Nursery workers drinking at lunchtime.

It’s says they shouldn’t be under the influence to the degree it impacts their ability to do the job. One glass each with lunch you’d be fine to drive. I don’t see the issue honestly. Especially as OP isn’t even sure if they were working! Can you imagine a nice lunch with your colleague on a day off and some busybody reports you drank a glass of wine!!

In addition when I am abstaining, like during pregnancy, I have sparking water with a squeeze of lime in a wine glass at dinner/pub lunches to feel like I’m part of the fun. OP doesn’t even know what was in the glasses. Massive nosey busybody to report this to the nursery.

I am telling you now that out of everyone I know that works in a nursery, none of them would have a long enough lunch break to enjoy a pub lunch with wine.

What makes you sure they were drinking alcohol?

I can't imagine they get long enough lunch breaks for a pub lunch?

If they were in fact on lunch, they shouldn't be drinking, clearly.

So actually you have absolutely no idea whether they were on their lunch break, or it was their day off? If they had time for a lengthy pub lunch I'd say it's very likely the latter.

Wind your neck in FFS.

Half day - absolutely none of your business

During the working day - dreadful and yes I would report it. There are few employers these days who would find that acceptable and not actually prohibit it in working policies.

This! Everywhere I've worked is 30 mins break.

I think you need to find out if they were actually working after they had been to the pub for lunch before you even think about reporting them. I'd be surprised if their lunch break was long enough to go to the pub, order, wait for food and eat.

Aside from the lunch time wine consumption, two things stand out to me here - they always have staffing issues, and you fear they would treat your child poorly if you reported it. It sounds like there are multiple issues with this nursery. Is it time to find alternative childcare?

So you know nothing about anything just saw two women drinking wine who may or may not have been working that day!

Completely inappropriate if they were going back to work!
Is it ok for nurses to down half a glass at the beginning of their break? How about train drivers because it will have worn off by the time they get back to work? Jesus. Also if you can’t go a whole work day without alcohol it’s a fairly bad sign for your job

It could of been alcohol free wine. Or even something else. I had someone (who was a bit drunk) threaten to report me for drink driving. I had been drinking tonic water served in a large wine glass, I think so the pub can charge a fiver for a small bottle of Fevertree.

EYFS says no...

Do you know they were definitely working that day, rather than meeting for lunch as friends in a pub which just happens to be near their workplace?
I wouldn't be very impressed with this if they were working, but tbh you can't know if they were or not.
The general rule for me would if they were over the safe limit to drive, then they would be over the safe limit to work. Both require judgement, quick reactions and clear thinking.

So let's look at the evidence.

You don't know how much they drank
You don't know if they were in work
You are surmising they weren't off together as you believe you understand the running, rotas and staffing management of the nursery

Unless I had other worries about the staff or nursery, I'd assume they'd finished for the day at work.

Unpaid lunch break = I wouldn’t even answer to my employer, as long as I wasn’t under the influence when I returned to work.

I'm pretty relaxed but I'd be furious if they were working, if you're too drunk to drive you're too drunk to mind other people's small children. That's a seriously full on job and they need their wits about them.

We've been at our nursery for years so I'd approach the manager informally and just say "could you just put my mind at ease, I'm overthinking things - were Jane and Sarah off on x afternoon? I saw them in the pub and I'm sure they weren't drinking wine on their lunch break but my brain won't shut up about it".

I wouldn’t be happy but I’d go for the extreme of finding another nursery

They think it’s acceptable to drink whilst at work (even if it’s a lunch break) so those aren’t staff I’d like looking after my child 🤷‍♀️

I wouldn’t think reporting would make a difference tbh

I'd report them to management. It will be against their policies and gross misconduct to drink during working hours.

No they shouldn't be drinking during their lunch break. Their manager needs to be told especially if they were in their uniform.

So 2 people you know work in a nursery were out for lunch, not in their uniform, and drinking with a meal, on a day you don't know if they're working?

They should absolutely not be drinking any alcohol when they will be caring for children after. That's fucking outrageous and I would report them immediately.