Survey: 1 in 10 Drink During Work Day on St. Patrick's

Every year around St. Patrick's Day, there's a song I just can't get out of my head. No, it's not "Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral," "Danny Boy" or even Chicago's famed "South Side Irish" song.

It's called "Irish Boy" by Cowboy Mouth, a southern rock band from New Orleans. One of the many tributes to Irishmen and drinking:

"Well I had a drink with a friend of mine a week ago today. We were celebrating a month and a half too late St. Patty's Day. Well I bought him a round and he bought me a round and the bouncer bought us another. What's an Irish Boy with a good family doing in the gutter?"

On St. Patrick’s Day, while some may partake in the wearing of the green, parade-watching and eating corned beef, others elect to drink in the festivities. Just as the Fourth of July has fireworks and barbecues and Halloween is nothing without costumes and candy, St. Patrick's Day will always mean shamrocks and beer.

This particular holiday inspired CareerBuilder.com's latest survey "Drinks on the Job." One-in-ten workers say they participate in after-work happy hours on St. Patrick’s Day while another one-in-ten admit to having an alcoholic beverage on company time on St. Patrick’s Day.

Drinking while on the job extends beyond holidays. One-in-five workers – 22 percent – say they have gone out for an alcoholic beverage during a regular workday at some point in their careers. Ten percent of workers report a more habitual pattern, stating they consume an alcoholic beverage with lunch during the workday at least once a week.

Men reported a higher tendency toward drinking during the workday. Eleven percent of men say they’ve had an alcoholic beverage on company time on St. Patrick’s Day, compared to 8 percent of women. Thirty percent of men admit to going out for a drink during a regular workday, compared to 19 percent of women. Fourteen percent of men say they have an alcoholic drink with lunch at least once a week, compared to 8 percent of women.

Comparing select industries and job functions, IT and Government ranked highest in the area of workers drinking during the workday on St. Patrick’s Day with respective amounts of 15 percent and 10 percent. Accounting/Finance led in the category of workers who admit to drinking on company time during a regular workday at 29 percent, followed by 28 percent of IT workers and 24 percent of Manufacturing workers. Sales and Hospitality tied for having the highest number of workers who admit to drinking during lunch at least once a week at 14 percent. Healthcare and Retail workers ranked lowest in all measurements.

Consuming alcohol on company time, regardless of the occasion, can lead to serious consequences. Workers need to exercise good judgment and maintain professionalism at all times at workplace festivities taking place during or after the workday.

Here are some ways to enjoy any work gathering without losing your rep:

Make Sure Everyone Makes the “A List” – If you are planning a work happy hour, remember to keep it an open invitation so everyone feels welcome. Buddy Up – Happy hours can be a great place to build camaraderie. Use this time to network, meet co-workers from other departments and exchange ideas. But, remember these are social events, so keep it casual.

Don’t Star in the Next Water Cooler Story – Know your limits. Keep the consumption of any alcoholic beverages to a minimum.

Survey Methodology CareerBuilder.com’s survey, "Drinks on the Job," was conducted from November 15 to December 6, 2005. Methodology used to collect survey responses totaling more than 2,050 workers for this study involved selecting a random sample of comScore Networks panel members. These Web Panel members were approached via an e-mail invitation, which asked them to participate in a short online survey. The results of this survey are statistically accurate to within +/- 2.16 percentage points (19 times out of 20).