The Death of Happy Hour

[Anonymous]

What really killed it at work? Some say Covid? But I say maybe the Financial Crisis in 2008 when budgets cut and tons of the last of the older “three martinis lunch” crowd laid off.

And even before that it already took a hit in stock crash of 2000 and 9/11.

In the 1980s and 1990s it was not just happy hour, people ate lunch with co-workers, companies had softball teams, you catch a game with a co-worker, always be some co-workers at your baby shower or wedding. We had secret Santa parties, company picnic, maybe Friday bagels.

How did this happen? The getting drunk events all the time deserved to be retired. But why everything?

https://slate.com/life/2025/05/happy-hour-drinks-office-work-co-worker-colleague.html

[Anonymous]

LOL I just read this, sitting on my couch mildly hung over from last night's happy hour with my colleagues. But I'm 51, maybe I'm just a remnant!

[Anonymous]

Turnover? At many workplaces no one stays more than a year or two so getting to know coworkers becomes pointless.
Diversity? My current workplace is 90% one national origin and while those people organize parties and outings, they don't invite outsiders. And if I try to organize something with everyone, none of them want to go because "they feel more comfortable with just each other."
On the other end is Japan where according to my BIL, your boss doesn't really trust you until he has seen you vomit.

[Anonymous]

It happened when companies stopped caring about employees. They stopped being competitive with wages, didn't want to train, and outsourced more and more to maximize shareholder profits.

[Anonymous]

I am 54 and just went to Happy Hour on Friday. It was very nice.

[Anonymous]

We’d rather get home after work. But my coworkers are cool and we just drink during lunch on Fridays instead.

[Anonymous]

Long before Covid and The whole WFH trend, once people were parked behind their computers, the mingling in the office began to shrink.

[Anonymous]

My corporate workplace has occasional spontaneous happy hours.

I rarely drink so I feel awkward when I go to them. Also at my work, the happy hours sort of gender segregate. I told this to my new female manager and she watched it happen live.

Bunch of lit guys with beers in hand talking about sports and a small group of women seated, talking about baby stuff.

My manager and I watched this in bemusement. So I said, let's talk about the girliest thing possible. So we had an extended convo about American Girl dolls.

I also discovered that hard cider tastes pretty decent because the bar was completely out of the advertised artisan root beer that day.

I am a small woman so I might not be able to drive after two stiff drinks. It's not virtue-signaling.

I prefer lunches onsite at work or nearby restaurants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It happened when companies stopped caring about employees. They stopped being competitive with wages, didn't want to train, and outsourced more and more to maximize shareholder profits.

I have never worked for a company that paid for happy hour. Everyone paid for themselves yet they still happened along with baby showers and retirement parties. No more.

[Anonymous]

Nobody wants to spend that much time out of work with colleagues. I do happy hour maybe once every 6 weeks or so. Even that much is only because my kid is older so I don’t need to rush home to see him. For people with littler kids I would not expect them to spend any time after work.

[Anonymous]

In the 80’s and 90’s, we ate lunch together at my work. We also had a softball team. We did happy hours very infrequently- it was a more of a relic 60’s and 70’s to us.

[Anonymous]

Intense parenting. More efficiency from employees. So everyone works and goes home to their kids to do whatever. Fewer men and women stay later and commutes are long too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Intense parenting. More efficiency from employees. So everyone works and goes home to their kids to do whatever. Fewer men and women stay later and commutes are long too.

According to the article it is Gen Z (20 somethings) who are uninterested in socializing with coworkers. Millennials, who are the ones with kids, miss it.

[Anonymous]

Eating lunch together isn't allowed at my place. While you nominally get a lunch you're expected to work through it. My latest train leaves at 6:50 so there's not enough time to do get to a place, do a happy hour and still make the train.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Long before Covid and The whole WFH trend, once people were parked behind their computers, the mingling in the office began to shrink.

Wos, I think there is a correlation. I remember my first couple of jobs where there was no computer - we had camaraderie and went out after work.