A recent tweet by the folks over at Dogfish Head Brewery lamented the impracticality of many employee policies for small businesses. In this particular instance, the lament was over alcohol policies, many of which are strict even for many smaller close-knit businesses but downright unrealistic for a brewery. I deal with the same problem quite often, given that many of my clients are German and are quite accustomed to keeping a case of beer (or even a small keg) in the office for after-hours or company functions.
The most important thing when considering any type of employee policy is to make sure the policy is consistent with your business practices. A strict policy against alcohol or sexual harassment policy with a rigid and complex disciplinary process is only sensible if you’re going to implement it as written. Failure to follow the company’s own procedures is, in many instances, worse than not having a policy at all.
Of course, in an environment where the risks are increased due to a more flexible policy on, say, alcohol consumption there are still steps employers can take to minimize those risks. In the case of alcohol policies, the key is to make sure the difference between alcohol consumption and abuse is clearly outlined in the policy, and to ensure that employees are not impaired while working. A desk worker who has a beer or two at a company lunch may not be working at full efficiency, but probably won’t do all that much to harm employer or employee. On the other hand, a forklift operator continuing work after two or three of the brewery’s Olde School Barleywine (with 15% alcohol) is a bad idea, and the alcohol policy should reflect that. Similarly, a policy which requires a three-step disciplinary procedure and calls for a committee to review alleged infractions is simply unworkable for a five-employee company.
So go ahead, have a beer after work, just be smart about it.
Image from Dogfish Head Brewery website
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