Legal Question in Civil Litigation in California

Re: drinking at work

Depends. Some brewery workers imbibe as a perk, or even a condition, of employment. But nearly all other employers with formal policies prohibit drinking during working hours or reporting to work while intoxicated. If the boss goes out to lunch with her subordinates and hoists a few with the guys, does this constitute approval? The answer to your question really depends on what legal situations develop. An employer who lets drunk employees drive or operate dangerous machinery faces potential liability the size of the Exxon Valdez.

Re: drinking at work

Considering the fact that I come across numerous drunk drivers on the road each day, I would assume that at least some of them are drinking alcohol either during or just before work. Except for certain professions (like airplane pilot) there is no general law that prohibits people from consuming alcohol while at work. Nevertheless, consuming alcohol while at work would definitely constitute cause for most employers to fire an employee and would probably cause the employee to lose any right to unemployment benefits.