To ask what you’d think of a colleague drinking 0% beverages at work?

[intheheatofjuly]

Inspired by a LinkedIn post I’ve seen, not a situation I’m in! It’s really made me think because I suppose technically there is a marginal % of alcohol in them and they’re designed to mimic alcoholic drinks.

But in my mind it’s fine because it’s not alcohol! So I thought I’d ask

YABU - they’re not appropriate for the workplace.

YANBU - they’re basically just fizzy juice.

None of my business.

I don't understand the issue? They're non alcoholic. Not something I'd choose to have myself at work, but it's hardly problematic.

This is my line of thinking. A lot of people on the LinkedIn post are saying it’s not okay because they’re meant to look like beer etc

I’d feel uncomfortable, my line of work is such that being seen to drink at work would be a disciplinary/regulatory issue. Packaging of 0% drinks are very similar to the alcoholic version - why leave yourself open to questioning about it.

What sort of drinks are you talking about? Fruit juice is mildly alcoholic but not designed to mimic alcohol.

Alcohol free beer has no alcohol in as far as I know, but does feel wrong at work, but no rational reason for this and probably less unhealthy than Coke, Monster etc.

I'd probably join them in solidarity because I don't drink sweet drinks but could enjoy a can of my current favourite, alcohol free Cruzcampo.

Don't know how old you are, but I remember going to the pub for a pint at lunch and it being considered perfectly normal!!

What kind of workplace and industry?

Nobody at my work would bat an eyelid if drinking this in the canteen but we are only allowed to drink water in front of customers.

People drink energy drinks away from customers and this is no different imo.

It would make me raise an eyebrow but I couldn't explain why. Maybe because it doesn't look professional. I work for the NHS and can't imagine it would go down well swigging out of a drinks container that looks like an alcoholic drink.

Appletiser is meant to be a sparkling apple cider non alcoholic you wouldnt pay any attention to someone drinking that. I might find it odd but I hate the taste of beer and assume everyone only drinks it for the buzz not the flavour

It's an unusual choice of drink for the workplace, but surely it can't be a disciplinary issue if the person can show that it's a non alcoholic drink?

If you are talking about drinking alcohol substitutes (like zero % beer or wine) during the working day for example with a sandwich at lunch, I would think it was really odd.

Zero % alcohol is designed to mimic the taste of alcohol. If someone needs to be drinking that in the middle of the working day and can't manage to go 8 - 10 hours without the taste of alcohol, they have a bit of a problem.

And zero % alcohol on delivery requires proof of ID because it is grouped with actual alcohol and it is designed to avoid confusion or mistakes or underage people who shouldn't be drinking mixing it up with actual alcohol. who is to say that the zero % beer bottle hasn't been switched up or refilled.

If you are talking about after work, then it doesn't matter.

The packaging it's in though isn't designed to look alcoholic. I'm thinking more of the bottles of beer/cider that I buy alcohol free by mistake because they look the bloody same. Same as the cans of pink gin and lemonade which has alcohol free written in little letters

My DH drinks alcohol free beers in the car when he is driving to work which I think I couldn’t do but he cares less about what people think than I do!! He only drinks the 0.0 ones, some have 0.5 which is still a minute amount. I think it’s a little bit off for work. The context matters I guess. DH is nhs so I’d think it inappropriate if he then carried his can into work as he walked in…

It depends on the job!
Imagine your GP or child’s teacher sipping a pint of 0% guinness or a G&T at their desk!

If it would be appropriate to drink an alcoholic drink then knock yourself out with a 0% drink. Otherwise stick to soft drinks. The ‘look’ of alcohol free drinks is very unprofessional.

If you’re working from home and not coming into contact with clients / the public, then I don’t see an issue though.

I’d question the judgement of someone needing that drink, albeit illusionary, during the working day. It looks needy and/or provocative. Poor optics.

But it's just a drink. I personally think that Coke and energy drinks are disgusting and would never drink them. If someone can't go all day without that much sugar, than they have a bit of a problem.

I like the taste of alcohol free lager so I don't see why it should be problematic to drink it in environments where Coke and Monster are acceptable. It doesn't have alcohol in so it's not about dependency or problem drinking. Quite the opposite.

I personally just think ‘why go there?’
lots of people won’t realise it’s non-alcoholic at a glance (or if they smelt it on a colleagues breath) and would be unlikely to ask, instead probably just speak to HR and start a whole pointless drama, and I would be left wondering if that was what the colleague was after all along so they could have the ‘gotcha’ moment when they revealed it was alcohol free. Except they might not even be believed after the event. It just looks so unprofessional and odd and it’s just so pointless. Drink water, juice, pop, tea/coffee like everyone else. Save the fake beers for after work 🤷🏻‍♀️

If they are 0% then I don’t see what business it is of anyone else.

This reasoning seems slightly odd to me. NA beers aren't designed to mimic the taste of "alcohol", they're designed to mimic the taste of beer! And nobody "needs" to drink it. Nobody is addicted to the taste of beer, and nobody's alcohol-dependent body will be "tricked" by drinking NA beer.

That said, I still wouldn't make a habit of drinking such things in work myself. This is largely because someone glancing over might get the wrong impression and go running to HR - or just form a bad impression of me.

Maybe this doesn't make sense, because I will have one actual alcoholic drink when we go to the nearby pub for a team lunch. I have also drunk a couple of NA beers when we'd signed out to take part in a team office quiz one day in the run-up to Christmas, too.

In the supermarket you can get a can of 0% lucky Saint beer with your meal deal.

It doesn't have alcohol in so it's not about dependency or problem drinking. Quite the opposite.

Disagree. It is absolutely designed to be an alcohol substitute so it is a weird thing to be drinking at work during the day. It also looks desperate and unprofessional. A zero alcohol beer bottle still looks like a bottle of beer.

Nobody is addicted to the taste of beer, and nobody's alcohol-dependent body will be "tricked" by drinking NA beer.

Missing the point. Lots of hard drinkers trying to give up a habit will substitute low or no alcohol because they find it easier to substitute a taste alike rather than just orange juice or coke. I'm not saying they are addicted just that the point of it is alcohol substitute. You wouldn't drink alcohol at work it's an unprofessional look. drinking zero alcohol beer is the same thing.

The OP was asking what would you think. I would think adversely of that person and that they had bad judgment and were unprofessional. That's my answer.

I’d think it was a bit odd but conclude it’s nothing to do with me. I feel the same about people who go downstairs to the coffee shop over the road to buy a coffee that they can get for free from the coffee machine in the kitchen. But again, that’s also none of my business.

I would probably like them more. Get the zero percent margs out. I live near a shop that does non alcoholic margarita flavoured slushy and I occasionally have one when I work. Obviously the kids just see green slush so not really the same.

I don’t see the issue (unless they’re doing it for a reaction).

I know lots of colleagues who drink energy drinks and they’re designed to resemble cans of larger/beer.

I assume most people who have colleagues who smoke or vape and so I’m not sure being seen with a can of non alcoholic drink is worse than this.

Yes I’m guessing the colleague is doing it for attention.