The Do's and Don'ts of Office Happy Hours

The office is abuzz with excitement as coworkers whisper the good news to one another: "Happy hour after work." Yes! Who doesn't love this glorious occasion to relax and throw back margaritas with your work buddies? However, before you imbibe, learn the dos and don'ts of office happy hours. After all, what seems acceptable in the darkness of Friday night might come back to haunt you on Monday morning.

Do drink responsibly:

Not to sound like your mother, but drinking responsibly is the number one rule to achieving a successful happy hour. As a general rule of thumb, don't consume more than one beverage an hour. Typically, people metabolize 0.5 ounces of alcohol every hour, which is equivalent to one standard drink: a 12-ounce beer, 4 ounces of wine and 1.25 ounces of 80-proof liquor. By limiting yourself to one drink per hour, you'll ensure that you remain cool, calm and collected. Also, you'll demonstrate to coworkers that you don't engage in reckless behavior, such as drunk driving.

Don't badmouth the higher-ups:

Remember: What you say during happy hour can - and will - be held against you. Sure, it's tempting to sit around and gossip about how your manager is seriously inept, but don't do it. After all, you never know who else is listening to your "private" conversations. Although you may ascribe to the mentality of "what's discussed at happy hour, stays at happy hour," who's to say that the person sitting next to you shares your sentiments? Use discretion when discussing workplace issues at happy hours. You don't want your boss to catch wind of the fact that you secretly refer to him as "Michael Scott, Jr."

Do invite everyone:

Most likely, there are certain individuals in your office who you'd rather not fraternize with afterhours. But, refrain from only inviting the "cool" clique to happy hour - and conveniently leaving others out. That way, you'll avoid hurting people's feelings and creating tension in the workplace. And, who knows? That salesperson who you constantly try to avoid might not be so bad, after all. Observed with caution, happy hours can provide wonderful opportunities for coworkers to develop strong, lasting relationships.

Don't do anything that you will later regret:

Although this may sound like a no-brainer, happy hours frequently lead to embarrassing incidents. Let's face it: When the alcohol starts flowing, people often leave their inhibitions to the wayside. But, do you honestly want to be known for your rousing karaoke performance of "I'm Every Woman?" I didn't think so. Bear in mind that you still have to go back to work on Monday morning. And, antics considered funny at Friday-night happy hour might not be so humorous in the light of the morning.

Do ask for individual tabs:

It's an all-too-common scenario: To make things easier on the wait staff, happy-hour attendees ask to be put on one tab. However, as people slowly leave and throw down cash to cover their drinks, something becomes apparent: They didn't leave enough money. I've personally witnessed this occur countless times and have had to pay more than my fair share of the bill. The best way to avoid this unfavorable situation is to always ask for individual tabs. That way, the designated happy-hour treasurer won't have to fork over additional funds.

Are you a regular happy-hour attendee? If so, please share your thoughts on this workplace staple.