Who Still Drinks With Lunch?
 

So I'm in law school right now and we have a 5 hour break between classes on Thursday. My study group has become really close, we became fast friends and have taken on a weekly lunch tradition. Part of it is we usually enjoy a beer or cocktail during our Thursday lunch. I'm 28 now and during my 7 years in the working world drinking at lunch was either heavily frowned upon or a firable offense. Frankly, it's really enjoyable especially as by then the hard part of our week is over and the relaxation is really sweet. Does anyone else do it?

Who Still Drinks With Lunch?
 

Seen regularly in many Western European countries.

Who Still Drinks With Lunch?
 

A drink as part if a gathering of people is pretty common in our office. However, individually or more than one is greatly frowned upon.

I occasionally drink at lunch on weekends, and at my current job, have had one drink while at lunch with coworkers. At a previous job, my boss and I routinely used to have working lunches or working dinners with alcohol.

Only in First Class:)

Saturday and Sunday yes. When on vacation yes. Midweek never, work never, conference never. If I know I will not be working the rest of the day and am merely traveling, I will drink on the airplane. Not done lunchtime drinking since the early 1990s.

Who Still Drinks With Lunch?
 

I try not to have any expense reports with alcohol before 5 pm. If it's free in the lounge or first class yes, otherwise no. I also never have a rental so there is no issue with driving

Who Still Drinks With Lunch?
 

What kind of reputation do you want in the legal community? Will drinking alcohol at lunch on a school day add to your character and fitness resume?

When hosting guests I usually ask whether they want to have a glass of wine with lunch. If yes, I will also have a glass (not more). Sometimes (like four times a year) I will have a beer at lunch with my old college friends.

I think it comes down to the enviroment you are in. While you are in school socializing is absolutely necessary to help build your professional network. I am in buisness school and I have heard my peers having meetings with professors and company executives in bars. It helps eliminate some of the tension in the meeting. If in your group having a drink with lunch is normal then by all means partake. It shows that you care about the others by following the standard that the group has set.

Once you have finished school and in a corporate environment it comes down to the policies and norms of your organization. Obviously coming to work noticeably intoxicated will land you in trouble anywhere but some organizations are okay with a social drink at lunch. I have visited offices of respected organizations where alcohol was available in the break room

Finally when meeting a client you have to be aware of their company policy on alchol as they may not be able to partake. It's best to err on the side of safety when you do not know as you don't want to be the only one with a drink and appear like an alcholic or make your client feel pressured to drink when they aren't allowed.

Or, conversely, you don't want to annoy the client by only offering water when he was looking forward to something more interesting.

You shouldn't drink at lunch if anything else you do that day in terms of work will affect anyone else but you. As a student, if your studying is less effective, it affects only you. As a professional, your work affects your colleagues and your clients.

I used to work for a company run by journalists 5-10 years ago. Lunchtime drinking was very much the norm - so much that sometimes we wouldn't go back to the office. I gather the culture has changed though.

Nowadays I work for a startup in central London. I'd never normally drink at lunch as it does feel somewhat inappropriate nowadays, but (ironically), when I'm having a lunch meeting with one of the company directors we'll normally have a glass or two of wine to help the conversation along.

I work in marketing in London, and it is absolutely the norm to drink alcohol at lunchtimes if you so choose, nobody would bat an eyelid. This applies both to colleagues meeting for a social lunch, or clients for a more formal occasions (one Russian client in particular loves a lunchtime G&T and grumbles if you don't want to join her). I've been at interviews in fact, where the interviewer has had a drink, and in one festive team meeting last December, mulled wine was served to all at 11am! :D

Could not have stated it better. I go by the above rules to the T.