I presume you employ adults. In which case the are big enough to make their own decisions.

Creating guidelines that don't impact responsible people is just a create work scheme.

And miscreants should be dealt with on an individual basis depending on circumstances.

(We are a place of work, not a bar. So we don't have drinks on site)

If the company is supplying alcoholic drinks after work then there certainly should be guidelines around company expectations. There should be provisions in place to limit excessive drinking and stopping the supply of alcohol if necessary. Consumption should be limited if staff are driving so they stay below the legal limit, alcohol should not be the only option and consider making food available. Staff who have use of company vehicles should have policies in place around acceptable use and note that any accident where the driver is over the legal limit will invalidate insurance as well as have the potential for reputational damage. Consideration should also be given to provision to get staff home should that be required.

Do you have a drug and alcohol policy? Perhaps this could be covered under that?
You may want to also include a policy on alcohol as part of your vehicle policy

Ensuring that there are snacks and non-alcoholic beverages available when consuming alcohol in any situation that is work-related is a good way to show host responsibility.
If people are unsure of how much they can have you could also add a poster to the beer fridge indicating legal alcohol limits. (just an idea)

Include it a part of a Health and Wellbeing Policy

I find this a handy website to put policies together
https://www.business.govt.nz/news/workplace-wellbeing-policy-builder/

Click on 'Get started'
Select 'Health and Wellbeing Policy'
Select 'Alcohol'

A good risk assessment, developed in conjunction with the staff that are involved, will bring buy in and solutions that work.

Especially if the result is a social contract for responsible drinking, appropriate behaviour, safe driving and transport options, and having food / snacks provided. It may even become self policing with those involved holding each other to account.

One place I worked got a request from staff for a hand held breathalyser so that they could assess whether they were OK to drive. The official response we got from the police when we asked them for advice was that if they were considering using the breathalyser to check, then they shouldn't be driving.

Providing a work breathalyser is not a good idea. There is no guarantee that any reading obtained on a private device would be the same as on a police device even if regularly calibrated and the level of detectable alcohol peaks about an hour after the last drink. Having a device to test against before driving just creates a false sense of security.

It's a dodgy old topic this one as it straddles a couple of pieces of legislation, one of which is prescriptive (Road Traffic Act) and the other not so much (Health and Safety at Work Act).

The "problem" is that the HSWA is there to prevent the risk of harm from work activities, whereas the question being asked is how you prevent the risk of breaking other legislation by staying under the limit (I am sure the moral side is that no harm occurs to workers or other road users too).

While I wouldn't want to be a fun filter, but due to you having the guilty knowledge of problems occurring in the past, I can't see a way of solving this without putting some clear rules or limits in place for social gatherings, and meaningful deterrents as a consequence of not following these expectations.

If your risk tolerance does cover the possibility of having intoxicated persons on the premises (but not while working), then I would definitely be encouraging lift shares and the use of public transport on drinks day; it could even be a useful PR stunt due to the environmental benefits :wink:

At one workplace I know of, they had Friday 'happy hour' drinks in the cafeteria, with drinks available from the fridge. One of the measures the management team took was to offer to pay for a taxi home if the employee had too much to drink, but then it was up to the employee to make their own way back the next day to pick up their vehicle. They also had cards for Dial a Driver if an employee wanted someone to drive them home.

Each workplace should also evaluate its own culture and how people are likely to behave. In a positive work culture, I would expect to see a degree of moderation, with managers leading the way and setting an example. If employees have a sense of 'scarcity', it's possible that once the drinks fridge is unlocked, they will try to drink (or take) as many drinks as possible, to feel they get their share. That's more likely in a culture where managers begrudge employees anything extra and they don't feel cared for.

It is common now for workplaces to be alcohol-free as they do not want the responsibility should anything go wrong, in that should someone be involved in an accident or pulled over for DIC would the authorities seek to make the company liable for what happened. There may be some questions to answer in regard to drinking at the workplace. We are having that conversation within our company now.

I was asked to help with creating a Responsible Host Policy for a client after they did their risk assessment. I had a D&A testing company manager check it. The company also checked with their commercial vehicle insurance company before implementing the policy. It contains info about how and when the company will supply alcoholic drinks and the conditions (e.g., non-alcoholic drinks must also be supplied, and food, and a limit on what the company provides - keeping with NZTA road rules drinking limits - and each person consumes, etc. It also states expectations of employees. Seems to be working well, it is monitored closely, they have had no one abuse the privilege so far.

@Catherine van der Vyver
Another option is outlined here

Elimination is always the preferred option for managing risk!

Hi ,
Since New Zealand has had issues with drinking predating the Declaration of Independence 1835, I'm still amazed management in many areas still condone the activity with full knowledge of the outcomes.

"But we have ALWAYS done it this way!" (Translation: It's all I know and I can't be bothered trying to think of something better / safer.)