Corporate happy hour

A pleasant way to unwind with colleagues after a stressful week or an example of organisations endorsing the use of alcohol as self medication.

I read an article that argued that a corporate happy hour was a means by which organisations could encourage employee mental well being. The argument was that a drink after work was good for team bonding. Calling it a happy hour did seem to reinforce the idea that lots of alcohol would be involved.

This brought to mind those stereotypes images of a group of mainly men, mostly white, city traders quaffing champagne to celebrate another big deal and another bonus in a trendy crowded cocktail bar. The behaviour is boisterous verging on the inappropriate defiantly sexist and homophobic and occasionally racist. Bonding for some alienating for others. 

But there is another version,  not a corporate happy hour but a Friday night curry.

Every Friday after work the younger members of the team went for a curry with the boss. We always went to the same balti house. No alcohol, no football talk  no work talk, a little office gossip but always a good laugh. We were a very diverse group in terms of faith, and sexuality. Something I hadn’t realised until people relaxed away from the office and the conversation became more wide ranging and lively.

I said younger members of the team but their was one regular team member who attended who was older than all of us and when the conversation turned to other teams and place we had worked he always had some interesting stories about his time in Africa. There was also the partner of one team member who had been in the SAS not that he told us this or ever refers to it but we knew. Basically the boss recruited and knew a lot of interesting people which all contributed to interesting and relaxed end of week.

The work was stressful and it could be difficult to switch off. This was a time before the expression ,”mental well being” was coined but whether or not we realised it this was  away in which the boss help us as a team to unwind and appreciate those we worked with as people not just colleagues.  I have worked in many teams and many different organisations since. Most were happy to go out for a meal at Christmas or to celebrate something special and all of them at some point engaged in team building but non matched those Friday night curries for the good vibe.

Read more

Latest News

Read More

How monetising L & D can drive revenue

8 June 2025

Newsletter

Receive the latest HR news and strategic content

Please note, as per the GDPR Legislation, we need to ensure you are ‘Opted In’ to receive updates from ‘theHRDIRECTOR’. We will NEVER sell, rent, share or give away your data to third parties. We only use it to send information about our products and updates within the HR space To see our Privacy Policy – click here

Latest HR Jobs

University of NorthamptonSalary: £26,338 to £30,805 per annum

University of Cambridge – Office of the School of Arts and HumanitiesSalary: £26,942 to £30,805 per annum

University of Strathclyde – Safety, Wellbeing and ResilienceSalary: Not specified

Royal Holloway, University of London – Department of Human ResourcesSalary: Competitive

Read the latest digital issue of theHRDIRECTOR for FREE

Read the latest digital issue of theHRDIRECTOR for FREE