, just changing those laws would not solve any problems. The fact that these other cultures didn't make alcohol evil goes a long way to remove the evil from it. The old saying about forbidden fruit is very accurate.


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## PrestigeR&D (Jan 6, 2010)

None the less,
....you don't drink on the job....how could you even think of doing so......:blink:Work is work- period,...that's what your supposed to be doing....weather you have your own business or work for someone....it is intolerable 


Who ever brought this up may need to question their thought process....


This ,to me,...should have been ripped from the forum.....



This is truly ...an adolescent and a ludacris subject matter


You do that AFTER you put a good days work in......not BefORE or DURInG work ....:blink:..




This is nutty to say the least....


B,


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## Dirtywhiteboy (Oct 15, 2010)

See how much different we are from where we came from
Some days I have a whiskey with my beer shocking isn't it


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## Easy Gibson (Dec 3, 2010)

Dirtywhiteboy said:


> It's Poe-Kay it's dead fish cut into cubes and mixed with different stuff.
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poke_(Hawaii)
> Poke (Hawaii) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poke_(Hawaii)‎
> Poke /poʊˈkeɪ/ is a raw salad served as an appetizer in Hawaiian cuisine. Pokē is the Hawaiian verb for "section" or "to slice or cut".




Dude. You have no idea how jealous and hungry this post just made me.

Only went to Hawaii once, two years ago now, but I attempted to make up for a lifetime's worth of poke eating in 10 days. Arguably my favorite thing I've ever eaten.


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## Seven-Delta-FortyOne (Mar 5, 2011)

cbscreative said:


> To my understanding, those countries without a taboo on drinking also have lower rates of alcohol abuse. I seriously think the 21 laws do more harm than good. However, because the problem here is cultural, just changing those laws would not solve any problems. The fact that these other cultures didn't make alcohol evil goes a long way to remove the evil from it. The old saying about forbidden fruit is very accurate.


Absolutely agree. Very well put. :thumbsup:


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## Seven-Delta-FortyOne (Mar 5, 2011)

PrestigeR&D said:


> None the less,
> ....you don't drink on the job....how could you even think of doing so......:blink:Work is work- period,...that's what your supposed to be doing....weather you have your own business or work for someone....it is intolerable
> 
> 
> ...



For the record, I don't drink on the job, nor will anyone working on my jobsite. In many areas I suppose, I am culturally more american than Italian.

That being said, your strong feelings on the the subject only serve to reaffirm that is more a cultural stigma than a moral one. The masons on Bruneleschi's jobsite built something that cannot be duplicated today, even by the best masons this world can offer at this time, and they did it having wine with lunch. And I bet they stayed sober having wine with lunch, too. But I'm not about to serve wine to my crew and subs. :thumbsup:



And had this subject been yanked from the forum, all of you here would have missed out on all the brilliant rhetoric I have hitherto offered up.  :laughing:


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

cbscreative said:


> To my understanding, those countries without a taboo on drinking also have lower rates of alcohol abuse. I seriously think the 21 laws do more harm than good. However, because the problem here is cultural, just changing those laws would not solve any problems. The fact that these other cultures didn't make alcohol evil goes a long way to remove the evil from it. The old saying about forbidden fruit is very accurate.


 Age has nothing to do with being an alcoholic. Nor does how much you drink have anything to do with it. I'm assuming what you mean by alcohol abuse would include alcoholics? As an alcoholic myself that hasn't touched a drink in 15 years I consider myself highly qualified on this subject. So here's my take. I believe it's how someone thinks not how they behave. We have a pilot program at one of our hospitals that's trying to identify children that are predisposed to be alcoholics and treat them beforehand. I don't know how it will work but the point is I think it's a mindset you are born with. 

Not wanting to turn this into a drug rehab thread but there is a huge difference between an alcoholic and a drug addict. Here's the difference. You can put 100 people in a room and give them heroin (narcotics) everyday for 90 days and all of them will be addicted to heroin (narcotics). You put the same people in a room for 90 days and give them alcohol for 90 days and just by averages 3 will be alcoholics, and those three were alcoholics before they even took their first drink. IMO.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Californiadecks said:


> Age has nothing to do with being an alcoholic. Nor does how much you drink have anything to do with it. I'm assuming what you mean by alcohol abuse would include alcoholics? As an alcoholic myself that hasn't touched a drink in 15 years I consider myself highly qualified on this subject. So here's my take. I believe it's how someone thinks not how they behave. We have a pilot program at one of our hospitals that's trying to identify children that are predisposed to be alcoholics and treat them beforehand. I don't know how it will work but the point is I think it's a mindset you are born with.
> 
> Not wanting to turn this into a drug rehab thread but there is a huge difference between an alcoholic and a drug addict. Here's the difference. You can put 100 people in a room and give them narcotics everyday for 90 days and all of them will be addicted to narcotics. You put the same people in a room for 90 days and give them alcohol for 90 days and just by averages 3 will be alcoholics, and those three were alcoholics before they even took their first drink. IMO.


So you are saying that someone can't use drugs without becoming an addict?


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

Inner10 said:


> So you are saying that someone can't use drugs without becoming an addict?


Not at all what I said.

Edit: if someone uses Heroin (narcotics) for 90 days straight they will become addicted.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Californiadecks said:


> Not at all what I said, I did say someone can't use drugs like heroin (narcotics) for 90 days straight and not become addicted.


I disagree because your model is over simplified, you haven't considered dosage. We assume that the products are used by everyone everyday for 90 days...but we don't know how much.

One of my friends went on a two week bender, consumed nothing but alcohol. When his friend found him he couldn't even walk, got the the hospital and a couple days in he had withdrawal symptoms so bad that he had a couple seizures, one lasted nearly 7 minutes and he went into cardiac arrest. Second highest BAC ever recorded at the hospital.

Most people that drink just don't drink that qualtity.


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

Inner10 said:


> I disagree because your model is over simplified, you haven't considered dosage. We assume that the products are used by everyone everyday for 90 days...but we don't know how much. One of my friends went on a two week bender, consumed nothing but alcohol. When his friend found him he couldn't even walk, got the the hospital and a couple days in he had withdrawal symptoms so bad that he had a couple seizures, one lasted nearly 7 minutes and he went into cardiac arrest. Second highest BAC ever recorded at the hospital. Most people that drink just don't drink that qualtity.


Yes this is correct, but it doesn't matter how little bit of heroin you give someone you give it to them for 90 days straight they will be addicted. HAVE to drink huge quantities of alcohol to achieve this. All I'm saying is there is a big difference IMO. This is my opinion, nobody knows for sure what causes addiction. It's called the "Phenomenon of Craving".


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## Calidecks (Nov 19, 2011)

...


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## cbscreative (Dec 17, 2008)

The twists and turns of this thread have been interesting. I also appreciate Californiadecks and other's input as people who have dealt with addictions. I would never want to downplay that experience and the recognition between drug and alcohol addictions is especially enlightening. I have no doubt that alcohol has a low addiction rate compared to drugs as stated, but to make members here feel ashamed because of past mistakes is not something I had on my radar from the discussion, nor do I wish anyone to draw that conclusion.

My points were simply to illustrate as unbiased a perspective as possible, not to be insensitive to anyone who has fallen for the lies of addiction or even to make excuses for it. I have enough of my own faults just like everyone else. I applaud your victory and hope others here share the same sentiments, which I anticipate most do.


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