Re-thinking that Zoom Happy Hour

Tell us how your company is thinking about alcohol and COVID-19 here.

Last week, my father, who has not used video for anything else during the pandemic (lawyers still use fax machines and the phone), ended his week on a Zoom Happy Hour with his department. As companies struggle to adapt to our new COVID-19 working world, moving the 5:00 PM Friday gathering online has become one of the most common ways to keep remote workforces connected. Even without the company picking up the tab, reasoning goes, everyone likes a chance to say “cheers.”

The assumption is right that Americans are drinking more. Alcohol sales overall are up 55%, and online sales are up 243%. However, consumption is not being confined to afterhours. A recent survey found that 38% of New Yorkers were day-drinking during work hours, while the WHO’s recent guide to Alcohol and COVID-19 reminded people that they should not be drinking at 3 PM just because they are home. And it’s understandable why people may be turning to alcohol, especially in a time of stress.  A majority of Americans have reported that COVID-19 had negatively impacted their mental health, with increased anxiety and feelings of isolation. The CEO of Aetna recently published a piece calling the mental health impact of COVID-19 the second curve.

The good news is that many employers have recognized this looming need. There has been a rush to offer tools focused on stress, anxiety, and depression, ranging from sleep coaching to meditation to online therapy. Many of these programs, however, do not explicitly have an alcohol or substance related module. And if they do, the stigma can be greater for seeking care, especially if it seems like the rest of their colleagues are breaking out the bubbly for happy hour.

At Tempest, which provides a digital platform for those looking to change their relationship with substances, particularly alcohol, we have (not surprisingly) an alcohol-free work environment.  COVID-19 has given us the chance to take the lessons learned about creating culture without booze with a hybrid in-person and remote team, and bring them fully online.  Some things other companies might consider include:

• Normalize how hard this: It can be hard for people to speak out about problematic drinking or any other mental health issues to their manager or co-workers. Having an open dialogue, whether on all hands, in email outreach, on company wikis, or elsewhere, about the fact that this affects our mental health is key.
• Revisit your benefit resources with an eye towards both current and future needs: At Tempest, we moved our monthly wellness reimbursement to a system that allows our employees to purchase any online or in-person service, including teletherapy. Looking at what you offer now, and what you may need in the future as people return to work (and struggle with more change) is important.
• Re-brand your happy hour: Make it a remote hang, a tea time, a soda break - anything that implies it is not centered around alcohol but rather a chance to share a snack and beverage. Or better yet, make your get-togethers something else entirely - virtual dance party, anyone?

We’re interested in learning more about how companies are responding to the COVID-19 epidemic and the impact of working from home, especially as relates to mental health and substance/alcohol use. Please take 5 minutes to complete this brief survey, and we’ll share the results in next month!

Questions? Comments? Want to learn more about building an alcohol-safe workplace? Contact [email protected]