'I get resentful' | Boss 'forces' drinking on post-work Zoom happy hour

Since the dawn of the pandemic, companies the world over have attempted to maintain internal company culture by introducing digital ‘social hours’ into the working week. Often, these take place on Fridays, and feature quizzes, games, chatting and the occasional alcoholic beverage.

And whilst this time in the week earmarked for non-work-related chat can be an effective way of keeping corporate cultural bonds alive, bosses must tread carefully in ensuring that they aren’t adding additional pressure to workers who are already going through the stress of the pandemic.

An example of a leader getting this balance wrong recently made headlines when an anonymous worker wrote in to The Cut’s Ask a Boss column looking for a solution to the situation that their manager had consistently put them in.

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“I’m in my first job after graduating last year, and will be working from home for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, this means my boss has taken it upon himself to organise 'happy hours' outside of work hours,” the anonymous worker wrote.